Take Up Your Cross: A Lament for Christ’s Presence

Thirteenth 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

The prophet Jeremiah speaks of the incurable wound of his suffering yet finds in God’s words the delight of his heart. When Peter doesn’t grasp Jesus’ words about suffering, Jesus tells the disciples they will find their lives in losing them. Such sacrificial love is described by Paul when he urges us to associate with the lowly and not repay evil with evil. In worship we gather as a community that we might offer ourselves for the sake of our suffering world.

Gathering Song – Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty (ELW #413)

            Listen Here

Confession and Forgiveness

Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, who forgives all our sin, whose mercy endures forever.

Amen.

Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: 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.

Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.

Most merciful God,

we confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. 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 neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name.

Amen.

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.

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.

Canticle of Praise

            Listen Here

Prayer of the Day

Let us pray.

O God, we thank you for your Son, who chose the path of suffering for the sake of the world. Humble us by his example, point us to the path of obedience, and give us strength to follow your commands, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

A reading from the Book of Exodus                                                                     3:1-15

Moses experienced the call of God when God appeared to him in a bush that burned but was not consumed. When Moses expressed his unworthiness, God promised to be with him. When Moses objected that people would demand to know God’s name, God revealed his personal name, Yahweh (I am who I am), or the Lord. Israel discovered God’s true identity when God took them out of Egypt.

Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” He said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” He said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.”

But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’:

This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b

O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name,

    make known his deeds among the peoples.

Sing to him, sing praises to him;

    tell of all his wonderful works.

Glory in his holy name;

    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

Seek the Lord and his strength;

    seek his presence continually.

Remember the wonderful works he has done,

    his miracles, and the judgments he has uttered,

O offspring of his servant Abraham,

    children of Jacob, his chosen ones.

Then Israel came to Egypt;

    Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.

And the Lord made his people very fruitful,

    and made them stronger than their foes,

whose hearts he then turned to hate his people,

    to deal craftily with his servants.

He sent his servant Moses,

    and Aaron whom he had chosen.

that they might keep his statutes

    and observe his laws.

Praise the Lord!

A reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans                                               12:9-21

Paul presents benchmarks for faithful relationships with Christians and non-Christians. Love is the unflagging standard of our behavior. When we encounter evil, we do not resort to its tactics but seek to overcome it with good. While Christians cannot control the actions and attitudes of others, we seek to live at peace with all people.

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

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                                                                16:21-28

Glory to you, O Lord.

After Peter confesses that Jesus is “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (16:16), Jesus reveals the ultimate purpose of his ministry. These words prove hard to accept, even for a disciple whom Jesus has called a “rock.”

From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?

“For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” 

The gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

Guest speaker - David Lose, senior pastor at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Typically, the focus today would be on the heartbreak of the rebuke Jesus levels at Peter. Then a connection would be made between Peter’s disappointment and our own, as we, too, often want a strong God, even a warrior God, who will come in to save us from our problems. Those desires make it hard to accept, let alone celebrate, Jesus coming to us in vulnerability, suffering, and death. Until, that is, we realize that it is exactly in our own vulnerability, suffering, and death that we most need God and where Jesus promises to meet us in the cross. And, once again, that’s not a bad interpretation.

But this week, and in light of everything, we are instead drawn to the verses often passed over: Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it” (16:24-25).

These verses often elicit two distinct reactions. Some folks embrace Jesus’ words, feeling themselves both called and capable to make decisions that reflect their Christian commitment, even to the point of sacrifice. For them, these words are an invitation.

Other Christians, however, struggle to find joy in these words. Some may be aware of their own limitations and so doubt their ability to embrace the cross, while others experience this as a request to denigrate themselves and can point to too many examples in culture where specific persons or groups have been told by their oppressors to “bear their cross.” Not all struggle and suffering, they will remind us, is sacrificial or beneficial, and so they are understandably leery of any blanket statements that legitimate unholy oppression. For both these latter groups, Jesus’ words are a burden, whether imposed on them by Christ or by others.

There may, however, be a third way to interpret these words, which is simply to recognize a) that suffering happens and b) whether you choose it, embrace it, or resist it, Christ is present with you in it.

Sometimes we are so keenly aware of Jesus’ words of his impending suffering and death that we assume it was all part of some plan (presumably God’s plan). But what if, instead, God’s plan was to send Jesus to bear a word of redemption and grace and love and the cross happened as a result? (See John 3:19.)

That is, it’s not that the only way by which God could conceive of redeeming humanity was for God’s son to be violently put to death, but rather that God in Jesus came amongst us bearing a vital message of love and acceptance even though Jesus knew that humanity’s likely response would be to reject the message and kill the messenger.

In this sense, the cross was not Jesus’ goal, but rather the outcome of Jesus’ fidelity in the face of unfaithful people. He didn’t choose the cross but rather trusted God to work even through the extreme of the cross for the sake of the world God loves so much.

Similarly, the cross isn’t something we choose, but rather it is something that finds us. Sometimes what is redemptive in our suffering is obvious – the sacrifices we make for our family members and friends, foregoing individual “rights” during a pandemic for the sake of community health – and sometimes it’s hard to tell if there is anything good at all, let alone redemptive, in the suffering we see and experience. And yet Christ identifies with all of our suffering, took it all on himself in his suffering, and promises to meet us in ours.

What does “take up your cross and deny yourself” look like in this case? Perhaps it’s following Jesus’ lead and, to the best of our ability, to make decisions and act in a way that reflects God’s love for us and all people, God’s acceptance of us and all people, God’s desire for abundant life for us and all people.

“Deny yourself” is not the same as “forget all about yourself” and certainly is not “debase yourself.” By linking “and all people” to “us,” we realize God is in it for everyone, not just us and that is, I think, what denying yourself looks like – seeing that you and I are part of something larger, in recognizing that there is, in fact, no meaningful “you” or “I” apart from “us.”

Suffering doesn’t need to be – and, quite honestly, should be not be – spiritualized. And it should not be justified. And it should regularly be resisted, particularly as we are moved to resist the actions and systems that we undertake or in which we are involved that increase the suffering of others. But trust me, suffering – chosen and sacrificial or unbidden and at times even unholy – will find us. And Jesus will be there.

Where or how are you suffering today? Are you able to name it? Are you tired, hurting, fearful, insecure, anxious, in pain, or distressed?

Name these things honestly, in the sense of biblical lament, in order to hear again God’s promise in Christ be in it with us, to see in our hardships a kindred experience to Christ’s cross, and to count more fully on Christ’s presence and power to see us through.

We literally cannot save our own lives, and our attempts to do so often take a toll on ourselves and others. But as we surrender that impulse and hear and trust God’s promise, we discover that those things which seek to take our lives are no match for the crucified and resurrected Christ and we discover new life even amid them.

There is so much suffering going on right now. Whether related to COVID, racial injustice, economic hardship, emotional despair, or more.

In all these things, not just Christ’s cross is present, but Christ himself – holding us, lamenting with us, encouraging us, and promising us the strength to endure, to flourish, and to help others do the same.

Amen.

Hymn of the Day – Will You Come and Follow Me (ELW #798)

            Listen Here

Affirmation of Faith

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

Prayers of Intercession

Confident of your care and helped by the Holy Spirit, we pray for the church, the world, and all who are in need.

Silence

God of faithfulness, you bid your people to follow Jesus. Set the mind of your church on divine things. Grant us trust in you, that we lose our lives for the sake of Christ and thereby discover joy in life through him. Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

God of wonder, the earth is yours and all that is in it. Heal your creation and give us eyes to see the world as you do. As the seasons change, pattern the rhythm of our lives in harmony with all creation. Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

God of all nations, you call us to live peaceably with all. Give us ears to hear one another, even those we name as enemies. Fill all leaders with mercy and understanding, that they advocate and genuinely care for those who are poor and most vulnerable in their communities. Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

God of salvation, you promise to deliver us. Give those who suffer a strong sense of your presence and love. Accompany those who are uncertain, raise the spirits of those who are despairing, and heal the sick. Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

God of community, you call us to rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, and persevere in prayer. Make our congregation a workshop of your love. When we quarrel, bring reconciliation. Help us overcome evil with good. Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

Here other intercessions may be offered.

God of all grace, you give us everlasting life. In love we recall your holy ones who now live in your undying light. In our remembering, give us a foretaste of the feast to come. Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

In the certain hope that nothing can separate us from your love, we offer these prayers to you; 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.

Salvation belongs to our God

and to Christ the Lamb forever and ever.

Great and wonderful are your deeds,

O God of the universe;

just and true are your ways,

O Ruler of all the nations.

Who can fail to honor you, Lord,

and sing the glory of your name?

Salvation belongs to our God

and to Christ the Lamb forever and ever.

For you alone are the Holy One,

and blessed is the one

whose name is the Word of God.

All praise and thanks to you, holy God!

Salvation belongs to our God

and to Christ the Lamb forever and ever.

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.

Sending Song – By Our Love performed by For King And Country

            Listen Here

Dismissal

Go in peace to share the good news.

Thanks be to God.

A Review of the Book "The Tattooist of Auschwitz" by Heather Morris

Title: The Tattooist of Auschwitz
Author: Heather Morris
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Year: 2018
254 pages

Anyone who knows me is aware of my interest in anything to do with the Shoah, or what is more commonly known as the Holocaust. It has always amazed me that people could do such horrific things to other human beings.

What has been extremely fascinating is discovering how many Jewish people were involved in day-to-day activities at the concentration camps. How do you help the very people who are killing your neighbours and kin?

"The Tattooist of Auschwitz" is the amazing story of Lale Sokolov, told from the perspective of a man who was taken from his home and forced to work for the Germans, tattooing fellow Jews who passed muster and were able to work in the labour camps.

Sokolov tells about how he was loaded onto a cattle car with dozens of other people, dressed up in a suit and tie in the hopes of making an impression on whomever was waiting for him at the other end of the line. Once he arrived, nothing was as he expected nor did his life go anything like he had hoped. In order to keep the rest of his family safe, he had to follow his orders and do everything he was told.

From an outsiders view, one can see how Sokolov's agreement to be the tattooist can be surprising, but really he was doing everything he could to save the lives of his family.

During the two and a half years spent imprisoned at Auschwitz, Sokolov saw unbelievable horrors and did his best to help his fellow inmates, putting his own life at risk. Somehow, through all of that, he even managed to fall in love, using that love to help him get through the worst of his days.

I can honestly say that after reading this book, I am incredibly amazed at how anyone could survive such conditions. I see now why some people did what they had to in order to survive and in order to protect their families.

Morris was able to wonderfully capture all of the emotions that were experienced by Sokolov and the others around him - confusion, pain, fear, defeat, and so much more. The story flowed very well but was hard to read in the sense that the reader will come away with a new, or perhaps deeper, understanding of the impact that Nazi Germany had on entire groups of people, especially on the millions of Jewish people that went through the work camps.

I very much recommend this book to everyone, not just those with an interest in Nazi Germany or World War II. "The Tattooist of Auschwitz" is a story out of history, a love story, and a story about human endurance.

Getting My Joey

 

My blog was created as a means for me to open up to everyone and give honest accounts of my life and my experiences. Those who know me, know that my goal is to be an open book, especially for anyone who has questions about my transition, being transgender, or being an Anglican priest. This particular blog post is about something very private and personal, and goes into some details that not everyone might want to read. Specific body parts are mentioned and I am putting myself into a vulnerable position by allowing you into this part of my life. As well, it is written from my perspective as a transgender male. If you decide that you don’t want to read any further, I will not be insulted. My next church post will be up tomorrow and I have two book reviews that will be out soon. If you read on, thank you, and don’t be afraid to message me with any questions you might have.

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Being transgender is hard on the mind, the body, and the spirit. Feeling like you are living in the wrong body can be excruciatingly painful, and many struggle with having wrong, missing, or extra body parts. Visual reminders of our physical inadequacies completely and utterly sucks. This all can be summed up in a term called gender dysphoria.

Everyone has their own unique ways of dealing with their dysphoria. For transgender men, some will exercise in order to try and change their muscular structure to look more masculine, others will buy a binder that will hide their chest, a few will practice speaking with a lower voice, and the list goes on. There are many ways that people will change their appearance in order to make themselves look on the outside the way they feel on the inside.

Those who can afford to do so may also go on testosterone and put themselves through a second puberty in order to achieve physical changes such as a lower voice, more hair (hopefully on the face but you don’t always get what you hope for), muscle building, and fat redistribution. Name changes and requests to be referred to with male pronouns are extremely common and a fair majority of us will get a double mastectomy, otherwise known as top surgery, to remove our breasts, although not everyone has the funds to do that, either. In Manitoba, these surgeries are covered by Manitoba health if you are referred by a psychiatrist and if you submit to a psychiatric evaluation. You need to repeat this process for each surgery, further accentuating the fact that your body and your ‘self’ is “wrong”. Elsewhere in the world (including the United States), people are required to raise the funds privately for any medications, evaluations, and surgeries.

While it sounds like we are putting our bodies through hell, it is well worth it. To hear the changes in your voice and to feel the changes in your body, it increases your confidence tenfold. It is an amazing feeling to start seeing in the mirror what you have always seen in your mind’s eye.

One of the struggles that you hear most often from transgender men is the fact that we lack one of the most identifiable male body parts - a penis. There are a couple of surgeries that can help, but they are expensive, painful, and very few doctors are successfully able to perform these surgeries. Therefore, as with binders being used to hide the chest, packers are used to give the image of a bulge in the pants, with some packers being more functional than others.

A simple packer is basically silicone shaped into balls and a penis. It’s meant to be put into your underwear, thus providing a bulge in your pants. Simply having the feeling of something there can help, even if a bulge isn’t fully visible. (We all know that not all men’s packages can be seen through their pants.) Keeping this hunk of silicone in your underwear is not exactly the easiest thing to do. What do you do with your packer when you pull your underwear down to go to the bathroom? How do you keep it from moving around in your pants? What if it falls out??

I don’t remember how I got introduced to the company, but someone pointed me in the direction of Get Your Joey, a Winnipeg, Manitoba based company that has created a pouch for the packer that pins to your underwear. (www.getyourjoey.com)

Get Your Joey began through a friendship between a transgender man and an ally, Ro Walker Mills and Kalyn Falk, respectively. I sat down with Kalyn to discuss an issue I was having with their product, which I will bring up shortly, and I was fascinated to hear that the product began with a sock.

Whether it is because of the lack of funds or the lack of product, sometimes problems require creative solutions. When Ro wanted a way to hold his packer in his underwear and decided to put a hole in a sock and pin it to his waist band. When Kalyn discovered his holey sock and found out what it was for, she began to work with him on a better way than using a sock. And thus the Joey was born. Fun fact, Ro and Kalyn chose the name Joey because they wanted something that represents carrying a pouch and what else comes to mind than a kangaroo!

Being a local company, there is a small crew of employees who hand sew and create all of the Joeys being ordered. They have an amazing amount of patterns to choose from and there are various sizes available based on body and packer size.

As I mentioned, I have no idea how I found Get Your Joey, but I did and I ordered a couple of different patterns and sizes. They were shipped very discreetly, in an unmarked package. Get Your Joey prides itself on providing their product safely, especially taking into consideration that some people are living in areas or homes where it would not be safe for others to discover they are transgender. When Get Your Joey sends their product out, the only marking on the package is GYJ, which really is meaningless to anyone except the recipient.

I was very excited to be able to wear my packer in my really cool Joey! But I ran into quite a few problems. First, I couldn’t get the packer to sit where it should in my underwear, so instead of having a natural looking bulge, I had a giant lump in my abdomen. Not only that but the pin holding the Joey to my waistband kept popping, especially when I would go to pull up my underwear after using the bathroom. There’s nothing quite like sitting in a stall trying to put your packer and Joey back into place, knowing someone is waiting for you to get out!

I was discussing the matter with my partner, Cass, and we came to the realization is that I am just too big in the belly to use the Joey. (To be clear, that’s not what was said to me, but more that the Joey was designed by and for smaller men.) There is too much space along my abdomen for the Joey to sit in a natural spot. I tried pinning it lower below the waistband but the material of my underwear just wasn’t strong enough to hold the weight of the packer. So I gave up wearing my packer. For the most part, I am at peace with what I am lacking in my pants, but there are days where I would try again (with or without the Joey) because I wanted to feel and see that bulge, and would once again be disappointed that it wasn’t working for me. It was quite deflating.

I was heading to visit Kalyn for a separate reason but Cass convinced me to bring up the issue I was having with the Joey, giving voice to the placement, pin, and weight problems that I experienced. Kalyn explained to us that “Get Your Joey aims to be body positive and had worked on a few solutions for a variety of body types, but the designs were clumsy and unhelpful…We were frustrated at not being able to provide an elegant solution because the whole point of our company is to make transgender people feel seen and celebrated.”

While Kalyn explained how the Joeys were created, sewn, and put together, Cass asked the question that could change everything for bigger guys like me, “why can’t you add more material to the top so that the Joey is longer?”

Her suggestion “of a longer length and getting rid of the top fold opened up new possibilities for ease of wear,” said Kalyn and as I write this blog, she is excitedly working on a couple of prototypes for me to try out and take for a spin. I eagerly await for their arrival knowing that, finally, there is a chance that I can properly and confidently wear a packer.

I know this may seem like too much information for some people, and for others perhaps this answers questions that you’ve always wanted to know but would never ask. I have always been an open book about my life and this is no exception. I hope if nothing else that this post helps educate and inform people in a new way. Stay tuned for a follow-up blog once I test out the prototypes.

Who Do You Say I Am? Peter’s Confession

 

The Twelfth 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.

**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

Let us pray.

God of all who wander in the wilderness, you go before us as beacon and guide. Lead us through all danger, sustain us through all desolation, and bring us home to the land you have prepared for us. Amen. (Revised Common Lectionary Prayers)

Opening Hymn – Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun (BCP #8)

            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, we are taught by your word that all our doings without love are worth nothing. Send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love, the true bond of peace and of all virtue; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Readings

A reading from the Book of Exodus                                                         1:8-2:10

Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. He said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor. They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them.

The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, “When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live.” But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live. So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and allowed the boys to live?” The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall let every girl live.”

Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.

The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him. “This must be one of the Hebrews’ children,” she said. Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Yes.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed it. When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, “because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be the God.

Psalm 124

If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,

    let Israel now say;

if it had not been the Lord who was on our side,

    when our enemies attacked us,

then they would have swallowed us up alive,

    when their anger was kindled against us;

then the flood would have swept us away,

    the torrent would have gone over us;

then over us would have gone

    the raging waters.

Blessed be the Lord,

    who has not given us as prey to their teeth.

We have escaped like a bird

    from the snare of the fowlers;

the snare is broken,

    and we have escaped.

Our help is in the name of the Lord,

    who made heaven and earth.

Helper and defender of Israel, rescue the peoples of the world from destructive anger, and set us free to love and serve each other in the peace of Christ of Lord. Amen.

A reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans                                   12:1-8

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Gradual Hymn – Jesus Calls Us; o’er the Tumult (BCP #432)

            Listen Here

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.      16:13-20

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

The Gospel of Christ.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Sermon

Guest Preacher: Rev Jason Zinko (Bishop, Manitoba/Northwestern Ontario Synod)

Grace, Mercy, and Peace to you in the name of Christ our Saviour.

I first want to say thank you for inviting me into your congregations and into your homes to speak about the gospel reading that we have been assigned today.

“Peter’s Confession,” as this part of Matthew’s gospel is often called, is an incredibly important part of Jesus’ story. It is a turning point in Matthew’s gospel in some ways.It is here that Jesus starts to unveil his succession plan, handing over the ministry to Peter and the disciples after Jesus is no longer with us in body. It is also where Jesus’ journey to the cross in Jerusalem picks up some steam.

But at the heart of Peter’s confession, or should I say the reason for it, is Jesus’ question about what people are saying about him. More importantly, Jesus wanted to know what his followers were saying about him and who his disciples believed him to be.

This is not a question about understanding or knowledge. Jesus is not asking if his disciples have seen enough proof or if they have finally caught on to what Jesus has been teaching them.

This is a question of purpose and identity. By posing this question, Jesus is actually asking the disciples, “Why are you here? Why did you leave your old lives behind to wander across the country with me? What does it mean for you to follow me?”

We might think these are questions that the disciples would have asked long before following Jesus around the countryside for a year or more. But again, understanding who Jesus is does not come only through a specific amount of listening, learning, or experience. In part, our belief about who Jesus is comes from God and is revealed through faith. It is God’s grace and faithfulness that allow us to see Jesus clearly for who he is.

For us, these questions of Jesus’ identity are incredibly important to keep in mind. Who we believe Jesus to be will shape our faith, our discipleship, and ultimately our ability to see God at work in the world around us. They will help us to solidify our identity as disciples, and help us to understand our true motivation in ministry –both as individuals and as a church.

I think it goes without saying that this has been a strange year. Nothing seems to be ‘normal’ –even after many places across our country have been getting back to some sort of normal over the past months. Certainly, nothing has been ‘normal’ in the church. Our members, leaders, clergy, and bishops have all had to do some reimagining since March. We have had to pivot a number of times and try to find creative ways of meeting the needs of our congregations and ministries while also making sure that we protected our most vulnerable members and the communities around us.

In all of this, it seems that we have really had to stop and think about our identity and purpose. We have needed to contemplate why we should start up certain practices, programs, or ministries, and why others needed to be postponed or left behind. We needed to prioritize the most effective and most valued ministries because we knew it was impossible to go back to the way everything was last year.

Those decisions about ministry did not rely only on practicalities. Those decisions, when made in faithful and healthy ways, were intended to help us think about, define, and live out our identity as disciples. They will hopefully help our whole church to refine our purpose before we move forward. But more importantly, those questions will help us to each clearly understand who Jesus is and who we are as his followers. That is what will best allow God to form us in faith so that, in each corner of our lives, we will be better equipped to see God at work and to faithfully respond to the needs of the world.

I’m not sure if you are all aware, but this weekend was supposed to be the time that youth from across the ELCIC and the Anglican Church of Canada would have gathered together for CLAY –the Canadian Lutheran and Anglican Youth Gathering. Under the theme “En Route”, our youth were going to explore what it meant to have faith and to be followers of Jesus in daily life. I am so sorry to all of our youth that this couldn’t happen for you this year. I know that for many of you, it was going to be your first time at a gathering. For others, it would have been your last time to take part in an event or ministry that has been so important in your faith lives.

I am also sorry for our church that our youth have missed this experience. CLAY Gatherings are extraordinary events to help with the faith formation of some of our younger members. These are places where our youth get to think and pray about who Jesus is and what a life of following Jesus means. They are times of building our Christian identity and growing in our understanding and purpose as God’s children.

I hope that we will all find other ways of engaging our youth in the faith formation that they missed this summer. But I also hope that we will seriously consider how we, old and young, can more actively engage in practices that will allow God to form and re-form our faith so that we can see clearly who Jesus is and how our lives as disciples carry on the work that God has called us to in baptism.

This is not work that we do on our own or for ourselves. This is not about becoming better versions of ourselves in order to win God’s approval. This is work that can only be possible because of the never-ending grace and faithfulness of God, expressed through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.

In baptism, and through the gift of the Holy Spirit, God calls each of us to a life of discipleship – of following Jesus – so that we are able to share the good news that we see and experience all around us.

And that life of discipleship will call us to work for justice for the marginalized and outcast. It will make us re-examine how our actions can bring harm to others, to creation, and to ourselves. And it will demand that we change those harmful ways of being. A life of discipleship will naturally call us to action to care for our communities in a way that carries on the ministry that Jesus embarked on, to which we are called each and every day.

In your homes, communities, and congregations, a life of discipleship will take on different forms and will address different needs. But regardless of the specific ways you live out your faith, a life of discipleship will be characterized by service, compassion, justice, and mercy. It will be a way that others can see and experience God in their lives.

My hope and prayer for each of you is that you are able to see Jesus clearly in your lives and that God will give you the grace and faith that you need in order to follow. My prayer is that we will all learn to be disciples and carry on the ministry that Jesus has entrusted to us.

Grace and peace to you in that work, and in our ministry together. Amen.

Affirmation of Faith

 

The Prayers of the People

Through the power of God, Peter saw Jesus in spirit and truth. For the power of God to be felt in our own times, let us offer intercessions, saying: Lord, hear us.

For all peoples of the earth and powers of the world who have not yet recognized Jesus as the Christ,

Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear us.

For the unity of churches, and for their common witness to the possibility of faith,

Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear us.

For those who struggle to believe in the earthly manifestations of Christ in the church, in the liturgy, and in daily life,

Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear us.

For those who suffer at the hands of the church, and for those who are oppressed in the name of God,

Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear us.

For ourselves, our families, and our communities, who are daily faced with questions of faith,

Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear us.

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

Living God, you wish to be among us in your Son and in his church. Hear the petitions we place before you. Increase our faith that we may see your works more clearly; purify our actions that we may reveal your love more surely. We ask this in the name of Jesus, your Son, who live and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, Forever and ever. Amen. (Intercessions for the Christian People)

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.

Offertory Hymn – Eat This Bread, Drink This Cup (BCP #63)

             Listen Here

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 glory, receive all we offer this day as a symbol of our love, and increase in us that true and perfect gift. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

This service was created for in-person outdoor worship. For those worshiping at home, you may either read the Eucharistic prayer, or skip ahead to the Lord's Prayer and then the Doxology. 

Eucharistic Prayer 1

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is indeed right that we should praise you, Gracious God, for you created all things. You formed us in your own image: all living creatures, you created us. When we turned away from you in sin, you did not cease to care for us, but opened a path of salvation for all people.

You made a covenant with Israel, and through your servants Abraham and Sarah gave the promise of a blessing to all nations. Through Moses you led your people from bondage into freedom; through the prophets you renewed your promise of salvation.

Therefore, with them, and with all your saints who have served you in every age, we give thanks and raise our voices to proclaim the glory of your name.

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,

heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed are they who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

Holy God, source of life and goodness, all creation rightly gives you praise. In the fullness of time, you sent your Son Jesus Christ, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God of all.

He healed the sick and ate and drank with outcasts and sinners; he opened the eyes of the blind and proclaimed the good news of your kingdom to the poor and to those in need. In all things he fulfilled your gracious will.

On the night he freely gave himself to death, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread, and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “ Take, eat: this is my body which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”

After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, “ Drink this, all of you: this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”

Gracious God, his perfect sacrifice destroys the power of sin and death; by raising him to life you give us life for evermore. Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith.

Christ has died.

Christ is risen.

Christ will come again.

Recalling his death, proclaiming his resurrection, and looking for his coming again in glory, we offer you, Father, this bread and this cup. Send your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts, that all who eat and drink at this table may be one body and one holy people, a living sacrifice in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory is yours, almighty God, now and for ever. Amen.

And now, as our Saviour Christ has taught us, we are bold to pray,

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.

We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.

We, being many, are one body, for we all share in the one bread.

This is the table of Christ. It is made ready for those who love him, and for those who want to love him more. Come, whether you have much faith or little, have tried to follow, or are afraid that you have failed. Come. Because it is Christ's will that those who want to meet him, might meet him here.

These are the gifts of God for the People of God.

Thanks be to God.

Prayer After Communion

Let us pray.

Living God, increase in us the healing power of your love. Guide and direct us that we may please you in all things, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. 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 – We Are Marching in the Light

            Listen Here

Dismissal

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

Thanks be to God.