The Seventeenth
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.
Welcoming God,
you receive and bless all who come to you in humility. Show us our false pride,
that we may repent of all conceit and arrogance and, caring for one another,
may honour Jesus to the glory of your name. Amen. (Revised Common
Lectionary Prayers)
Opening Hymn – Sing Hallelujah to Our Lord
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
The Gloria
Collect of the Day
Let us pray.
Grant, O
merciful God, that your church, being gathered by your Holy Spirit into one,
may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory of your name; through
Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one
God, now and forever. Amen.
The Readings
A reading from
the Book of Exodus 17:1-7
From
the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by
stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water
for the people to drink. The people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us
water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you
test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water; and the people
complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill
us and our children and livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord,
“What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” The Lord
said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of
Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile,
and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike
the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses
did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and
Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the
Lord among us or not?”
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be the God.
Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16
Give ear, O my
people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark
sayings from of old,
things that we
have heard and known,
that our ancestors have told us.
We will not hide them from their children;
we will tell to
the coming generation
the glorious
deeds of the Lord, and his might,
and the wonders that he has done.
In the sight of their ancestors he worked marvels
in the land of
Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.
He divided the
sea and let them pass through it,
and made the waters stand like a heap.
In the daytime he led them with a cloud,
and all night
long with a fiery light.
He split rocks
open in the wilderness,
and gave them drink abundantly as from the
deep.
He made streams come out of the rock,
and caused waters
to flow down like rivers.
God of pilgrims, strengthen our faith, we pray. Guide us through the uncertainties of our journey, and hold before us the vision of your eternal kingdom, made known to us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A reading from the Letter of Paul to the Philippians 2:1-13
If
then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any
sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of
the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do
nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as
better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to
the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but
emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And
being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.
Therefore God also highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and
every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Gradual Hymn – Glorious in Majesty
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew. 21:23-32
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
When
he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to
him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these
things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus said to them, “I will also ask
you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what
authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was
it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From
heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say,
‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a
prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them,
“Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
“What
do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and
work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed
his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he
answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his
father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax
collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.
For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him,
but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw
it, you did not change your minds and believe him.
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Sermon
Guest Speaker - Joan Merton
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in Thy sight O Lord, our Strength and our Redeemer. Amen
It would be interesting to know what actually happened at the temple when Jesus entered Jerusalem. Why was the Jerusalem leadership so disturbed by Jesus’ actions and words? Was this a crucial turning point in Jesus’ overall mission?
Many biblical scholars think this was the point in Jesus’ journey when the Temple leaders had enough evidence for the challenging nature of the prophet from Galilee, whose actions and words were unclear in terms of his overall goal, until this point. His actions at the temple and the positive response of the people, finally managed to raise their anger. It becomes even clearer in this account when the religious leadership questioned the origins of Jesus’ authority.
Matthew gives us an important incident to help interpreters understand the rising, significant tension between Jesus and the Jerusalem leadership. In the scene on the day following Jesus’ activity in the temple area, Jesus cursed a fig tree. Although Jesus turned this odd action into a lesson about faith for his disciples, the “fig tree” was understood as an important symbol as well. His narrative connection still seems clear. Even the cursing of the fig tree had something to do with Jesus’ actions in the temple.
Tradition said that a cursed “fig tree” symbolized judgment on the people of Israel. However, this critique appeared to be directed at the leaders of the temple specifically, not against the people as a whole. In fact, the crowds met Jesus’ activity positively, as the children attested because it was the children’s song that caused the leadership to get angry. Their words (i.e., “Hosanna to the son of David”) linked messianic tunes to Jesus’ actions. This caused alarm since the Jerusalem leadership definitely did not want any trouble from Rome.
Also, Jesus parables, in response to the query about his authority, were directed at the “chief priests and the Pharisees”. Jesus’ return to the temple to teach, on the following morning, suggested that neither his temple challenge nor the cursing of the fig tree were intended to symbolize a destruction of the temple or its practices. Rather, Jesus desired to restore the temple to its proper function.
Concerning the origins of Jesus’ authority, the central point of our passage, the key to Jesus’ response was his connection to John the Baptist. By using John’s baptism as a counter-question, Jesus indirectly correlated his “authority” with John’s own, something he had indicated earlier.
Jesus also participated directly in the baptizing program of John, despite John’s apparent reluctance. Their rejection of Jesus was simply an on-going criticism of the prophetic tradition of John, of which Jesus was a central figure. But, since the authorities did not answer his question directly, Jesus refused to answer theirs.
Authority has been a theme in the Gospel of Matthew from the beginning and acceptance of Jesus’ authority (from God) will be crucial for an effective discipleship follow-up program: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations”. This rejection of John’s and Jesus’ authority could be seen as a future sign for the general reaction of the discipleship program in Jesus’ name.
Jesus’ second response to the query of the temple leadership was to tell the parable, traditionally called the “Parable of the Two Sons”. This story was unique to the first canonical Gospel. In this particular case, Jesus provided a symbolic equivalent for the two “sons”: the tax-collectors and prostitutes, on the one hand, and the chief priests and elders, on the other hand.
Jesus considered both groups of people God’s children. Their actions, not their words, determined the true children, that is, the ones most willing to participate in the father’s business. In the story, Jesus equated involvement in the father’s vineyard with recognition of John’s baptism as a sign of God’s authority. Most importantly, to do God’s will would put a disciple in close association with Jesus.
We need to understand what a “tax-collector” is in Jesus’ time. In that culture, they are more like toll-collectors at city gates or on main roadways collecting the “tax” of traders bringing external goods into the city. The hostility toward them was because these collectors provided this service on behalf of Rome, the foreign ruling authority. Even a sampling of the passages in Matthew will make clear a general cultural feeling toward them. Throughout the story, they were associated with “sinners”, “Gentiles”, and “prostitutes”. Yet, Jesus shared meals with them, even selecting one to be included in the Twelve.
The last six or seven months have been difficult. We have had to change the way we live and worship dramatically. So what is the Spirit trying to say to us today in September of 2020? Is there something about Jesus’ authority - and his hesitancy to express it - that is worth discussing? Are we more like the religious authorities in our attempts to “manage” any new activity “God” may be up to? This is something to think about as we continue to develop new ways to be God’s people in a world that has been turned upside down.
Affirmation of Faith
Let us confess
the faith of our baptism, as we say the Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Prayers of the People
Our God is a
God of unity, not of division; of love, not of hate; of forgiveness, not of
resentment. With opens hearts, bearing the pain of the world, let us beseech
the God of love, saying: Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
God, like the Israelites in the wilderness, we too have known your love, and experienced your care and provision. You invite us to extend that love to the world around us, to care for others as deeply as we care for ourselves. And so we bring the needs of our world before you now. Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We pray for the many who do not have enough:
enough food to eat, or shelter to keep warm;
enough employment, or money to pay their
bills;
enough medicine or medical care.
Lord, in your
mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We also pray for those who have more than enough, but who still struggle to find meaning and purpose in life; who indulge in dangerous or self-serving activities to dull their pain or loneliness. Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
God, Your grace reaches out to all of us. You call us to live as citizens of heaven, working together with one heart and mind. Strengthen us to live in a manner worthy of the Good News we have received, offering our lives in service of your kingdom, where the last are first, and the first are last, and there is grace enough for all. Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Please take time to offer your own intercessions or to pray in silence.
Lord God, your Son made himself the least among us, bore our sins upon the cross, and delivered us from death by his own suffering and dying. Forgive our sins, by which we have added to the world’s pain, and make us instruments of peace and reconciliation, through the same Christ our Lord. 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.
Offertory Hymn – Jesus, the Joy of Loving Hearts
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.
Eternal God,
in Jesus Christ we behold your glory. Receive the offering of your people gathered
before you, and open our hearts and mouths to praise your great salvation, the
same 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 Father,
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.
God in heaven,
strengthen the unity of your Church, so that we who have been fed with holy
things may fulfill your will in the world. We ask this in the name 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 – Deep Calls to Deep
Dismissal
Go forth into the world, rejoicing in the
power of the Spirit.
Thanks be to God.
