Thursday, November 19, 2020

Judgement and The Sacrament of Sheep and Goats

The Last Sunday After Pentecost: the Reign of Christ

**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.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming! Amen. (Mark 11.9-10)

Opening Hymn – Be Thou My Vision (BCP #505)

            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 and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, our Lord and King, grant that the peoples of the earth, now divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his gentle and loving rule; 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 Ezekiel                                                          34:11-16, 20-24

For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice.

Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you pushed with flank and shoulder, and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them far and wide, I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be ravaged; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.

I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be the God.

Psalm 100

            Listen Here

A reading from the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians                                          1:15-23

I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Gradual Hymn – Unto the Least of These (Used with permission of Steve Bell)

            Listen Here

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.                  25:31-46

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The Gospel of Christ.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Sermon

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable and pleasing in your sight O Lord, for you are our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

Today is the Reign of Christ Sunday, or Christ the King Sunday. It is a celebration of the all-embracing authority of Christ as King and Lord of all things.

The feast is celebrated on the final Sunday of Ordinary Time, the Sunday before Advent. Actually, it is quite fitting that the feast celebrating Christ's kingship is observed right before Advent, when we liturgically wait for the promised Messiah.

But before we go into the season of talking about kings and the Messiah, let’s first talk about sheep, goats, and judgement.

Judgment comes from a place of vulnerability inside each of us. It comes from our need for self-assurance. It’s a misguided way of convincing ourselves that we have God’s favor because someone else does not.

There are many reasons we judge others. Sometimes we judge because it simplifies a complicated world by putting people in boxes of ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ Most of us grew up watching TV shows and reading stories where it was obvious what side a character was on.

A child reading The Lord of the Rings knows that the Orcs and Goblins are the bad guys and the Elves and Hobbits are good. In old Western movies you could distinguish good and bad by the color of someone’s hat.

But in the real world people don’t fit into simple visual narratives, although it would make life much easier.

People are ambiguous; saints can be sinful and the wicked can be redeemed. We see only a small snippet of each other’s stories. Even after spending a lifetime with someone, at the end we will have only understood a fragment of who they are in the eyes of God. It is God who alone sees us in our entirety and decides where we ultimately belong.

Judging is not the same as having an opinion. Being non-judgmental does not mean anything goes or that we should accept unacceptable behavior. What someone says and does communicates who they are and influences how we will relate to them, so of course we will have opinions about others (it would be naive to think otherwise). The difference is that opinion is something open that can be changed; a person can reform and relationships can mend.

A judgment is something final, something we don’t revisit once it’s been made. Once we’ve judged someone then we have dropped a curtain on them and it’s very hard to pull it back up. And let’s not kid ourselves. We, as human beings, judge almost on instinct – based on looks, assumptions about peoples’ lives, gender, skin color, and so much more.

We instinctively look for the winners, not the losers, in life. Why would we search for God in the dark and dirty places of the world?

This is what Jesus is talking about in today’s Gospel reading. Both “team goat” and “team sheep” express surprise at where Jesus was hiding in plain sight. He’d been right there with them in the midst of daily life in all its mundane messiness rather than holed up with the holy in the Temple or marooned on some majestic mountaintop.

“Team goat” made judgements about the people in their community, that they were not worthy of a king, THE King, to be living among them, and they sat around waiting for a royal entry.

“Team sheep”, on the other hand, were busy taking care of neighbors in need and ministering to folks within and outside of their communities.

Even here, we can start to lay judgement down. Did you automatically think that “team sheep” was better and more deserving of entry into the kingdom of heaven?

It is not our job to separate the sheep from the goats. The kingdom of heaven is not a club with us handing out entry tickets. We are more like promoters, not bouncers; we help send the invitations but who gets admitted isn’t up to us.

Our job is not to be the gatekeepers but to care for everyone as long as we’re out here in the field. What happens after that is up to God, and until then we are called to love without reserve or distinction.  We have all sinned in the eyes of God. It is not that one person is more worthy to receive God than another, but that God continues to love us all regardless of our past.

Not only are we not the gatekeepers to heaven, but we are not the gatekeepers of who should and should not receive our love. I have often heard the phrase “that wasn’t a very Christian thing to do”. The passage today is exactly that…you shouldn’t care for people to earn your way to heaven, or because you think those persons are deserving of your love and care, by whatever judgement you deem necessary to make for them to earn that special place in your life.

Jesus says that whenever we give food to the hungry, welcome a stranger, clothe the naked, or visit the sick or imprisoned, we act in kindness toward Jesus himself. On the other hand, those who have failed to see the needs of the disadvantaged have acted as though they have never seen Jesus. They have not followed in Christ’s footsteps.

During this time of pandemic and isolation, people have been showing their love of one another by wearing masks in public. While this is a loving gesture, it has become increasingly easy to miss the humanity behind the mask.

The masks, or at least the pandemic behind the masks, have created discrepancies in wealth, privilege, race, and age. We seem to be preventing ourselves from seeing that all humans are more alike than we are different.

If someone we loved was naked, sick, or imprisoned, we would strive to meet their needs. So why are we not treating everyone with the same amount of care as we would our own loved ones?

Let’s remember that behind all of our various masks there are people Jesus loves. Each of us has value and each of us has need.

Thanks be to God for the One who cares about the needs of all; for the One who comes always in justice in mercy; for the One who both judges and is judged for us; for the One who meets us in the need of our neighbor; and for the One who works in us and through us in surprising and unexpected ways.

We are blessed to have seen a King who is not like the kings of this world. We are blessed because we know a King who brings real peace, who sees the needy, and who hears the cries of the oppressed. In God’s kingdom, no one is hungry, naked, sick, or alone.

There is judgment in this parable, without question. But it is ultimately God’s judgment, a judgment we do not control, a judgment rendered by God in and through Jesus Christ the Redeemer who in the very next verses will be handed over in vulnerability and weakness to be crucified by those he came to save.

May we cast our judgements aside and tend to both the goats and the sheep. Because, in the end, we are all part of the same flock.

Amen.

Affirmation of Faith

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

We believe in one God,

the Creator, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Redeemer, Jesus Christ,

the only Child of God,

eternally begotten of the Creator,

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

one in being with the Creator:

Through the Redeemer all things were made.

For us and for our salvation

Jesus Christ the Redeemer

came down from heaven:

by the power of the Holy Spirit

was born of the Virgin Mary, and became human.

For our sake Jesus was crucified

under Pontius Pilate,

suffered, died and was buried,

and, on the third day, rose again

in fulfillment of the Scriptures,

ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of God.

Jesus Christ will come again in glory

to judge the living and the dead,

and the Reign of God will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,

the Sanctifier, the Giver of Life,

who proceeds from God the Creator

and Jesus Christ the Redeemer,

who with the Creator and the Redeemer,

is worshipped and glorified

and who has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism

for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead

and the life of the world to come. Amen.

 

The Prayers of the People

(Intercessions for the Christian People)

Through baptism we have been raised with Christ, ordained to a royal priesthood, and made citizens in a holy nation. As faithful priests serving the King of kings, let us intercede for all the world, saying: In the name of Jesus our King, hear our prayer.

Almighty God, sovereign majesty, as your humble priests we pray for all your children who do not confess you as Lord. Enable us to live the food news convincingly, that all may inherit life eternal in the kingdom of heaven.

In the name of Jesus our King,

hear our prayer.

Almighty God, ruler of all nations, cause the leaders of nations to recognize your sovereignty and to accept your gracious rule. Make them proponents of peace and lovers of justice. Crown each ruler with compassion, that all peoples ay live in peace.

In the name of Jesus our King,

hear our prayer.

Almighty God, merciful monarch. Look with pity on all who suffer: those with incurable disease, those unjustly imprisoned, those denied dignity, the hungry, those without shelter, those who live without hope. Direct us toward them, that their royalty may be reclaimed and their lives celebrate your grace.

In the name of Jesus our King,

hear our prayer.

Almighty God, Lord of the church, we pray for your holy catholic church on earth. Gather all who bear the name of Christ into one vigorous, fruitful community of faith, that the world may see one King of glory and one kingdom of grace.

In the name of Jesus our King,

hear our prayer.

Almighty God, benevolent judge, we pray for all your people gathered here to seek your grace. By your mercy, prepare us for the day of judgment, that we may accept it as a rich and royal gift for the eternal pleasure of the faithful.

In the name of Jesus our King,

hear our prayer.

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

Grant these petitions, O God, according to your perfect will, that your holy name be praised and proclaimed until that day when all the faithful shall gather before your throne in heaven, through the merits of Christ the King. 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 Calls Us Here to Meet Him (BCP #59)

            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.

Eternal God, by your grace you have raised us up and enthroned us with Christ in the heavenly realms. Receive all we off you this day, and lead us in those good works for which you have created us. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Redeemer. Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer 3

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.

Blessed are you, gracious God,

Creator of heaven and earth;

we give you thanks and praise through Jesus Christ our Redeemer.

You exalted Jesus as Redeemer of all creation

that he might present to you

an eternal and universal kingdom:

a kingdom of truth and life,

a kingdom of holiness and grace,

a kingdom of justice, love, and peace.

Therefore at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow

as heaven and earth 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.

We give thanks to you, Lord our God,

for the goodness and love

you have made known to us in creation;

in calling Israel to be your people;

in your Word spoken through the prophets;

and above all in the Word made flesh,

Jesus your Son.

For in these last days you sent him

to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary,

to be the Saviour and Redeemer of the World.

In Him, you have delivered us from evil,

and made us worthy to stand before you.

In him, you have brought us

out of error into truth,

out of sin into righteousness,

out of death into life.

On the night he was handed over

to suffering and death,

a death he freely accepted,

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.”

Therefore, God, according to his command,

we remember his death,

we proclaim his resurrection,

we await his coming in glory;

and we offer our sacrifice

of praise and thanksgiving

to you, Lord of all;

presenting to you, from your creation,

this bread and this wine.

We pray you, gracious God,

to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts,

that they may be the sacrament

of the body of Christ

and his blood of the new covenant.

Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice,

that we, made acceptable in him,

may be sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

In the fullness of time,

reconcile all things in Christ.

and make them new,

and bring us to that city of light

where you dwell with all your sons and daughters;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

the firstborn of all creation,

the head of the Church,

and the author of our salvation;

by whom, and with whom, and in whom,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

all honour and glory are 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.

“I am the bread which has come down from heaven,” says the Lord.

Give us this bread for ever.

“I am the vine, you are the branches.”

May we dwell in him, as he lives in us.

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.

Almighty God, you have made us a royal priesthood in the kingdom of Jesus Christ the Only Begotten One. Make known his victory through us, we pray, that all the world may see his light. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Redeemer. 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

May the blessing of the Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier be upon you now and always. Amen.

Closing Hymn – Joyful, Joyful (BCP #425)

            ListenHere

Dismissal

Go forth in the name of Christ.

Thanks be to God.

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