Who is Jesus to You? The Key to Discipleship

 

Sixteenth Sunday After 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

Gracious creator of heaven and earth, your Word has come among us as the true Sun of righteousness, and the good news of his birth has gone out to the ends of the world. Open our eyes to the light of your law, that we may be purified from sin and serve you without reproach for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Light and our Life. Amen.

 

Opening Hymn – Will You Come and Follow Me (BCP #430)

            Listen Here

 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,

and the love of God,

and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

And also with you.

 

Collect for Purity

            Listen Here

 

The Gloria

          Listen Here

 

Collect of the Day

Let us pray.

Almighty God, you call your Church to witness that in Christ we are reconciled to you. Help us so to proclaim the good news of your love, that all who hear it may turn to you;

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 Proverbs 1.20-33

Wisdom cries out in the street;

    in the squares she raises her voice.

At the busiest corner she cries out;

    at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:

“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?

How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing

    and fools hate knowledge?

Give heed to my reproof;

I will pour out my thoughts to you;

    I will make my words known to you.

Because I have called and you refused,

    have stretched out my hand and no one heeded,

and because you have ignored all my counsel

    and would have none of my reproof,

I also will laugh at your calamity;

    I will mock when panic strikes you,

when panic strikes you like a storm,

    and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,

    when distress and anguish come upon you.

Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;

    they will seek me diligently, but will not find me.

Because they hated knowledge

    and did not choose the fear of the Lord,

would have none of my counsel,

    and despised all my reproof,

therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way

    and be sated with their own devices.

For waywardness kills the simple,

    and the complacency of fools destroys them;

but those who listen to me will be secure

    and will live at ease, without dread of disaster.”

 

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be the God.

 

Psalm 19

            Listen Here

 

The heavens are telling the glory of God;

    and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.

Day to day pours forth speech,

    and night to night declares knowledge.

There is no speech, nor are there words;

    their voice is not heard;

yet their voice goes out through all the earth,

    and their words to the end of the world.

In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,

which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy,

    and like a strong man runs its course with joy.

Its rising is from the end of the heavens,

    and its circuit to the end of them;

    and nothing is hid from its heat.

The law of the Lord is perfect,

    reviving the soul;

the decrees of the Lord are sure,

    making wise the simple;

the precepts of the Lord are right,

    rejoicing the heart;

the commandment of the Lord is clear,

    enlightening the eyes;

the fear of the Lord is pure,

    enduring forever;

the ordinances of the Lord are true

    and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold,

    even much fine gold;

sweeter also than honey,

    and drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover by them is your servant warned;

    in keeping them there is great reward.

But who can detect their errors?

    Clear me from hidden faults.

Keep back your servant also from the insolent;

    do not let them have dominion over me.

Then I shall be blameless,

    and innocent of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

    be acceptable to you,

    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

 

A reading from the Letter of James 3.1-12

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits.

How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no one can tame the tongue – a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.

 

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

 

Gradual Hymn – You Call Us Lord to Be (BCP #450)

            Listen Here

 

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

 

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark 8.27-38

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “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, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

 

The Gospel of Christ.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Sermon

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen.

“Who do people say that I am?”

 

“Who do you say that I am?”

 

What curious questions for Jesus to ask his disciples. Does he really want to know what people are saying? Maybe. Or perhaps he knows well enough what people think and he wants to hear what his followers think.

 

This is not the first time Jesus’ identity has come into question in Mark’s Gospel. The stories leading up to this episode repeatedly emphasize the disciples’ ignorance and hardness of heart. In chapter 4 they ask: “who is this?” In Chapter 6 they mistake Jesus for a ghost.

 

The New Testament does not paint a uniform portrait of Christ. Not only do we have four very different Gospels, each remarkably unique in their individual understandings of the meaning of Jesus’ ministry, there are twenty-three additional books that articulate varying views of Jesus. Even the thirteen letters attributed to Paul adapt the function and significance of Jesus Christ depending on the circumstances that need to be addressed.

 

So getting an answer to the questions “Who do people say that I am?” and “Who do you say that I am?” is very complicated because Jesus is not a simple man. He does lots of things for lots of people.

 

We could and should spend some time thinking about how we would respond to Jesus’ inquiry, considering what our answer might be, and this would certainly be worthwhile reflection.

 

But there’s even more that Jesus is asking in this seemingly straightforward question, and it’s this “more” that is the most challenging.

 

Because “Who do you say that I am?” is at the same time, “who will you say that you are?”

 

That is the challenge of this question. If we only had to provide an answer to Jesus’ question of his identity, that would be one thing. However, answering the question of Jesus’ identity is also having to give voice to our own.

 

Who you say Jesus is, is who you have decided to be; You can’t answer Jesus’ inquiry without revealing who you are.

 

Or, we could switch it around. Who you are reveals who you have decided Jesus to be.

 

Jesus’ question is not a test. It’s not about getting the answer right. It’s the moment when you come face-to-face with your own commitment, your own discipleship, your own identity.

 

It’s the moment when you have to admit to what extent how you follow Jesus actually connects with some sort of confession of who you believe Jesus to be.

 

“Who do you say that I am?’” is not just an issue of integrity or an evasion of hypocrisy. It’s being willing to risk being known for what you believe. It’s recognizing that your identity cannot be separated from your Christology.

 

Peter has to answer the question, as do every single one of Jesus’ disciples, for himself – and so too do we.

 

“Who do you say that I am?” is an invitation to meaningful Christological reflection;

 

an invitation to conversation around our Christological commitments that is all too rare these days;

 

an invitation to discussion around the correlation between who we are and who we need Jesus to be.

 

“Who do you say that I am?” is also a question we should ask of others, and of ourselves.

 

Who, indeed, will people say we are? Are we willing to ask the question? Or do we stay silent, afraid of what people might say, perhaps worried about what truth might get uttered?

 

It is vital that we twenty-first century Christians take the pulse of our cultural context to understand who those outside the church think Christ is and who they perceive Christians to be.

 

If, as some studies suggest, the view outside looking in, is that Christians are judgmental and unloving, then the Church needs to ask itself, what can we do about the vilification this casts on the identity of Jesus whom we allege that we follow?

 

What we find in this pericope in Mark is a series of questions about identity and expectations. It is important that we realize that these issues are not locked in the past.

 

This was not only a problem for the disciples or those early Christians to whom Mark is writing. Mark profiles a deeper dynamic that spans the ages: how are human knowledge and expectations in tension with the aims of God?

 

We know the way things are, how they are supposed to go. If we believe God is active and that Jesus is alive in the world, then the question posed to us is not whether we confess Jesus as the Messiah. That is the easy part. We know what the title is. The question becomes how do we misunderstand what the title means?

 

This is the key to discipleship.

 

It's not uncommon for Christians to call themselves disciples of Jesus but in Mark 8:34 Jesus offers a much stricter definition of disciple, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

 

Clearly there's much more to being a disciple of Jesus than a simple Click to subscribe, so exactly what is disciple of Jesus?

 

A disciple is someone who takes their faith in Christ seriously. But how do you do this?

 

You must first come to the end of yourself. That's what it means to deny yourself. You reject who you are, your goals, your desires, to follow his ways.

 

You must be willing to die for Christ. That's what it means to take up your cross.

 

You are committed to the point of shame and death. That's what it means to follow Jesus.

 

You never stop fighting to make Jesus your authority over every part of your life. That's a disciple of Jesus.

 

That may sound hard but here's the good news: anyone willing to deny themselves and follow Christ, no matter the cost, will be forgiven, will be saved, and will be his disciple

 

I’m not saying it is easy to embrace the way of the cross. While we may honor those who take that route, declaring them martyrs and saints, we do so that we can live vicariously through their sacrifices.

 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer seemed to embody the “cost of discipleship” that he had written about in the mid-1930s with his imprisonment and death in the 1940s. I have seared into my mind the phrase from Discipleship – “when Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” I honor Bonhoeffer for following through on that vision, but am I ready to die? Like Peter, I probably continue to see things from a human point of view.

 

Even if I’m not likely to suffer death for my faith, I could suffer embarrassment. Yes, the prospect of looking foolish for Jesus doesn’t seem too attractive either.

 

But Jesus addresses this as well. If you’re embarrassed by me, then I’ll be embarrassed for you.

 

How often do I find myself embarrassed by my religion? Yes, it’s probably because of the actions of certain “co-religionists,” but maybe it goes deeper. Maybe, especially in this day and age, being identified with a particular religion is deemed foolish, at least in polite society.

 

So, here we are. We who see ourselves as disciples of Christ, are we ready to face the embarrassment of the cross?

 

To follow the way of Jesus often puts you in direct conflict with the way things are. That might cost you something up to and including your life.

 

I think what I take away from the gospel message of Jesus is that the kingdom of God is worth that risk.

 

That proclaiming release of the prisoners and sharing what we have and seeking justice, living into that new world, being co-creators in the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven – living that sort of life is worth the risk of the cross that comes with it.

 

Amen 

 

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

In peace let us pray to the Lord, saying, “Lord hear and have mercy.”

 

We pray for all who confess the name of Christ: fill us with the power of your Holy Spirit.

Lord hear and have mercy.

 

We pray for those whose lives are bound in mutual love, and for those who live in celibacy: be their joy and strength.

Lord hear and have mercy.

 

For all in danger throughout the world, for all those who are dealing with floods and natural disasters, for those who are far from home, prisoners, exiles, victims of oppression: grant them your salvation.

Lord hear and have mercy.

 

For all who are facing trials and difficulties, for those who are sick and those who have asked our prayers. Please feel free to add your own petitions at this time, and for those who are dying: show them your kindness and mercy.

Lord hear and have mercy.

 

We pray for one another: may we always be united in service and love.

Lord hear and have mercy. 

 

We pray to be forgiven our sins and set free from all hardship, distress, want, war, and injustice.

Lord hear and have mercy.

 

May we discover new and just ways of sharing the goods of the earth, struggling against exploitation, greed, or lack of concern: may we all live by the abundance of your mercies and find joy together.

Lord hear and have mercy.

 

May we be strengthened by our communion with all Christ’s saints.

Lord hear and have mercy.

 

Creator God, we bring our lives into your worship.  We return here this week, after many weeks of being unable to meet in our church building, to understand ourselves, to experience strength in the company of others searching for your truth.  We thank you for each other and we praise you for the genius of the Church.  Here we are welded together spiritually to proclaim your glory.  Here we feel a trust, a unified purpose, through which our faith in our fellows is restored.

 

When we leave here to go into the world again, fill us with that prodding spirit of yours to prevent us from conforming to the world’s mold.  Help us when your call compels us to be different.  Let us witness for you with lives of compassion, love and a value that puts faithfulness to you above all else. 

 

We confess that we fail to live fully.  We get bogged down trying to compete in a suspicious world.  We leave little time for communication with you to have our spirit strengthened.  In our self-centeredness we ignore issues of life to which you have called us to bring your love.  Forgive us, God, and bring us to the mind of Christ that we may live in his example.

 

In our living, O God, help us to know when to be gentle in our aggressiveness – make us search for answers to bigger issues than we normally want to deal with – give us concern for things that are important – help us to face issues of your world rather than the selfish worlds to which we retreat.

 

Touch our lives and our living that we may touch others with your love and grace. 

 

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.

 

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 neighbours 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 may delight in your will,

and walk in your ways,

to the glory of your name. Amen.

 

As we speak the truth of our lives, God who is faithful and just, restores us and brings us home again and again.

 

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

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

 

Offertory Hymn – All Creatures of Our King and God (BCP #355)

            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.

Holy God, accept all we offer you this day. May we who are reconciled at this table

bring wholeness to our broken world. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.

 

This service was created for live worship on Zoom. For those worshiping on your own, 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:

male and female 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 come 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 almighty 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, God, 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 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 for ever. Amen.

 

Breaking of the Bread

This is the body of Christ.

Behold what you are.

Become what you receive.

Amen.

 

Communion

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.

 

Share in the Eucharist

Prayer After Communion

As we have feasted around the table, let us pray.

God of peace, in this eucharist we have been reconciled to you and to our neighbours. May we who have been nourished by holy things always have the courage to forgive. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.

 

Doxology

As a congregation, we declare our doxology, as we say together,

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 peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord: and the blessing of the Holy and Undivided Trinity be with you and remain with you always, in the Name of Love, ☩ the Glory of Love, and the Power of Love. Amen.

 

Closing Hymn – Master Carpenter by the Amundruds

            Listen Here

 

Dismissal

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

Thanks be to God.