Twenty-Second 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.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray
Hear us, Lord, when we cry to you. Calm our
bodies and minds with the peace which passes understanding, and make us radiant
with the knowledge of your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
Opening
Hymn – God the Creator
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 (p.388)
Let us pray.
Lord God our redeemer, who heard the cry of
your people and sent your servant Moses
to lead them out of slavery, free us from the
tyranny of sin and death, and by the leading of your Spirit bring us to our
promised land; 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 Job 42:1-6, 10-17
Then Job answered the
Lord:
“I know that you can
do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be
thwarted.
‘Who is this that
hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have
uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I did
not know.
‘Hear, and I will
speak;
I will question you, and you declare to
me.’
I had heard of you by
the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you;
therefore I despise
myself,
and repent in dust and ashes.”
And the Lord restored
the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends; and the Lord gave Job
twice as much as he had before. Then there came to him all his brothers and
sisters and all who had known him before, and they ate bread with him in his
house; they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the
Lord had brought upon him; and each of them gave him a piece of money and a
gold ring. The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and
he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen,
and a thousand donkeys. He also had seven sons and three daughters. He named
the first Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. In all the
land there were no women so beautiful as Job’s daughters; and their father gave
them an inheritance along with their brothers. After this Job lived one hundred
and forty years, and saw his children, and his children’s children, four
generations. And Job died, old and full of days.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks
be the God.
Psalm 34:1-8, 19-22
I will bless the Lord at all times;
his
praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let
the humble hear and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me,
and
let us exalt his name together.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me,
and
delivered me from all my fears.
Look to him, and be radiant;
so
your faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor soul cried, and was heard by the
Lord,
and
was saved from every trouble.
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
O taste and see that the Lord is good;
happy
are those who take refuge in him.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but
the Lord rescues them from them all.
He keeps all their bones;
not
one of them will be broken.
Evil brings death to the wicked,
and
those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
none
of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews 7:23-28
Furthermore, the
former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from
continuing in office; but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he
continues forever. Consequently he is able for all time to save those who
approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
For it was fitting
that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated
from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he
has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then
for those of the people; this he did once for all when he offered himself. For
the law appoints as high priests those who are subject to weakness, but the
word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been
made perfect forever.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks
be to God.
Gradual
Hymn – Your Hands, O Lord, in Days of Old (BCP
#293)
The Lord be with you.
And
also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to Mark 10: 46-52
Glory
to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
They came to Jericho.
As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son
of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it
was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have
mercy on me!” Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more
loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stood still and said, “Call him
here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is
calling you.” So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then
Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to
him, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has
made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise
to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Sermon
May only truth be spoken and truth heard. Amen.
Over
the last few weeks, we have talked about some of the lessons that we gain from
reading the Letter to the Hebrews.
First
we talked about the superiority of Christianity over Judaism, and I gave you my
opinion on that matter.
Next
we discussed some Christology found in the letter, things like the fact that
Jesus was both the divine son of God and a flesh and blood human, just like the
rest of us. Hebrews tells us that Jesus has three messianic functions: as Prophet (he himself is the divine Word), as
Priest (he made purification for our sins), and as King (he is enthroned in
glory).
And
last week, we learned that God appointed Jesus as high priest through the
Davidic line, a priest in the order of Melchizedek, despite the priesthood
historically being based on the house of Levi. As well, Jesus is not only
priest, but also the ultimate sacrifice, offering his own sinless blood for the
salvation of humanity.
Today,
we are going to talk about something that many of us in the buzzing reality of
the 21st century often struggle with….rest.
Let
me read to you a different excerpt from Hebrews than we heard this morning,
Hebrews 4:1-11:
Therefore, while the
promise of entering his rest is still open, let us take care that none of you
should seem to have failed to reach it. For indeed the good news came to us
just as to them; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they
were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed
enter that rest, just as God has said,
“As in my anger I
swore,
‘They shall not enter
my rest,’”
though his works were
finished at the foundation of the world. For in one place it speaks about the
seventh day as follows, “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.”
And again in this place it says, “They shall not enter my rest.” Since
therefore it remains open for some to enter it, and those who formerly received
the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he sets a certain
day – “today” – saying through David much later, in the words already quoted,
“Today, if you hear his
voice,
do not harden your
hearts.”
For if Joshua had given
them rest, God would not speak later about another day. So then, a sabbath rest
still remains for the people of God; for those who enter God’s rest also cease
from their labors as God did from his. Let us therefore make every effort to
enter that rest, so that no one may fall through such disobedience as theirs.
“God
rested on the seventh day from all his works.” Genesis 2:2-3 God rested from
all this work he had done in creation and blessed the day and made it sacred.
God
even made it one of the commandments, “Honor the Lord by resting on the seventh
day of the week.”
Seems
to me that God thinks resting is important, that rest is holy and sacred and
should be observed for at least one day a week.
I
think we all struggle with resting. To take time for ourselves, to unplug, to
just stay home and not be running errands, or doing housework, or driving
children to hockey practice, and the list goes on.
We
are very busy people, always something to do, places to see, people to visit.
So
to assign one day devoted only to resting, to sabbath, is quite rare nowadays.
But
in the time of the early Christians, coming from Jewish backgrounds, that day
of sabbath was extremely important. And it went beyond sitting around and doing
nothing (or grabbing an extra nap or two).
In
the beginning, here is God, doing a new thing, creating this new world. And
Sunday was the first day of creation, so that is the day Christians decided
would be the day they would gather.
And
these gatherings would include breaking bread and sharing wine (which we now
call the Eucharist) and they would tell stories. They would tell the story of
Christ’s life and death, and this story would be told week after week, the same
story over and over.
Eventually,
these early Christians declared Sunday to be a holy day, a day where they would
do this gathering to eat, drink, and tell stories together. This process, this
ritual, after several hundred years, began to form into formal worship.
And
on those Sundays, for almost 2000 years, doors would be closed, store windows
shuttered, all children kept inside, and everyone would go to worship, to eat,
drink, pray, and tell stories.
Once
worship was completed, they would go home and rest. Because it was the holy
thing to do.
Because
it was commanded by God that on this seventh day, the world would rest.
Rest
is vital for better mental health, increased concentration and memory, a
healthier immune system, reduced stress, improved mood and even a better
metabolism.
It
rejuvenates your body and mind, regulates your mood.
On
the other hand, not getting enough rest can negatively affect your mood, immune
system, memory, and stress level.
Physicians,
athletes, philosophers, poets, religious leaders, and corporate leaders all
tell us the same thing: take time to rest. It is absolutely essential for a
balanced, healthy life.
Yet,
when you ask people in today’s frenzied culture if they intentionally set aside
time for rest, most will tell you they are too busy.
There
are just too many things to get done, too many demands, too many
responsibilities, too many bills, and too much urgency. Nobody can afford to
waste time resting in today’s results-oriented world.
Somewhere
along the way, we lost the essential practice of concentrated rest.
But
we would be wise to reclaim the practice of resting one day each week. Consider
the benefits of concentrated rest for your body, mind, and soul (credit to an article
on “Becoming Minimalist” by Joshua Becker):
Healthier
body.
We each get one life and one body to live it in. Therefore, we eat healthy, we
exercise, and we watch our bad habits. But then we allow our schedules to fill
up from morning to evening. Rest is as essential to our physical health as the
water we drink and the air we breathe.
Less
stress.
Stress is the perception that the situations we are facing are greater than the
resources we have to deal with them – resources such as time, energy, ability,
and help from others. Concentrated rest confronts stress in two ways. First, it
reduces the demands of the situation. We have no demands on us as long as we
have the ability to mentally let go of unfinished tasks. Secondly, rest reduces
stress by increasing our resources, particularly energy.
Deeper
relationships.
A day set aside each week for rest allows relationships with people to deepen
and be strengthened. When we aren’t rushing off to work or soccer practice, we
are able to enjoy each other’s company and a healthy conversation. And long
talks prove to be far more effective in building community than short ones on
the ride to the mall.
Opportunity
for reflection.
Sometimes it is hard to see the forest through the trees. It is even more
difficult to see the forest when we are running through the trees. Concentrated
rest allows us to take a step back, to evaluate our lives, to identify our
values, and determine if our life is being lived for them.
Balance. Taking one day of your
week and dedicating it to rest will force you to have an identity outside of
your occupation. It will foster relationships outside of your fellow employees.
It will foster activities and hobbies outside work. It will give life and
identity outside of your Monday-Friday occupation. Rather than defining your
life by what you do, you can begin to define it by who you are.
Increased
production.
Just like resting physical muscles allows them opportunity to rejuvenate which
leads to greater physical success, providing our minds with rest provides it
opportunity to refocus and rejuvenate. More work is not better work. Smarter
work is better work.
Reserve
for life’s emergencies. Crisis hits everyone. Nobody who is alive is immune from
the trials of life. By starting the discipline today of concentrated rest, you
will build up reserves for when the unexpected emergencies of life strike and
rest is no longer an option.
In
the beginning of the pandemic, we were all forced to rest. As all our cars were
parked and we stayed inside, you could even see the world come to a rest – less
smog, less exhausted, less pollution.
We
took up new hobbies, we read books that we didn’t have time for before, we
talked to each other over the phone more because we lost the ability for human
contact.
We
were all scared and stressed and worried, there is no doubt about that, but
there were glimpses of people realizing how much they needed that time of rest.
Now,
while I agree that we are up to our necks in patience over this whole event,
the pandemic really did bring to light the need for us to take time to rest, to
take time to heal when we are sick, and to take stock of the fact that we do
not need to be rushing through our lives at break-neck speed.
Even
if you can’t take an entire day for Sabbath, as Christians before us have done,
don’t let time for rest go by the wayside.
No
matter what your schedule or task list may look like, resting and unplugging is
vital to your long-term health.
God’s orders.
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
Let
us ask the Lord for a day of fulfillment and peace,
Lord
have mercy.
Let
us ask the Lord to teach us to love others as he has loved us,
Lord
have mercy.
Let
us ask the Lord for peace and justice in the world. This morning we pray for
the people of Afghanistan, especially the women whose freedoms are being
removed daily. We pray for the 17 members of a missionary team in Haiti who are
being held for ransom, especially for the children in the group. May they all
be brought home unharmed.
Lord
have mercy.
Let
us ask the Lord to strengthen and relieve those who are in need.
Lord
have mercy.
Let
us ask the Lord to renew the Church through the power of his life-giving
Spirit.
Lord
have mercy.
This
morning we offer prayers and congratulations for Helen Kennedy, the Rector from
St. Georges Transcona, who was elected Bishop of Qu’Appelle in Saskatchewan on
the weekend. We wish her a smooth transition from her church in Manitoba to her
new position in Saskatchewan.
This
morning we pray for those who have asked our prayers. Please feel free to add
your own petitions aloud or within your heart.
God
who created and is always creating, bringing order out of chaos, light to the
darkness, life to the earth, Bring order to our chaotic lives, bring light to
our spiritual darkness; bring life to our desolate days.
God
who spoke through the prophets, insisting that we practice justice, calling
people to repentance, announcing reasons for hope, we need to recognize ways we
mistreat others, we need Your forgiveness for our sins; we need great
expectations for our future.
God
who came to the world in Jesus, teaching disciples to love and forgive, showing
compassion to individuals and crowds, calling for a response of faith. Teach us
what it means to be disciples, show us clear signs of Your compassion, call us
to responses of faith we need to make.
God
who formed the Church through Your Spirit, uniting believers in worship and
witness, filling the forgiven with the fire of love, sending people into all
the world to make You known. Unite us in this church and the universal church,
fill us with Your grace and goodness; empower us to be in mission here and
everywhere.
God
who continues to act in our present world, entering our time and place,
involving us in Your work, touching our lives with Your Spirit. Keep us aware
of where You are at work, of what You are doing, of what You want us to be!
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 – And Now, O Father, Mindful of the Love (BCP
#66)
Prayer over the Gifts (p. 389)
**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 constant love, you have guided your
people in all times and ages. May we who offer you our praise today always be
ready to follow where you lead; we ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our
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 2 (p. 196)
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.
We give you thanks and praise, almighty God,
through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ,
our Saviour and Redeemer.
He is your living Word,
through whom you have created all things.
By the power of the Holy Spirit
he took flesh of the Virgin Mary
and shared our human nature.
He lived and died as one of us,
to reconcile us to you,
the God and Father of all.
In fulfilment of your will
he stretched out his hands in suffering,
to bring release to those who place their hope
in you;
and so he won for you a holy people.
He chose to bear our griefs and sorrows,
and to give up his life on the cross,
that he might shatter the chains of evil and
death,
and banish the darkness of sin and despair.
By his resurrection
he brings us into the light of your presence.
Now with all creation we 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 and gracious God,
accept our praise,
through your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ;
who on the night he was handed over
to suffering and death,
took bread and gave you thanks,
saying, “Take, and eat:
this is my body which is broken for you.”
In the same way he took the cup,
saying, “This is my blood which is shed for
you.
When you do this, you do it in memory of me.”
Remembering, therefore, his death and
resurrection,
we offer you this bread and this cup,
giving thanks that you have made us worthy
to stand in your presence and serve you.
We ask you to send your Holy Spirit
upon the offering of your holy Church.
Gather into one
all who share in these sacred mysteries,
filling them with the Holy Spirit
and confirming their faith in the truth,
that together we may praise you
and give you glory
through your Servant, Jesus Christ.
All glory and honour are yours,
Father and Son,
with the Holy Spirit
in the holy Church,
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 (p. 389)
As we have feasted around the table, let us
pray.
God our guide, you have fed us with bread from
heaven as you fed the people of Israel.
May we who have been inwardly nourished be
ready to follow you all our days; we ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our
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 – God of the Sparrow
(BCP #414)
Dismissal
Go
forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit.
Thanks be to God.
