**Please note this service is based on the format of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada. Unless otherwise indicated, all prayers come from Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW). Hymns and other prayers have been sourced to give appropriate credit.
**NRSV translation used for the readings, unless otherwise stated.
Introduction to the day
Called
to contemplate the cost of discipleship, we might be helped by translating
Paul’s request to Philemon into our prayer of the day: Refresh my heart in
Christ. Strengthened by the company and forgiveness of Christ in holy communion
and recalling God’s grace in remembrance of baptism, we can be strengthened in
this hour to “choose life” – to choose life in God as our own.
Gathering Song – I Love to Tell the Story (ELW #661)
Greeting
The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,
and
the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And
also with you.
Prayer of the Day
Let
us pray.
Direct
us, O Lord God, in all our doings with your continual help, that in all our
works, begun, continued, and ended in you, we may glorify your holy name; and
finally, by your mercy, bring us to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ, our
Savior and Lord.
Amen.
Readings
A
reading from the Book of Jeremiah. (18:1-11)
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ‘Come, go down
to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.’ So I went down
to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. The vessel he was
making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into
another vessel, as seemed good to him.
Then the word of the Lord came to me: Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done? says the Lord. Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. At one moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, but if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will change my mind about the disaster that I intended to bring on it. And at another moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, but if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will change my mind about the good that I had intended to do to it. Now, therefore, say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: Thus says the Lord: Look, I am a potter shaping evil against you and devising a plan against you. Turn now, all of you from your evil way, and amend your ways and your doings.
The
word of the Lord.
Thanks
be to God.
O
Lord, you have searched me and known me.
You
know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.
You
search out my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even
before a word is on my tongue,
O Lord, you know it completely.
You
hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such
knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is so high that I cannot attain it.
For
it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I
praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
that
I know very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when
I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the
earth.
Your
eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In
your book were written
all the days that were formed for me,
when none of them as yet existed.
How
weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
I
try to count them—they are more than the sand;
I come to the end—I am still with you.
A
reading from the Letter of Paul to Philemon (1-21)
Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our dear friend and co-worker, to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the church in your house:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith towards the Lord Jesus. I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother.
For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to
command you to do your duty, yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of
love—and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ
Jesus. I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become
during my imprisonment. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed
useful both to you and to me. I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to
you. I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might be of service to me in your
place during my imprisonment for the gospel; but I preferred to do nothing
without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not
something forced. Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a
while, so that you might have him back for ever, no longer as a slave but as
more than a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me but how much more to you,
both in the flesh and in the Lord.
So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would
welcome me. If he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that
to my account. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. I
say nothing about your owing me even your own self. Yes, brother, let me have
this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. Confident of
your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I
say.
One thing more—prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping
through your prayers to be restored to you.
Epaphras, my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends
greetings to you, and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my
fellow-workers.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
The
word of the Lord.
Thanks
be to God.
The
Lord be with you.
And
also with you.
The Holy
Gospel according to Luke. (14:25-33)
Glory
to you, O Lord.
Now large crowds were travelling with him; and he turned and said to them, ‘Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, “This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.” Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.
The Gospel
of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
May the words of my
mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord. Amen.
Jeremiah
was a prophet who didn’t want to be a prophet – at least not in the beginning.
He
was only 12 when he received his calling. Who among us knew in which direction
their life was heading at such a young age?
Who wanted to be locked down in a job as a teenager?
Jeremiah
certainly didn’t and so he denied his calling for years. At 18, which in
today’s world is still quite young, he accepted the fact that he was to be a
prophet to the nations.
In
chapter 15, he says, “Your words were found and I ate them, and your word was
to me for joy and for the gladness of my heart.” Jeremiah’s life work was to
deliver God’s word and bring change to the house of Israel.
The
book of Jeremiah is filled with stories of Jeremiah living out his calling of
receiving God’s word and delivering the good news to the people of Israel.
Our
story today begins with God sending Jeremiah to the potter’s house in order to
receive God’s word.
Pottery
is a collective term that is used to describe anything made from clay, heated
at high temperatures, and chemically changed in order to form useful household
items and beautiful pieces of art. It takes creativity, patience, and the
willingness to destroy previous creations in order to achieve a masterpiece.
As
Jeremiah watches the potter work, he realizes three things:
1. The potter working the clay is as God
working with people
2. A spoiled vessel can be reworked, and
3. The house of Israel is as clay in the
hands of the Divine Potter
My
initial response to “God as the potter” was “Oh! That makes sense! He is going
to mold me into the person he intends me to be!”
But
it’s not that simple.
Instructions
from God are not always straight-forward. There are no “do this” or “do that”
statements with an “or else” consequence.
Instead,
lessons are sent to us through prophets such as Jeremiah, not just directives.
Rather than telling us what to do, or who to be, God tries to guide us through
stories of love, grace, and mercy.
We
have heard some of these lessons over the last few weeks as we have been
reading from the Book of Jeremiah. Over and over, Jeremiah spreads God’s word
trying to find different ways of showing the Israelites how much better their
lives could be if they would simply show a little kindness to one another.
However,
the people of Israel seem to be set in their ways and have no intentions of
changing. They chose not to hear God’s word.
Well,
perhaps they heard, but they did not listen to what Jeremiah was saying. All
God wants is for people to love one another, no matter if the person is male or
female, black or white, rich or poor, healthy or sick. Not much to ask, I don’t
think.
If
you were to take the stories literally, it sounds as if God has made the
decision to start all over – that God will “pluck up and break down and
destroy”. But I don’t think that’s actually the case…
To
rework clay, a potter would just smash his hand on the clay and start over.
Instead
of simply laying a Divine Hand on the clay and starting over, God gives the
people a chance to change – God sends more and more lessons to the Israelites.
Rather
than destroying all of creation, God continues to spread love, to guide us, and
to encourage us to love others. God is choosing to gently mold us lesson by
lesson, rather than destroying and rebuilding.
The
story of Jeremiah at the potter’s house has always struck a chord with me as I
feel that it is a reflection of my story.
I
spent almost my entire life swinging from all-out believer to apparent atheist
and back again.
As
I kid I only went to church to be with my Grandma but always loved the stories
and the music.
In
my teens years I was too busy for church and no one I knew believed in God so I
decided I didn’t either.
However,
there were still times when I went to church – usually during occasions of
sorrow, or confusion. I never could explain my need to go to church, and it
certainly didn’t make me go on a regular basis. But for brief, inexplicable
moments, I found peace.
Then
almost fourteen years ago, everything changed. Elly was born.
Suddenly,
it was very important to me that my daughter be baptized and raised in a
church. During the Baptismal interview, my newly-found minister asked me one
very important question – why do I want Elly to be baptized? I couldn’t answer
that question right away – I just knew it was something I had to do, something
my heart was telling me to do.
So
we started coming to church. Only on Mondays at first, as my home church had a
laid-back evening service on Mondays that were based more on reflection than
worship. I was very hesitant in the beginning, unsure of my beliefs and my
reasons for being there. I didn’t even take part in communion the first few
times we came.
My
personal turning point came on Maundy Thursday during the Easter season
following Elly’s baptism. At the last moment, I was asked to read the following
passage from the 1st Letter from Paul to the Corinthians:
“For
I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on
the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given
thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in
remembrance of me.’ In the same way he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the
new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of
me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the
Lord’s death until he comes.”
How
often do we hear a version of those words? Every week. How often do you get the
chance to read those words aloud? Not very often, I don’t think. Unless you’re
the priest.
When
I was asked to read the passage, I had no idea those were the words that were
on the page. I hadn’t read a bible in years. I think I hesitated somewhere
around “this is my body”. The realization of the words I was about to speak
struck me, well, speechless. The Eucharistic Prayer is such an important part
of Jesus’ story; I was humbled and honoured to be speaking these words aloud.
Silly as it seems, in my head, these words should have only been spoken by
priests.
Suddenly,
I felt something on my shoulder. I looked over but of course there was no one
there. It was a very powerful moment – I knew in my heart God was telling me it
was okay to go on, to finish reading the Prayer.
That’s
when I really started listening to the readings, to the songs, to the prayers.
I
learned the Lord’s Prayer as a child – said it in school, said it at the dinner
table – but I never really listened to the words. Same with all the music. Most
of it was the same as when I was little, but only then did I really start to
understand the meaning of the words behind the music.
As
I started really hearing the words, I finally understood what God had been
trying to say to me all these years – that God is here, that God wants to be a
part of my life, and the God loves me. God’s words are beautiful and have
changed my life.
I
have received so many lessons throughout my life that I finally stopped to
listen and let God’s hands guide me in the right direction.
As
easy as clay in a potter’s hands, a person can be reshaped by turning their
mind and heart to the Creator.
By reading the word of God, praying to God, and listening to God, we can all be the clay in the hands of the Divine Potter.
Amen.
Hymn of the Day – Change My Heart, O God (by Eddie Espinosa, played by Tom Buxton)
Apostles’ Creed
Let us declare the faith of our baptism as we say together
the Apostles’ creed.
I
believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I
believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
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,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come 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.
Prayers of Intercession
As scattered grains of wheat are gathered together into one
bread, so let us gather our prayers for the church, those in need, and all of
God’s good creation.
Silence
We pray for the church around the world and for the mission of the gospel. Refresh the hearts of your people, deepen our understanding of every good thing we share, and strengthen our partnerships in the faith.
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
For the well-being of the earth and all its creatures: for trees and forests, for all that will yield fruit this season, and for streams and other bodies of water.
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
For the nations and those in authority: for the elected leaders of our towns, states, and country, and for international organizations. Grant wisdom to those who govern and raise up citizens who make decisions in the best interest of their neighbors.
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
For all in need: for those who suffer from disease, who struggle with homelessness or food insecurity, for those whose family life is difficult, and for all in this community who need your care.
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
For this community of faith: for all our labors – begun, continued, and ended in you – that they glorify your holy name. Bless your people with the strength to live into their many vocations for the sake of the world.
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
We give thanks for the saints who now rest from their labors (especially Peter Claver, priest and missionary). Give us faith, like them, to love you with all our hearts, and by your mercy, bring us to everlasting life.
God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Gathered together in the sweet communion of the Holy Spirit, gracious God, we offer these and all our prayers to you; through Jesus Christ, our Savior.
Amen.
Peace
The
peace of Christ be with you always.
And
also with you.
Offering Hymn – Blest Be the Tie That Binds (ELW #656)
Offering Prayer
Let
us pray.
God
of abundance, you have set before us a plentiful harvest. As we feast on your goodness,
strengthen us to labor in your field, and equip us to bear fruit for the good
of all, in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
Dialogue
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.
Preface
It
is indeed right, our duty and our joy,
that
we should at all times and in all places
give
thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God,
through
our Savior Jesus Christ;
who
on this day overcame death and the grave,
and
by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life.
And
so, with all the choirs of angels,
with
the church on earth and the hosts of heaven,
we
praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Holy, Holy, Holy
Thanksgiving at
the Table
Holy
God,
our Maker, Redeemer, and Healer,
in the harmonious world of your creation,
the plants and animals,
the seas and stars
were whole and well in your praise.
When
sin had scarred the world,
you sent your Son to heal our ills
and to form us again into one.
In
the night in which he was betrayed,
our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks;
broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.
Do
this for the remembrance of me.
Again,
after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks,
and gave it for all to drink, saying:
This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.
Do
this for the remembrance of me.
Remembering,
therefore,
his acts of healing,
his body given up,
and his victory over death,
we await that day when all the peoples of the earth
will come to the river to enjoy the tree of life.
Send
your Spirit upon us and this meal:
as grains scattered on the hillside become one bread,
so let your Church be gathered from the ends of the earth,
that all may be fed with the Bread of life, your Son.
Through
him all glory and honor is yours,
Almighty God, with the Holy Spirit,
in your holy Church,
both now and forever.
Amen
Lord’s Prayer
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
Our Father
in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us
today our daily bread.
Forgive us
our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Save us from
the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the
kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.
Invitation to 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.
In
Christ’s presence there is fullness of joy.
Come
to the banquet.
Sharing of the Eucharist
Table Blessing
The
body and blood of our Lord
Jesus
Christ strengthen you
and
keep you in his grace.
Amen.
Prayer After Communion
As
we have feasted around the table, let us pray.
Life-giving
God, through this meal you have bandaged our wounds and fed us with your mercy.
Now send us forth to live for others, both friend and stranger, that all may
come to know your love. This we pray in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
Blessing
The
God of peace, ☩ Son, and Holy Spirit, bless
you, comfort you, and show you the path of life
this
day and always.
Amen.
Sending Song – When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (ELW #803)
Dismissal
Go
in peace to love and serve your neighbor.
Thanks be to God.
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