Gathered through the power of the Holy Spirit, we worship God with gladness. We encourage you to pray over the words that follow, and follow the links within the liturgy. Prayers in this service are adapted from Celebrate God’s Presence (UCPH). Thanks this week to Taye and Heather!

PRELUDE (Scottish Traditional Tune)

OPENING PRAYER:

Wondrous God:
you touch our lives with healing and with mercy;
new life is your gift.
We praise you for the Good News
which is ours through Jesus Christ.
May this worship nourish us
with your promise of meaning and purpose.
May we be empowered to carry your goodness
into the coming week.
We pray in Jesus’ name, our Source and Saviour. Amen

HYMN OF PRAISE: “All hail the power of Jesus’ name!”

All hail the power of Jesus’ name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown him, crown him, crown him,
crown him Lord of all.

O seed of Israel’s chosen race
now ransomed from the fall,
hail him who saves you by his grace R

Crown him, you martyrs of your God,
who from his altar call;
praise him whose way of pain you trod, R

Let every tongue and every tribe,
responsive to the call,
to him all majesty ascribe R

O that, with all the sacred throng,
we at his feet may fall,
join in the everlasting song,
and crown him, crown him, crown him,
crown him Lord of all.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires, known,
and from whom no secrets are hid:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

God will give us what we need:
strength for today,
hope for tomorrow,
and forgiveness
for all that is past.
Amen.

SPECIAL MUSIC: “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (Simon)

FIRST READING: Psalm 111

I will thank you, God, with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in their assembly.
Great are your works, O God,
studied by all who delight in them.
Honour and majesty are your work;
your righteousness endures forever.
You have won renown for your wonders;
you are gracious and full of compassion.

You give food to those who fear you;
you keep your covenant always in mind.
You have shown your power in action,
giving your people the heritage of nations.
The works of your hands are faithful and just;
all your precepts trustworthy.
They stand fast forever and ever;
grounded in justice and truth.
You sent redemption to your people;
you decreed your covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is your name.

The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom;
those who practise it have good understanding.
May your praise endure forever.

SECOND READING: Mark 1.21-28

21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” 28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

HYMN: “God, whose almighty word”

God, whose almighty word
chaos and darkness heard, and took their flight,
hear us, we humbly pray, and where the gospel day
sheds not its glorious ray, let there be light.

Jesus, who came to bring
on your redeeming wing, healing and sight,
health to the troubled mind, sight to the Spirit-blind,
O now to humankind let there be light.

Spirit of truth and love,
lifegiving, holy dove, speed forth your flight;
move on the water’s face, bearing the lamp of grace,
and in earth’s darkest place let there be light.

Blessed and holy three,
glorious trinity, wisdom, love, might,
boundless as ocean’s tide rolling in fullest pride,
through the world far and wide, let there be light.

REFLECTION

It seemed too-clever-by-half.

In the December 2004 issue, Rolling Stone Magazine decided to announce to the world the top 500 songs of all time. As expected, the Beatles posted the most songs. Among Canadian artists, Neil Young was the most represented. The 1960s was the most popular decade (203 songs) and the 2000s the least popular (with only 3). Go ahead boomers, feel smug.

The too-clever-by-half part was Rolling Stone Magazines choice of number one and number two on the list: “Like a Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” Yes, both fine songs, but a little too meta (self-referential) as the kids might say.

Meanwhile, the song I really want to talk about is not so far down the list at number 48: “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Thanks first to Taye for choosing it and singing it today. And thanks too to her talented accompanist. We can debate whether it belongs higher or lower on the list, but there is little debate about the magic of the song.

The story goes that in the spring of 1969 Paul Simon was reflecting on the state of the world, particularly the tumult of the previous year: riots and unrest around the world, the assassinations of Bobby Kennedy and Dr. King, the war in Vietnam. A tune appeared in his mind, and a fragment of lyrics, but he didn’t quite know where to go with it:

When you’re weary
Feeling small
When tears are in your eyes
I will dry them all.

“I was stuck for a while,” he admitted. “Everywhere I went led to somewhere I didn’t want to be.” Finally, the block ended while he was listening to a gospel song by the Swan Silvertones. One line of “Oh Mary Don’t You Weep” caught his attention: “I’ll be your bridge over deep water, if you trust in my name.” Simon readily admits to borrowing the line, and later in he shared some of the proceeds of the song with Claude Jeter of the Swan Silvertones.*

“I’ll be your bridge over deep water, if you trust in my name.”

It has echoes of scripture, particularly Psalm 18 (also 2 Samuel 22) and Psalm 69, with one important caveat: the word bridge does not appear in the Bible. Amazing, actually, with the Roman world filled with bridges, and not a single mention in scripture. I’ll leave that for another sermon. Meanwhile, the experience of being in deep water has some sort of universal resonance, something I think most of us can relate to.

Out of our depth would be another way to say it, maybe out of control, or even possessed by something beyond ourselves. I think you see where I’m going here. Demon possession, the theme of our reading, and the theme of a number of Jesus’ healings, is generally problematic to the modern reader. We tread lightly when the lesson lines up with what we would now describe as mental illness, or epilepsy, or any other disorder that the ancients might have described as demon possession. We tend to set the whole thing aside, unsure how to proceed.

At the same time, we are well-acquainted with the idea of being in the grip of something: an idea, a movement, a turn-of-events that draw people in. People become possessed by the latest get-rich-quick scheme, or some counter-cultural movement, or a conspiracy theory. All of this can be subjective, of course, thinking of the adage that “one person’s terrorist is another person’s freedom fighter.” Generally though, we can usually spot when someone is caught in something beyond their control.

Reflecting on our passage, and the various healings that involve demons, there are a couple of things to note. The first is the extent to which this is personal for Jesus. Time and time again, it is the demons who call Jesus by name, and name him for who he is: “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” This tells me that Jesus has unique concern for the demon-possessed, literal or metaphorical. His emphasis is freedom: freedom from the forces that would diminish us in some way, and freedom to love and serve God.

The second thing to note here is the connection between healing and speaking with authority. Like the Most High speaking creation into being, Jesus speaks (commands) the demons and they obey him. Speaking with authority here is more than sharing the Good News of the kingdom, it’s speaking new life into being, freeing those caught up in something larger than themselves, and giving them back their freedom.

I want to return to Paul Simon for a moment and encourage you to think of “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” as an anthem for our time. Think of all we have endured since March of last year and listen to the poet:

When you’re weary
Feeling small
When tears are in your eyes
I will dry them all.

Maybe you are out of your depth, maybe you feel out of control, or maybe even possessed by something beyond yourself. It doesn’t need to be something dramatic, it can be something as simple as feeling sad. Whatever it is, recall that for Jesus this is personal: he knows what we face, and he seeks to free us from it, whatever it may be. He seeks our freedom—freedom from the things that oppress us, and then freedom to love him and everyone we meet.

It was no accident that Paul Simon found inspiration in a gospel song. In Old English, “godspel” means good news, or a good story—words to convey the message needed to find new life. The Spirit moves in us and around us to convey the message we need to find our way out of deep waters. The Spirit will form a bridge for us to pass over.

May God bless us and grant us freedom in Christ Jesus. May we be free to love and serve others, now and always, Amen.

*https://www.loudersound.com/features/story-behind-the-song-bridge-over-troubled-water-by-simon-garfunkel

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

Blessed are you, gracious God:
you have given us life and freedom
to be your people in the world.
Empower us with your Spirit,
to be an example to others.

Blessed are you, gracious God:
you have called us into the church,
and into this community of faith,
pilgrims together on the journey to new creation.
Strengthen our mission,
and increase our longing for your kingdom.

Blessed are you, gracious God:
you have touched our hearts with hope,
so that we long to see the day of your salvation.
Comfort those who mourn,
Care for those who are wounded or ill,
And touch the live of those given to anxiety or despair.

Blessed are you, gracious God:
you have called us to live in the world,
a world beset by trouble and trial.
Help us to seek your justice,
and call to account those who lead us,
that they may live with love and mercy.

Blessed are you, gracious God:
you have blessed us with your Word,
to teach and inspire us,
and fill us with hope.
Help us remain your faithful ones,
walking with Christ on the road back to you.
Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

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;
and lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

HYMN: “All beautiful the march of days”

All beautiful the march of days,
as seasons come and go;
the hand that shaped the rose has wrought
the crystal of the snow,
has sent the silvery frost of heaven,
the flowing waters sealed,
and laid a silent loveliness
on hill and wood and field.

O’er white expanses sparkling pure
the radiant morns unfold;
the solemn splendours of the night
burn brighter through the cold;
life mounts in every throbbing vein,
love deepens round the hearth,
and clearer sounds the angel hymn,
good will to all on earth.

O God, from whose unfathomed law
the year in beauty flows,
yourself the vision passing by
in crystal and in rose;
day unto day declare thro’ speech,
and night to night proclaim
in everchanging words of light
the wonder of your name.

BLESSING

Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way,
and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless
until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. Amen.
—1 Thessalonians 5:23

God be with you till we meet again;
loving counsels guide, uphold you,
with a shepherd’s care enfold you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Gathered through the power of the Holy Spirit, we worship God with gladness. We encourage you to pray over the words that follow, and follow the links within the liturgy. Prayers in this service are adapted from Celebrate God’s Presence (UCPH). Thanks this week to Barb Putnam, Cor, and Heather!

PRELUDE: “Here Comes the Sun” (Harrison)

OPENING PRAYER:

You search for us, God,
by the seashore, in the temple,
in the marketplace, in the crowd,
and when we’re alone.

You search for us, God,
and invite us to worship,
to see your glory reflected
in the world you made and everyone we meet.

You search for us, God,
in seasons of joy and seasons of sorrow,
to remind us that you are every present,
and ever near.

You search for us, God,
as we search for others,
companions to walk with,
as we heed your call. Amen.

HYMN OF PRAISE: “Jesus call us; o’er the tumult”

Jesus calls us; o’er the tumult
of our life’s wild restless sea,
day by day his clear voice sounding,
saying, ‘Christian, follow me.’

Long ago apostles heard it
by the Galilean lake,
turned from home and toil and kindred,
leaving all for Jesus’ sake.

Jesus calls us from the worship
of the vain world’s golden store,
from each idol that would keep us,
saying, ‘Christian, love me more.’

In our joys and in our sorrows,
days of toil and hours of ease,
still he calls, in cares and pleasures,
‘Christian, love me more than these.’

Jesus calls us: by your mercies,
Saviour, may we hear your call,
give our hearts to your obedience,
serve and love you best of all.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

You call us, Lord, and we seek to follow.
You call our names, and we learn that the call is personal.
You urge us forward, and invite us to follow—
to set aside everything that is holding us in place.
In your mercy, you invite us to live beyond ourselves,
and walk with love and grace,
to accept that implied in the call is forgiveness,
and the new life that follows when we follow you.
Amen.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

God will give us what we need:
strength for today,
hope for tomorrow,
and forgiveness
for all that is past.
Amen.

SPECIAL MUSIC: “Will You Come and Follow Me” (Traditional Scottish melody)

FIRST READING: Psalm 62

How long will all of you set upon me and batter me,
as though I were a tottering wall or a leaning fence?
Their purpose is to thrust me down
from my eminence;
they delight in lies;
they bless with their lips
but curse me in their hearts.
Yet be still, my soul, and wait for God,
from whom comes my hope of deliverance.

In God is my deliverance and my honour,
the rock of my strength and my place of refuge.
Put your trust in God always, you people;
pour out your hearts before the One who is
our refuge.

For we mortals are only a puff of wind;
the great among us are but illusion;
placed in the balance,
we weigh less than a breath.
Put no trust in extortion, set no vain hopes on plunder;
if riches increase, do not set your heart upon them.
Once God has spoken, and twice have I heard it said:
‘Power belongs to you, O God. Steadfast love is yours.’
You reward us all according to our deeds.

SECOND READING: Mark 1.14-20

14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.

19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

HYMN: “Dear God, who loves all humankind”

Dear God, who loves all humankind,
forgive our foolish ways;
reclothe us in our rightful mind;
in purer lives thy service find,
in deeper reverence, praise.

In simple trust like theirs who heard,
beside the Syrian sea,
the gracious calling of the Lord,
let us, like them, without a word
rise up, and follow thee.

O sabbath rest by Galilee!
O calm of hills above,
where Jesus knelt to share with thee
the silence of eternity,
interpreted by love!

Drop thy still dews of quietness
till all our strivings cease;
take from our souls the strain and stress,
and let our ordered lives confess
the beauty of thy peace.

Breathe through the heats of our desire
thy coolness and thy balm;
let sense be dumb, let flesh retire:
speak through the earthquake, wind and fire,
O still small voice of calm!

REFLECTION

It would seem that sparse words summon the poets.

But before we meet the poets, we need to consider the sparse words. Mark, never one to gild the lily, describes the call of the disciples in as few words as possible. In fact, we witness “the call” with as few disciples as possible—five, by my count. By the third chapter there will be a general inauguration of the twelve, but we only learn how a handful come to follow Jesus.

On this day, it’s Simon and Andrew, then James and John, the sons of Zebedee. For the first two, we get a transcript of the encounter, but by the next two we get more summary, and we have to assume the invitation was the same. Mark is leaving more than a little room for the imagination when he records these words:

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

As we ponder these words, I can confess a certain weakness for obscure French philosophers, namely Paul Ricoeur. Ricoeur would say that while trying to understand Jesus’ words we are “standing before the text,” meaning we can see the outline of what Jesus means, but the exact meaning (behind the text) is unknown to us. So we use our imagination. We interpret, we speculate, and we play with these words to find meaning. And some, they write poetry:

Jesus, you have come to the lakeshore
looking neither for wealthy nor wise ones;
you only asked me to follow humbly.

For the Spanish poet, Cesáreo Gabaráin, the emphasis is on humility, both the humility of setting aside whatever work they were engaged in, and the humility of these people themselves. They were not selected for wealth or wisdom, just a willingness to follow. That’s one poet’s take, now another:

In simple trust like theirs who heard,
beside the Syrian sea,
the gracious calling of the Lord,
let us, like them, without a word
rise up, and follow thee.

Our second poet, with the rather poetic name John Greenleaf Whittier, the emphasis is on trust, and the willingness of the reader (singer) to engage the same simple trust. Without a word they rise from their places and follow: no questions, no conditions, just trust. It takes a skilled poet to challenge the audience without seeming overbearing or judgemental, and Whittier does it. And one more example:

Long ago apostles heard it
by the Galilean lake,
turned from home and toil and kindred,
leaving all for Jesus’ sake.

This time it’s Cecil Frances Alexander, the best known of the poets mentioned so far. She wrote hundreds of hymns, including All Things Bright and Beautiful, Once in Royal David’s City, There is a Green Hill Far Away, and I Bind Myself to God Today. The last one is a rewritten version of a poem by St. Patrick—fitting since she was married to the head of the Anglican Church in Ireland.

The hymn I quoted, Jesus Calls Us, O’er the Tumult begins with what seems a reference to Jesus stilling the storm, but returns to the call of the disciples. “Turned from home and toil and kindred/leaving all for Jesus’ sake” is a remarkable line, injecting the tension implied in the scene: yes, they were leaving home and kindred, but they were also leaving behind a life of toil. They would, of course, pick up another sort of toil—perhaps emotional and spiritual—but there may have been some relief leaving the back-breaking life of a labourer.

Again, the task of the poet is to take the shell of a story, or a few vague words, and turn them into something meaningful. The twelve will need humility, simple trust, and a keen sense of what they are leaving behind in order to follow. Likewise, when we take up the invitation to follow Jesus, we also need humility, simple trust, and a keen sense of what we are leaving behind in order to follow. Followers of Jesus swap toil for toil, the hardship of meaninglessness for the hardship of service. The hardship of despair for the need to care for the despairing. Graceless living for costly grace. I could go on.

Instead, I want to highlight another poet, this time Amanda Gorman, 22-year-old youth poet laureate of our neighbours to the south. In an instant she became the most famous poet in the land, by doing very much the same work that our other poets did. You see, the Oath of Office taken at the inauguration is the same 35-word statement recited since this experiment in self-government began. So what do you say in response? The job of the poet is to “stand before the text” and find meaning in the moment, or meaning for our time. So I’ll share a sample:

When day comes we ask ourselves,
where can we find light in this never-ending shade?
The loss we carry,
a sea we must wade
We’ve braved the belly of the beast
We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace
And the norms and notions
of what just is
Isn’t always just-ice

Her brilliance is in naming the trouble in our times without being specific. She doesn’t tell us what trouble she feels we should list as the trouble that truly matters, she simply points to trouble. And in troubled times, this can only help us attach our worries and our hurt to her words and see where she will take us next. She begins with the dawn:

And yet the dawn is ours
before we knew it
Somehow we do it
Somehow we’ve weathered and witnessed
a nation that isn’t broken
but simply unfinished

It’s a longer poem and I encourage you to read it, but for today we are left with open-ended hope: not the answer, not any kind of solution, just the recognition that their nation isn’t broken—as many would claim—but simply unfinished. Taken another way, it’s not a call to fix things, but to begin to finish what was already started—and get back on the best path.

Jesus called the twelve without a detailed program, without benchmarks, or a measure of performance. Jesus simply said “there is unfinished work to do, the Kingdom of God has come near” and then “come, follow me.” He gave them open-ended hope that the Kingdom would come, and that together they could be part of something larger than themselves.

All they need to do, all that we need to do, is follow. To follow and turn the outline of our lives into poetry, for Jesus’ sake, Amen.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

Glory to you, Almighty God.
You spoke, and light came out of darkness,
order rose from confusion.
Glory to you, Jesus Christ!
You meet us in every age,
the Word made flesh, born for us.
Glory to you, Holy Spirit!
You brooded over chaos,
mothering and shaping God’s new creation.
Glory to you, God, Three-in-One!
You are surrounded by the song of the saints in heaven
and you are present with us now.

Glory to you, Almighty God.
You create and recreate,
a never ending cycle of grace and renewal.
Glory to you, Jesus Christ!
You show us with most vulnerable,
and name them our sisters and brothers.
Glory to you, Holy Spirit!
You speak to us in very moment,
and invite us to listen.
Glory to you, God, Three-in-One!
You make us, redeem us,
and blow through us still.

Glory to you, Almighty God.
You surround us with the glory that is yours alone,
and compel us to reflect it too.
Glory to you, Jesus Christ!
You heal the sick, tend the lonely,
and comfort those who mourn.
Glory to you, Holy Spirit!
You give us words to speak, to challenge injustice,
and speak your truth in love.
Glory to you, God, Three-in-One!
In every form, and in every age,
we worship you. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

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;
and lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

HYMN: “Jesus, you have come to the lakeshore”

Jesus, you have come to the lakeshore
looking neither for wealthy nor wise ones;
you only asked me to follow humbly.
O Jesus, with your eyes you have searched me,
and while smiling, have spoken my name;
now my boat’s left on the shoreline behind me;
by your side I will seek other seas.

You know so well my possessions;
my boat carries no gold and no weapons;
you will find there my nets and labour.
O Jesus, with your eyes you have searched me,
and while smiling, have spoken my name;
now my boat’s left on the shoreline behind me;
by your side I will seek other seas.

You need my hands, full of caring
through my labours to give others rest,
and constant love that keeps on loving.
O Jesus, with your eyes you have searched me,
and while smiling, have spoken my name;
now my boat’s left on the shoreline behind me;
by your side I will seek other seas.

You, who have fished other oceans,
ever longed for by souls who are waiting,
my loving friend, as thus you call me.
O Jesus, with your eyes you have searched me,
and while smiling, have spoken my name;
now my boat’s left on the shoreline behind me;
by your side I will seek other seas.

BLESSING

Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way,
and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless
until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. Amen.
—1 Thessalonians 5:23

God be with you till we meet again;
loving counsels guide, uphold you,
with a shepherd’s care enfold you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Gathered through the power of the Holy Spirit, we worship God with gladness. We encourage you to pray over the words that follow, and follow the links within the liturgy. Prayers in this service are adapted from Celebrate God’s Presence (UCPH). Thanks this week to Dave, Faith, Olivia, and Heather!

PRELUDE: “Jesus’ Hands were Kind Hands” (Traditional French Melody)

OPENING PRAYER:

You, O God,
are the light of the minds that know you,
the life of the hearts that love you,
and the strength of the spirits that seek you;
Help us so to know you that we may truly worship you,
so to love you that we may turn to you,
in whose presence is perfect peace.
Amen.

HYMN OF PRAISE: “Take my life, and let it be”

Take my life, and let it be
consecrated, all for thee;
take my moments and my days;
let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands, and let them move
at the impulse of thy love;
take my feet, and let them be
swift and purposeful for thee.

Take my lips, and let them be
filled with messages from thee;
take my intellect, and use
every power as thou shalt choose.

Take my will, and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine;
take my heart, it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne.

Take my love: and I will pour
at thy feet its treasure store;
take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Eternal Light
shine in our hearts;
Eternal Goodness,
deliver us from evil;
Eternal Power,
be our support;
Eternal Wisdom,
scatter the shadows of our ignorance;
Eternal Compassion,
have mercy on us;
that with heart and mind
and soul and strength
we may seek your face,
and be brought by your infinite mercy
to the Holy Presence;
through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

God will give us what we need:
strength for today,
hope for tomorrow,
and forgiveness
for all that is past.
Amen.

SPECIAL MUSIC: “On The Willows” (Schwartz)

FIRST READING: 1 Samuel 3.1-10

The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.

² One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. ³ The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. ⁴ Then the Lord called Samuel.

Samuel answered, “Here I am.” ⁵ And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

⁶ Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”

⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

⁸ A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. ⁹ So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

¹⁰ The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

SECOND READING: Psalm 139

O God, you have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You discern my path and the places I rest;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue,
you know it, O God, completely.
You guard me from behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
It is beyond my knowledge; it is a mystery;
I cannot fathom it.

Where can I escape from your spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I lie down in the grave, you are even there.
If I take wing with the dawn
and alight at the sea’s farthest limits,
there also your hand will be guiding me
your powerful hand holding me fast.
If I say, ‘Let the darkness cover me
and my day be turned to night,’
even darkness is not dark to you:
the night is as bright as the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

It was you who formed my inward parts;
you fashioned me in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully, wonderfully made.
Wondrous are your works; that I know very well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was being fashioned in secret,
intricately woven in the mystery of clay.
Your eyes saw my substance taking shape;
in your book my every day was recorded;
all my days were fashioned,
even before they came to be.

How deep your designs are to me, O God!
How great their number!
I try to count them but they are more than the sand.
I come to the end – I am still with you.
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.
Watch closely, lest I follow a path of error
and guide me in the everlasting way.

THIRD READING: John 1.43-46

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

HYMN: “Thuma mina”

Send me, Lord.
Thuma mina, thuma mina,
thuma mina, Somandla.

Send me, Lord.
Send me, Jesus, send me, Jesus,
send me, Jesus, send me, Lord.

Send me, Lord.
Lead me Jesus, lead me, Jesus,
lead me, Jesus, lead me, Lord.

Send me, Lord.
I will go, Lord, I will go, Lord,
in your name, Lord, I will go.

Send me, Lord.
Thuma mina, thuma mina,
thuma mina, Somandla.

REFLECTION

The first rule of comedy is repetition. The second rule of comedy is repetition. The third rule of comedy is, you guessed it…

Perhaps the real second rule of comedy is don’t analyse comedy, but we’re going to do it anyway. Repetition, stating the same turn of phrase over and over, is funny because it does the unexpected. In my example, it was funny the moment I repeated repetition, and then it’s up to the audience to decide when it’s no longer funny.

Another version of repetition is in the set-up. “Two guys walk into a bar” is an example, where we’re anticipating something funny because we know a joke is coming. Likewise with “Knock knock,” which we might describe as training wheels for the aspiring comic. Again, the repetition of the frame tells us that something funny (may) be coming.

Back to the first example, repeating a phrase or situation over and over tends to trigger a delight response, especially when it involves children. Bil Keane’s iconic joke that begins with some variation of “What did you do today, Billy?” (followed by a look at his route around the neighbourhood) is just one example. Another, of course, is the call of Samuel. The author’s triple-telling is a signal that this is meant to delight us:

Samuel: “Here I am, you called me.”
Old Eli: “I didn’t call, go back and lie down.” (x3)

Parents and babysitters will also recognise another bit of humour here: the kid who keeps getting up. And like my first joke, it’s cute for a time, until it stops being cute altogether. Back to Samuel and old Eli, the key to the passage is hiding in plain sight, right at the beginning: “In those days the word of the Lord was rare.” It takes Eli two or three goes to recognize what’s really happening here. After all, the word of the Lord was rare.

But with recognition, and a skilled teacher, Samuel learns that the Lord is speaking and learns an appropriate response: “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” The word that follows—what will become his first prophetic utterance—isn’t an easy message to hear. The Lord reveals to the boy that his mentor Eli will fall from grace, owing to the misbehavior of his sons and his inability to restrain them. What began as a playful exchange becomes a hard word for Eli and his family. No one said being a prophet would be easy.

Jump to our gospel lesson, and we see a strange parallel. It begins like the old shampoo commercial, when you tell two friends, and they tell two friends. Jesus calls Philip, and Philip calls Nathanael saying ‘come and see the one foretold in the law and the prophets…Jesus of Nazareth, son of Joseph.’ And without missing a beat, Nathanael says “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Again, we tend to be entirely too serious when we approach scripture, since Nathanael has just used another comedic device: hyperbole. Hyperbole exaggerates or overstates something that may or may not be true, but it’s fun to say. There’s nothing wrong with people from Nazareth—per se—but saying it makes it funny.

And there’s another comedic device here too, that of the stereotype. We recognize that this is one of the more dangerous types of humour (often misused) but when used with good intention it can be very funny. Think small town rivalries, or Leafs versus Habs, or whatever people in the Galilee thought about people from Nazareth, and you get the humour.

And like our introduction to Samuel, there is a similar movement that will follow. Jesus’ call to the disciples is largely playful—’come and I’ll make you fishers of people’—but the outcome will be anything but. And maybe that’s intentional. A teasing quip about Nazareth or a clever turn on fishing is the lightness needed when the outcome for most of these disciples will be suffering and martyrdom.

I think the closest parallel here would be a film where you already know the ending. If it’s a film about a beloved person who dies at the end, we enter the theatre ready to be sad. But that’s not how storytelling works. The film may open with a reminder that this beloved person is gone, but we are soon lost in the story from the beginning. Whatever humour or lightness found at the beginning is even more pointed in light of the end. Our delight is increased because we get to love and laugh once more—even knowing the end of the story.

So, two lessons here. The first is to delight in each moment you can, knowing the end of the story. It’s not an easy lesson to hear or an easy lesson to apply to our lives. But we know that God gives us delight in the form of humour, tenderness, absurdity, playfulness, and a countless other small things that we can only see if we truly look. Life is serious enough that we shouldn’t take it entirely seriously. Life is hard enough, and short enough, that we need to delight in what we can. That’s the first lesson.

The second lesson is the cost of being a disciple, or in Samuel’s case, a prophet. Once you accept the call, everything becomes more complicated, more perilous, and more demanding. We can delight in the relationship between Samuel and his mentor, but we also know that Samuel’s first task as prophet was the beginning of a very hard life. Likewise, the joy of walking with Jesus each day, the gift of his teaching, a window on eternity—all these things live under the shadow of the cross. And even knowing the end of that particular story—new life in Christ—doesn’t diminish the pain of being a witness to his passion.

Just like Samuel’s time, the word of the Lord is rare in our day. But just because God is the strong silent-type, doesn’t mean God is absent. God is in the delightful, in the touching, and in the moving. Christ is in others, and the people who minister to us. And the Spirit is all around us, and in us too, now and always, Amen.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

God eternal, our times are held within your hands,
our lives are shaped by your design from before our birth.
You take hold of what has happened
and nurture within it what you wish to be.
Like a wise mother, you give us both freedom and guidance.
How wise and caring you are, most blessed God;
we praise you and thank you.

God eternal, our times are open to your Spirit,
our lives await your touch.
God of mercy, fountain of loving care,
wellspring of blessing and source of our hope:
help us to break through the dry surface of our parched lives
to find the life that flows beneath, quietly, deeply,
cool with refreshment—
that living water for our souls
which is the Spirit of Christ your Son.

We ask for these your gifts:
for all in hospital or nursing home,
healing and encouragement;
for all living with long-term threats
to their health or well-being, patience and endurance;
for all who are worried, ease of heart;
for all who are lonely, some human contact;
for all who are anxious about their job,
or who are looking for work, fortitude;
for all who are wondering what path in life to take,
a sense of being able to trust that you, God, will guide them.

Finally we think of our own individual lives.
We take some moments of silence
to give you our thanks for the blessing you have given us,
and to ask for the needs that weigh most upon us…
God of mercy, eternal source of life renewed and abundant,
rise up and flood with loving care every withered life
and every heart that thirsts for you.
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

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;
and lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

HYMN: “Lord, speak to me that I may speak”

Lord, speak to me that I may speak
in living echoes of your tone;
as you have sought, so let me seek
your straying children lost and lone.

O lead me, so that I may lead
the wandering and the wavering feet;
O feed me, so that I may feed
your hungering ones with manna sweet.

O teach me, so that I may teach
the precious truths which you impart;
and wing my words, that they may reach
the hidden depths of many a heart.

O fill me with your fullness, Lord,
until my very heart o’erflows
in kindling thought and glowing word,
your love to tell, your praise to show.

BLESSING

Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way,
and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless
until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. Amen.
—1 Thessalonians 5:23

God be with you till we meet again;
loving counsels guide, uphold you,
with a shepherd’s care enfold you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Gathered through the power of the Holy Spirit, we worship God with gladness. We encourage you to pray over the words that follow, and follow the links within the liturgy. Prayers in this service are adapted from Celebrate God’s Presence (UCPH). Thanks this week to Jenny, Kathy, and Heather!

PRELUDE: “Worship the Lord” (Kaan/Klusmeier)

OPENING PRAYER:

All who thirst, come to the water
and drink deeply of these living streams.
Come, all who are weary;
come, all who yearn for forgiveness.
As the waters of the Jordan washed over Jesus,
so the Holy Spirit washed over you and me.
Our gracious God beckons and blesses us.
Let us give praise for new life in Christ. Amen.

HYMN OF PRAISE: “When Jesus comes to be baptized”

When Jesus comes to be baptized,
he leaves the hidden years behind,
the years of safety and of peace,
to bear the sins of humankind.

The Spirit of the Lord comes down,
anoints the Christ to suffering,
to preach the word, to free the bound,
and to the mourner, comfort bring.

He will not quench the dying flame,
and what is bruised he will not break,
but heal the wound injustice dealt,
and out of death his triumph make.

O Spirit help us be like Christ:
to live in love and charity,
to walk in truth and justice now,
and grow in Christian dignity.

We praise you, God, source of all life,
we praise you, Christ, eternal Word,
we praise you, Spirit, gracious gift;
your triune presence fills our world.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

We seek baptism,
a baptism of repentance
for the forgiveness of sins.
We seek repentance,
the words to express the many ways
we have fallen short of your desire for our lives, O God.
We seek forgiveness,
to begin anew—to be reconciled
with the Most High and everyone wronged
as we make our way in the world. Amen.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

God will give us what we need:
strength for today,
hope for tomorrow,
and forgiveness
for all that is past.
Amen.

SPECIAL MUSIC: “You Are My Child” (Osther)

FIRST READING: Psalm 29

Ascribe to God, you powers of the heaven,
ascribe to God all glory and strength!
Ascribe due honour to God’s holy name,
and worship in the beauty of holiness.

God’s voice is over the waters –
God’s glory thundering across the great waters.
God’s voice is power, God’s voice is full of majesty.
God’s voice shatters the cedars,
splinters the cedars of Lebanon.
God’s voice makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
Mount Hermon stampede like a wild young bull.
God’s voice forks into tongues of fire,
God’s voice shakes the wilderness,
sets trembling the wilderness of Kadesh.
God’s voice causes the oaks to whirl,
stripping the forest bare;
and in the temple all cry: Glory!

God sits enthroned above the waters,
God is enthroned as sovereign forever.
You give strength to your people, O God.
Now give to your people the blessing of peace.

SECOND READING: Acts 19.1-7

While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when[a] you believed?”

They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”

“John’s baptism,” they replied.

4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues[b] and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

HYMN: “Herald! Sound the note of gladness!”

Herald! Sound the note of gladness!
Tell the news that Christ is here;
make a pathway through the desert
for the one who brings God near.
Sound the trumpet!
Tell the message!
Christ the Saving One has come!

Herald! Sound the note of judgement,
warning us of right and wrong,
turning us from sin and sadness,
till once more we sing the song. R

Herald! Sound the note of pardon!
Those repenting are forgiven;
God receives these wayward children,
and to all new life is given. R

Herald! Sound the note of triumph!
Christ has come to share our life,
bringing God’s own love and power,
granting victory in our strife. R

REFLECTION

It began with a vision, as these things often do.

Sometime after the Council of Jerusalem, St. Paul has a vision of a man from Macedonia, and in this vision, the man spoke:

“Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

So he does. Paul begins this leg of his journey in Philippi, where he meets Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. Her heart is open to the Good News that Paul shares, and she is baptized—her and her entire household.

Thus begins Paul’s entrance into Europe, an initial success that will soon become something else altogether. The latter half of Acts 16 reads like a Hollywood screenplay—an accidental healing, some swift justice, a violent earthquake, and a surprizing conclusion where Paul and his companion Silas talk their jailer off a ledge and help him find new life in Christ.

Their travels continue—Thessalonica, Athens, Corinth—to places that will become synonymous with Paul’s ministry, and places that will illustrate the challenges he faced. By the time Paul reaches Ephesus, it becomes obvious that he’s a step behind another evangelist, Apollos. And this is where we pick up our story:

While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
They answered, “No, we haven’t even heard that there’s a Holy Spirit.”
So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”
“John’s baptism,” they replied.

“We haven’t even heard there’s a Holy Spirit!” This confession has to be one of the most delightful responses in scripture. You can almost hear Paul’s internal “Oh my goodness!” as he struggles to understand what they do know, and what they have done to adhere to the faith. And the point of the story, it would seem, is to allow us (and them) to understand the difference between John’s baptism and Jesus’ baptism. With this they receive Jesus’ baptism, the Spirit descends, and the story continues.

I will leave off a discussion about the baptism Jesus receives at the hands of John the Baptist, and why the one-without-sin would submit to a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Instead, I want to dwell a moment longer with the unfortunates who didn’t even know that there was a Holy Spirit. They didn’t know, they said, because no one told them.

It’s important to note here that Paul didn’t ask them if anyone told them about the Holy Spirit. He asked if they received the Holy Spirit, which is a whole other matter. Experiencing the Holy Spirit, as they finally would, is quite different from being informed. Paul didn’t want to know what information they had, he wanted to know what experience they had—in this case, an experience of the Holy Spirit. In other words, they didn’t have the answer because they couldn’t understand the question. How could they? They didn’t know the Holy Spirit.

I share all this for a couple of reasons. First, to illustrate that our faith is based on experience and not just knowledge. It’s helpful to understand the basic tenets of the faith, but more important to feel the tug of the Holy Spirit as we pass through this life. To know that Jesus walks beside us, and to feel the presence of a loving God. They received the Holy Spirit and then began a new life in Christ Jesus.

The second reason is topical, here at the end of a very long and troubling week. What we witnessed in Washington was alarming, infuriating, tragic, and sad all at once. I feel like I still lack the words to sum up what happened, and put it into some sort of faith perspective. Obviously it’s a story about sin and human failure, and the power of words to distort and inflame. But it’s also a story about mistaken belief, and the extent to which people can be manipulated to say and do things they might otherwise never say or do.

It also leads me to ponder populism, which we increasingly associate with the right, but can belong to either end of the political spectrum. With populism, people join a movement—always a powerful thing—and then paint their hopes (and fears) on the populist leader. The populist leader can then direct their followers in an appropriate direction, often for good, or they can do the opposite.

The malevolent populist will use vague and misleading rhetoric to inflame his followers, and direct them toward a particular goal. And goal may not be the right word here, because the populist may only want chaos, or to maintain power. The point here is that those who follow the populist may or may not understand or follow the goal. Instead, they may simply have taken the rhetoric and interpreted it in such a way that they come to believe that the populist will deliver on those hopes and fears.

What I think I’m trying to say here, is that it’s easy to write off everyone who falls for the malevolent populist, and to deride people who seem to finally (!) understand the danger that this particular populist poses. It’s harder to try to imagine that many were truly conned, or fell into a cult, or were manipulated by mass media and social media. Of course, some are criminals and should be treated as such. And some are enablers and should be banished from public life. But many—too many—were misinformed about the goal or the nature of the project, and will someday suffer the regret of being part of such a terrible era.

There are many more things to say, of course, and these will be said in time. One topic is white privilege, and the extent to which Wednesday was a master class on the way protest is met depending on the race of the protestors. And there are other learnings. For today, we pray for America, and we pray for the families of those who died, and we pray for peace.

Finally, we pray for the Holy Spirit. We pray that the Holy Spirit will enter and transform hearts, that the Holy Spirit will reveal a way forward in troubling times, and we pray that the Holy Spirit will provide comfort in an anxious time.

And may we, who know the Holy Spirit, pray always that others receive the same gift. Amen.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

Let us bring the needs of the church,
the world, and all in need,
to God’s loving care, saying:
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of heaven and earth,
through Jesus Christ you promise to hear us
when we pray to you in his name.
Confident in your love and mercy
we offer our prayer.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Empower the church throughout the world in its life and witness.
Break down the barriers that divide,
that, united in your truth and love,
the church may confess your name,
share one baptism,
sit together at one table, and serve you in one common ministry.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Guide the rulers of the nations.
Move them to set aside greed and self-interest
and bow to your sovereign rule.
Inspire them to strive for peace and justice,
that all your children may dwell secure,
free of war and injustice.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Help our friends and neighbours to the south.
Give them a sense of common purpose
and a desire to strive together
to solve the many problems that confront them.
Help them erase the lines of hate and mistrust,
and show them your way of peace.
Lord in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Hear the cries of the world’s hungry and suffering.
Give us, who consume most the earth’s resources,
the will to reorder our lives,
that all may have their rightful share of the food,
medical care, and shelter,
and so have the necessities of a life of dignity.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Renew our nation in the ways of justice and peace.
Guide those who make and administer our laws
to build a society based on trust and respect.
Erase prejudices that oppress;
free us from crime and violence;
guard our youth from the perils of meaninglessness and materialism.
Give all citizens a new vision of a life of harmony.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Strengthen this congregation in its work and worship.
Fill our hearts with your self-giving love,
that our voices may speak your praise,
and our lives may conform to the image of your Son.
Nourish us with your Word and sacraments
that we may faithfully minister in your name,
and witness to your love and grace for all the world.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

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;
and lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

HYMN: “O radiant Christ, incarnate Word”

O radiant Christ, incarnate Word,
eternal love revealed in time:
come, make your home within our hearts,
that we may dwell in light sublime.

Our bartered, busy lives burn dim,
too tired to care, too numb to feel.
Come, shine upon our shadowed world:
your radiance bathes with power to heal.

Your glory shone at Jordan’s stream,
the font where we were born anew.
Attune your church to know you near;
illumine all we say and do.

O Light of Nations, fill the earth;
our faith and hope and love renew.
Come, lead the peoples to your peace,
as stars once led the way to you.

BLESSING

Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way,
and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless
until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. Amen.
—1 Thessalonians 5:23

God be with you till we meet again;
loving counsels guide, uphold you,
with a shepherd’s care enfold you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Gathered through the power of the Holy Spirit, we worship God with gladness. We encourage you to pray over the words that follow, and follow the links within the liturgy. Prayers in this service are adapted from Celebrate God’s Presence (UCPH). Thanks this week to Cor and Heather!

PRELUDE: “Ring A Bell for Peace” (Collibole/Jacquet)

OPENING PRAYER

Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and the glory of the Lord appears over you. Amen.

HYMN OF PRAISE: “Arise, your light is come!”

Arise, your light is come!
The Spirit’s call obey;
show forth the glory of your God,
which shines on you today.

Arise, your light is come!
Fling wide the prison door;
proclaim the captive’s liberty,
good tidings to the poor.

Arise, your light is come!
All you in sorrow born,
bind up the broken-hearted ones
and comfort those who mourn.

Arise, your light is come!
The mountains burst in song!
Rise up like eagles on the wing;
God’s power will make us strong.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Lord of All,
You claim each of us, and name us
citizens of your heavenly realm.
Yet we resist, imagining instead
that we belong to this world.
Free us, God, to see our allegiance to you
and our place in your Kingdom,
now and ever.
Amen.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

God will give us what we need:
strength for today,
hope for tomorrow,
and forgiveness
for all that is past.
Amen.

SPECIAL MUSIC: “Twas in the Moon of Wintertime”

FIRST READING: Psalm 147

How good it is to sing praises to God,
how pleasant to laud the Most High.
You are building Jerusalem, O God,
and gathering the scattered exiles of Israel.
You are healing the broken-hearted,
and binding up their wounds.
You count the number of the stars,
and call them all by their names.
Great are you, O God, and mighty your power;
yes, and your wisdom is infinite.
You raise up the lowly,
and bring down the wicked to dust.

Sing to God in thanksgiving;
make music on the harp to our God,
who covers the sky with clouds,
who prepares rain for the earth,
who makes the hills green with grass.
You give the cattle their food,
and the young ravens when they cry.
You set no store by the power of a horse,
nor by the strength of a warrior’s thighs.
But your delight is in those who revere you,
in those who rely on your mercy.

Hallelujah, O Jerusalem!
Zion, praise your God.
For God has strengthened the bars of your gates,
and blessed your children within you.
God has established peace within your borders,
and filled you with the finest wheat.

You send your word to the earth, O God;
your command runs swiftly.
You give snow like wool,
and sprinkle hoar-frost like ashes.
You scatter hailstones like bread-crumbs;
you send the cold, and the waters stand frozen.
You utter your word and the ice melts;
you blow with your wind and the waters flow.
You make known your word to Jacob,
your statutes and decrees to Israel.
You have not done this for any other nation,
nor have you taught them your laws.

SECOND READING: Ephesians 1.3-14

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 just as he chose us in Christ[a] before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. 5 He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight 9 he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance,[b] having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, 12 so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; 14 this[c] is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

HYMN: “When heaven’s bright with mystery”

When heaven’s bright with mystery
and science searches nature’s art,
when all creation yearns for peace
and hope sinks deep in human hearts,
appear to us, O Holy Light;
lift from our eyes the shades of night.

When Herod barters power and lives
and Rachel’s weeping fills the night,
when suffering’s mask marks every face,
and Love’s a refugee in flight,
reveal to us your word of grace
and make us witness to your peace.

When fragile faith, like desert wind,
blows dry and empty, hope erased,
when withered grass and fading flower
proclaim again our day’s brief space,
breathe on the clay of our despair
and work a new creation there.

When heaven’s bright with mystery
and stars still lead an unknown way,
when love still lights a gentle path
where courts of power can hold no sway,
there with the Magi, let us kneel,
our gifts to share, God’s world to heal.

REFLECTION

Ironically, one of my favourite films begins with the news that the theatres have been closed on account of the plague. Henslowe, the owner of the Rose Theatre, has just been accosted by Mr. Fennyman, the producer (aka “the money”). Demanding to know what will happen to the play he is paying for, we get this exchange:

Henslowe: Mr. Fennyman, allow me to explain about the theatre business. The natural condition is one of insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster.
Fennyman: So what do we do?
Henslowe: Nothing. Strangely enough, it all turns out well.
Fennyman: How?
Henslowe: I don’t know. It’s a mystery.

“It’s a mystery” becomes a touchstone throughout the film, as we get a highly fictionalized account of how a young Shakespeare transforms “Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate’s Daughter” into the play we know and love. Does anything in this account resemble what really happened? I don’t know, it’s a mystery.

I share all this because of my love for romantic comedies set in Elizabethan England, and because of one critical verse in our reading:

God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together in Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.*

So often with St. Paul, we get the answer to the question without actually getting the question. Sometimes the question appears earlier in the text, and sometimes the question may have come in the half of the correspondence we did not see, and sometimes the question is just a question someone might ask. In this case, it seems to be the last one, the kind of question that lives all around us: what is God’s plan?

This is not the micro “plan for your life” question, although we are certainly part of God’s larger plan. This is a larger question, like ‘what is it all for?’ What is God’s plan for creation and creature, the work of God’s hands. And where does Christ come in, aside from in the present season?

Maybe that’s too many questions, so we’ll stick with ‘what’s the plan?’ Imagine that something as simple as ‘what’s the plan’ inspired Paul to write. And further imagine that Paul is addressing an audience that understands the troubles of this life. There is the obvious “nasty, brutish, and short” nature of life at the time, and then there are the universal constants of loss, heartache, and a quest for some semblance of meaning.

What is the plan? For much of time, the answer would be “it’s a mystery.” Seasons of life and faith unfolded, and God would chide and bless in good measure, sending prophets and people of goodwill to communicate God’s desire for our lives. Being human, we found ways to enjoy the blessing and ignore the guidance, often finding trouble even before trouble could find us. God needed a new plan.

God being God decided to take the bold step of entering our world. And since the plan called for experiencing all of human life, an obvious part of the plan was to enter our world as a child. The details are well known to us. And upon entering our world, there would need to be a sign, some manifestation of the unfolding before us. In time, we would come to call this Epiphany, which we mark on January 6—the season of light.

At Epiphany, we celebrate the first light of God’s plan. All the signs come together, the star of Bethlehem and the Light of the World, the Word made flesh and the light that shines in the darkness, the very light that the darkness shall never overcome. ‘The time was right,’ as Paul tells us, because “at the right time he will bring everything together in Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.”

Just now you might be thinking ‘ah, yes, but the trouble remains.’ And that would be true. The coming of the light didn’t take away our trouble, it simply began a process that continues to this day. Recall that Jesus prayed “Thy will be done (meaning God’s plan), on earth as it is in heaven.” This tells me that the plan continues, with a beginning, a middle, and a future end. And this is where we find ourselves. In the very middle of God’s plan, a plan that continues here in the heart of Epiphany.

Here’s how I know: “You are the light of the world,” Jesus said, and then he said ‘you must let your light shine for others, that they may see me in you, and in the God who made you’ (Matthew 5 and John 14). When we let our light shine for others, God is glorified, and the light is cast further and further in the shadow places of our world. We don’t make the light, we cast the light. This is always God’s work, the work that we share. But in sharing this work, in casting the light of love and mercy, we see Christ in others and in ourselves. And the plan continues, ever forward, to that final moment when heaven and earth are joined again.

May the light of love and mercy surround you, as you surround others, Amen.

*New Living Translation, adapted.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

Blessed are you, gracious God:
you have given us life and freedom
to be your people in the world.
Blessed are you, gracious God:
you have called us into the church,
and into this community of faith,
pilgrims together on the journey into new creation.
Blessed are you, gracious God:
you have touched our hearts with hope,
so that we long to see the day of your salvation.

Help us to bless those you love:
the poorest among us, both in material things
and in the spirit of comfort,
the weakest among us, those who are ill
and those who live with pain of every sort,
the most vulnerable among us,
who lack some deep need,
and those given to grief, who have lost a loved one,
or lost some part of themselves.

Help us to build your Kingdom:
to walk with those who seek justice,
to stand with those who are wronged,
to pause with those who have a story to tell,
to cry out with those who have no voice.

Your Kingdom come, Lord, your Kingdom come.
Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

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;
and lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

HYMN: “O splendour of God’s glory bright”

O splendour of God’s glory bright,
from light eternal bringing light;
O light of life, light’s living spring,
true day, all days illumining:

come, Holy Sun of heavenly love,
pour down your radiance from above,
and to our inward hearts convey
the Holy Spirit’s cloudless ray.

O joyful be the passing day
with thoughts as clear as morning’s ray,
with faith like noontide shining bright,
our souls unshadowed by the night.

O Christ, with each returning morn
your image to our hearts is born;
O may we ever see anew
our Saviour and our God in you!

BLESSING

Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way,
and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless
until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. Amen.
—1 Thessalonians 5:23

God be with you till we meet again;
loving counsels guide, uphold you,
with a shepherd’s care enfold you;
God be with you till we meet again.