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, Marlene, and Heather! Inspired by Isaiah 40.31, the images in this service reflect the gift of renewal through the Holy Spirit.

PRELUDE: “All Hail King Jesus” (Moody)

OPENING PRAYER:

God of gladness,
We enter your presence
with praise on our lips,
and thanksgiving in our hearts.
The gates of your goodness are always open,
and your faithfulness extends to every age.
Tend us, Lord, and remind us
that we belong to you alone.
Amen.

HYMN OF PRAISE: “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, who rules all creation;
O my soul, praise him, at all times your health and salvation.
Come, all who hear:
brothers and sisters draw near,
joining in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, above all things so mightily reigning,
keeping us safe at his side, and so gently sustaining.
Have you not seen
how all you needed has been
met by God’s gracious ordaining?

Praise to the Lord who will prosper our work and defend us;
surely his goodness and mercy will daily attend us:
ponder anew
what the Almighty can do,
who out of love will befriend us.

Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!
All that has life and breath come now with praises before him!
Let the Amen
sound from God’s people again:
gladly with praise we adore him.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

God of mercy,
you know how we feel before we feel it.
When frustrated, you understand.
When weary, you know how much.
When angry, you always forgive.
Abide with us, Lord, even when we struggle,
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 Eagle’s Wings (Joncas)

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.

SECOND READING: Isaiah 40.21-31

21 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood since the earth was founded?
22 He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
23 He brings princes to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.
24 No sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown,
no sooner do they take root in the ground,
than he blows on them and they wither,
and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

25 “To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
and calls forth each of them by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.

27 Why do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

HYMN: “We praise you, Creator”

We praise you, Creator, in earth, sea, and sky:
our Ruler, our Maker, our Sovereign most high.
Each new generation lifts voices in praise;
how good your creation, how gracious your ways!

Each springtime the blossoms bloom fragrant once more;
each summer and autumn brings forth its rich store.
With witness compelling our praise and our prayer,
creation is telling of your faithful care.

Your wondrous works teach us, Creator, to trace
the limitless reaches of your love and grace.
Your grace dwells among us, your love goes before:
from eldest to youngest we praise and adore.

REFLECTION

Often called the king of all birds, we might better say the eagle is the king of all symbols.

If we begin in the middle of the story, we arrive in Rome, where the symbol of the eagle is second only to a certain shewolf and a couple of hungry lads. Rome’s legions took the eagle on campaign, where it became symbolic of both the might of Rome and the fate of individual legions. This would be the moment to recommend Rosemary Sutcliff’s wonderful book The Eagle of the Ninth, exciting interest in Roman Britain since 1954.

After Rome, the eagle remains a symbol of empire, with various royal houses sporting the bird, wings outstretched, sometimes adding an extra head or two for effect. This, of course, crosses the Atlantic, where our pretentious neighbour to the south adopts the eagle as their own. To be fair, they were trying to recreate the Roman Republic in America, so the eagle makes a lot of sense.

That’s the forward view, how about looking back in time? Among Canada’s First Nations, the eagle is considered a messenger to the Creator, lifting prayers to the Spirit world, providing courage and strength. It was no accident that Elijah Harper held an eagle feather while defending the rights of his people back in 1990, a moment that is considered a turning point for Indigenous people in Canada.**

Within the Christian church, the eagle is most often associated with St. John the Evangelist. Beginning in the second century of the Common Era, thinkers such as Irenaeus made the connection between John’s homily to the Word (found in John 1) and the eagle, symbolizing “the gift of the Spirit hovering with his wings over the church.” We’ll have to leave Matthew (a man), Mark (a lion) and Luke (an ox) for another day.

In the Hebrew Bible, the eagle is a symbol of swiftness (often related to conquest), nurture (offering shelter), and renewal. It is this last attribute that takes us to the reading Marlene shared today. But before we look at Isaiah 40, there appears to be one passage where swift rescue, shelter, and renewal happen all at once. From Mt. Sinai, the LORD spoke to Moses: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself’ (Ex 19). The Lord then asks for faithfulness, and a willingness to keep the covenant God made.

On to Isaiah 40, where we heard what is the second most familiar part of this remarkable chapter. The first most familiar of is best shared in the language that G. F. Handel knew:

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

So the context of Isaiah 40 is forgiveness, an end to exile, and a return to the land. And without jumping to the end of the story, we already know that the renewing spirit of the eagle is for those returning from exile, those charged with rebuilding the holy places. This, then, is the context for those who first heard these words:

Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
But those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

This is the moment that the preacher encourages you to make your own homily, connecting our time to the anguish of exile, the desire for return, and the need for strength. I’m not saying these sermons write themselves, but we live in a time when the need for shelter and renewal has never been greater. Likewise, our need to trust in God has never been greater, but it is this trust that cries out for greater understanding, as much as connecting exile to our time. For a place to start, I might recommend Proverbs 9.10:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

The first dimension of trusting God is acknowledging that we can’t fully understand God. In this case, fear seems more a case of bewilderment, or confusion, which is always the starting point for gaining wisdom. To say you don’t understand something, or you need to learn something, is the first step on the journey to gaining wisdom. And this takes us back to the middle section of Isaiah 40:

25 “To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?

Those who love the Book of Job will immediately hear God speaking from the whirlwind, reminding Job that God is God and Job is not. To be fair to poor Job, he was simply talking to his mates when the Most High finally had enough of their ignorance. And the question they asked—why do people suffer?—remains a question for all time. Where is God in the midst of plague and disaster? Is God cause or cure? Or both? (Spoiler alert: I do not believe that God sent COVID or caused it to happen).

But I know I’m not the first to imagine—if only for a moment—that COVID is some form of punishment for our misdeeds. Climate change, loss of habitat, unsustainable farming practices: all these trends have a hand in zoonotic diseases, those moving from animal to human. And the spread of the disease, more active under populist and authoritarian regimes, just adds another layer to this question of human foolishness.

Back to the Book of Job, we know that there is no connection between wickedness and suffering, yet we also know that God remains unsearchable. We can never fully understand the ways of God, but we can trust that God will bring rescue, shelter, and renewal in the midst of crisis. We can trust that God will bring comfort and forgiveness in the midst of our foolishness. And we can trust that God will give us new strength, to soar on wings like eagles, to run and not grow weary, to walk and not faint.

In John’s extended description of the Last Supper, Jesus offered comfort to his disciples, he washed their feet, and he promised the gift of the Holy Spirit. “Soon,” he said, “the Holy Spirit, whom God will send in my name, will teach you and remind you of all that I have said to you.” This is not a promise to reveal the unknowable mysteries of the Most High. This is a promise to help us remember everything Jesus said and did. It is a promise to send the sustaining power of the Spirit upon the church, and it is a promise to send the Spirit of the eagle—so that rescue, shelter, and renewal will come to us, now and always, Amen.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

God of love,
We come before you with many needs.
We are beset with worry:
for our friends and family,
for our congregation,
for the community we inhabit,
for the nation we love,
for the sad and the lonely,
for the hurt and oppressed.

Day and night we struggle,
for fear of the future,
and fear of an illness,
that remains overwhelming
and beyond our control.
Sustain us through these times,
giving wisdom to leaders,
and insight to researchers,
and patience to all who need more.

Find us, Lord,
in the midst of this moment:
comfort those in grief,
and ease those in pain.
Help us abide in you,
walking in the light of your goodness,
now and always,
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: “Come now, almighty King”

Come now, almighty King,
help us your name to sing, help us to praise;
one God all glorious, ever victorious,
come and reign over us, Ancient of Days.

Come now, incarnate Son,
your life in us begun, our prayer attend;
come, and your people bless, come, give your word success;
stablish your righteousness, Saviour and friend!

Come holy Comforter,
your sacred witness bear in this glad hour;
your grace to us impart, now rule in every heart,
never from us depart, Spirit of power!

To the great One in Three,
eternal praises be for evermore;
your sovereign majesty may we in glory see,
and to eternity love and adore!

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.

*https://www.sarahshaidaarts.com/haida-symbols/ **https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/elijah-harper-the-man-with-a-feather-who-changed-the-course-of-history

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.

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, Cor, and Heather!

PRELUDE: “Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella” (French Traditional)

OPENING PRAYER

Blessed are you, O Christ child,
that your cradle was so low that shepherds,
poorest and simplest of earthly people,
could yet kneel beside you,
and look, level-eyed, into the face of God.
Blessed One, we come to you in reverence.
Amen.
(Prayer from Uganda)

HYMN OF PRAISE: “O come, all ye faithful”

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem:
come and behold him, born the King of angels;
O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.

God of God, light of light,
lo, he abhors not the virgin’s womb;
very God, begotten, not created: R

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
sing, all ye citizens of heaven above;
glory to God in the highest: R

See how the shepherds summoned to his cradle,
leaving their flocks, draw nigh with lowly fear;
we too will thither bend our joyful footsteps; R

Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be glory given;
word of the Father, now in flesh appearing: R

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Briefly overwhelmed by the Christ-light,
we return to the world from which we came:
a world of pain, a world of promise;
the world which God so loved
that the Bethlehem baby was born.
Fearful, may we listen to the voice of the angel who says, “Fear not.”
Forgetful, may we cling to the Good News of God,
and fully human, may we walk with the one
who is both human and divine.
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: “The Magi Song” (Osther)

FIRST READING: Psalm 146

Praise God, O my soul. As long as I live I will praise God.
Yes, as long as I have life I will sing praises to God.
Put not your trust in princes, nor in any mortal,
for in them there is no help.
When they breathe their last they return to dust;
then their plans come to nothing.
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
the One who keeps faith for ever,
who gives justice to the oppressed,
who gives food to the hungry.

God sets prisoners free, restores sight to the blind.
God straightens those who are bent;
loves those who are just.
God cares for the stranger in the land,
and sustains the widow and orphan;
but the way of the wicked God turns to ruin.
God shall reign forever, O Zion,
your God for all generations.

SECOND READING: Isaiah 62.6-12

6 O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls; they will pray to the LORD day and night for the fulfillment of his promises. Take no rest, all you who pray. 7 Give the LORD no rest until he makes Jerusalem the object of praise throughout the earth. 8 The LORD has sworn to Jerusalem by his own strength: “I will never again hand you over to your enemies. Never again will foreign warriors come and take away your grain and wine. 9 You raised it, and you will keep it, praising the LORD. Within the courtyards of the Temple, you yourselves will drink the wine that you have pressed.”
10 Go out! Prepare the highway for my people to return! Smooth out the road; pull out the boulders; raise a flag for all the nations to see. 11 The LORD has sent this message to every land: “Tell the people of Israel, ‘Look, your Saviour is coming. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.'” 12 They will be called the Holy People and the People Redeemed by the LORD. And Jerusalem will be known as the Desirable Place and the City No Longer Forsaken.

HYMN: “Angels we have heard on high”

Angels we have heard on high
sweetly singing o’er the plains,
and the mountains in reply,
echoing their joyous strains.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
which inspire your heavenly song? R

Come to Bethlehem and see
Christ whose birth the angels sing;
come, adore on bended knee
Christ, the Lord, the newborn King. R

See him in a manger laid,
whom the choirs of angels praise;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
while our hearts in love we raise. R

REFLECTION

The greatest privilege of my job is hearing stories. Personal anecdotes, treasured stories, even the occasional tall-tale: they reveal both the teller and life in the city. Three examples:

Alex, whose father built houses in the 1930’s, and the day that a gentleman bought one of them, in cash, in three one-thousand dollar bills. His best guess was that the house was being bought for the mistress of a bootlegger.

Jack, who worked at the TTC maintenance yard, and participated in endless speculation about how fast a streetcar could really go. One evening, while crossing the Bloor Viaduct, a driver answered the question when he reached 70 mph before reaching the Danforth side only to be met by a cop. Needless to say, it was his last trip.

Rose, who worked for 42 years at the pen counter at Eaton’s. While some might wonder how fulfilling her work selling fountain pens was, she would remind them that she was one a first name basis with most of Toronto’s business elite. She was sent to Montreal on at least one occasion to tour the Waterman factory, and also conducted a clandestine friendship with the “pen girl” at Simpson’s across the street in the day when Eaton’s employees were not allowed to fraternize with the enemy.

Hearing the stories, listening to the intonation of the teller, one cannot help but be drawn into an abiding sense of innocence. Certainly stories of bootleggers and speeding streetcars and outhouses being tipped over on Halloween have some edge to them (that’s why they are great stories) but the underlying tenor of the stories is a kind of sweetness that belongs to a different age.

And these stories make you wonder about 2020. What kind of stories will we tell? How will we explain the pandemic in 20 years, or 40 years? And what kind of frame will be put around these stories, both in terms of lessons learned and the long-term result of a global crisis? Obviously time will tell, since it seems we are still very-much in the centre of the storm. Yet even as the storm breaks, and 2020 is assigned to the past, we can begin to look for perspective. And when we look for perspective, it’s always best to begin in the Bible. Hear the prophet Isaish speak:

Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls; they will pray to the LORD day and night for the fulfillment of his promises. Take no rest, all you who pray. Give the LORD no rest until he makes Jerusalem the object of praise throughout the earth.

The exile has ended and the Israelites have returned to a city they can hardly recognize. The object of their desire, the city they heard described in story and verse is no longer there. So the civic leaders struggle to recreate a community amid the ruins and begin in a most disarming way: they post watchmen atop the city walls to pray aloud and remind God to fulfil his promises to the city and those now returned from exile. The effect is electrifying, and the voice of the prophet animates God’s response with these words:

Go out! Prepare the highway for my people to return! Smooth out the road; pull out the boulders; raise a flag for all the nations to see. The LORD has sent this message to every land: “Tell the people of Israel, ‘Look, your Saviour is coming. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.’” They will be called the Holy People and the People Redeemed by the LORD. And Jerusalem will be known as the Desirable Place and the City No Longer Forsaken.

This is a reading for the time after Christmas precisely because this is what incarnation does: a Saviour is coming—look he is already here—and he will bring the reward longed for in a people redeemed and a city with two new names: The Desirable Place and the City No Longer Forsaken. He will bring hope.

It was William Countryman who said “hearing the good news is the beginning. The rest of our life forms our response.” To understand that God has entered our world once more through a tender babe means that God will help us transform the ruined places and create The Desirable Place and the City No Longer Forsaken.

And so we look forward to 2021 and the changes to come. A city inoculated against the pandemic, along with people everywhere. An economic recovery based on helping the greatest number of people. Food banks and drop-ins for people in emergency situations, and not a way to solve problems that our governments seem incapable of solving. And a new look at racial justice, hoping that when people remember 2020 it will be for the year Black Lives Matters entered our common consciousness—and not just the pandemic.

The only positive thing about returning to a destroyed city was that the Israelites, for the very first time, were equal. They were having a common experience, an experience that led them to imagine new ways of forming and maintaining their society, new ways of seeing each other. Exile and return became a new beginning, where compassion happened more readily. This was then translated into the birth of hope found in Jesus, and the grown-up teachings we read throughout the year. In many ways the message is the same: understand Jesus and you will see God. Love him and follow in his way. See him in others, and remember that he walks with us still. Amen.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

God, whose glory the heavens are telling,
we praise you for light leaping across northern skies
and for the joys of blade upon ice, ski upon snow,
fire in the hearth, and friends for celebration,
in whatever way we meet.

Help us linger in Bethlehem a while longer,
with wonder, stillness, and longing.
Help us feel you abiding presence,
God-with-us, Emmanuel.

We pray for the peace of the world, O God,
and for the peace that only you can give—
not only the absence of conflict and battle,
but also the fullness of life that is prosperity for all,
goodwill among neighbours, and welcome for every outsider.

Hear us now as we name the situations and nations
for which we seek your peace:
our own country, Canada, weathering the storms
of pandemic, inequality, and uncertainty.
We pray for troubled places, where war and injustice
do not cease, even in the midst of COVID-19.
We pray for our families, our friends, ourselves:
keep us together even as we are apart,
bind us one to another, and expand our circle,
even as we keep distant.

We gather these and all our prayers,
those spoken aloud and those too deep for words,
in Jesus’ name. 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: “Go, tell it on the mountain”

Go, tell it on the mountain,
over the hills and everywhere.
Go, tell it on the mountain
that Jesus Christ is born.

While shepherds kept their watching
o’er silent flocks by night,
behold, throughout the heavens
there shone a holy light. R

The shepherds feared and trembled
when lo, above the earth
rang out the angel chorus
that hailed our Saviour’s birth! R

Down in a lonely manger
the humble Christ was born,
and God sent our salvation
that blessed Christmas morn. R

BLESSING

God has caused light to shine in our hearts,
the light which is knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ.
—2 Corinthians 4:6

O come, Desire of nations, bind
all peoples in one heart and mind;
O bid our sad divisions cease,
and be for us the Prince of Peace.

Merry Christmas! 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 tonight to Bunny, Beth, Amanda, Cor, Jenny, Taye, Dave, and Heather!

PRELUDE: “Coventry Carol” (English Traditional)

LIGHTING THE CHRIST CANDLE

The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness shall never overcome it.
Perfect light escapes the stable,
surrounding us with love’s pure light.
Source of ALL THAT IS, shine on us tonight,
that we may worship the Light of the World.
Amen.

O come, Desire of nations, bind
all peoples in one heart and mind;
O bid our sad divisions cease,
and be for us the Prince of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

OPENING PRAYER

Come, all of you who wander weary in this world—
join your hearts and minds,
and listen to an ancient story.
Come, all of you who search for meaning,
all of you who yearn for love.
Come, all of you who search for hope,
all of you who seek shelter from the storm.
Come, all of you, rejoice,
for in our midst has come the Promised One of old.
For on this night is born in hope
the festive dream come true,
the one who breaks the chains
of our sorrows and our fears.
The breath of God, the smile of joy,
the face of one we only dreamed we’d see.
In Bethlehem is born the one who is for all.
Amen.

HYMN OF PRAISE: “Joy to the world!”

Joy to the world! the Lord is come:
let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare him room,
and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.

Joy to the earth! the Saviour reigns:
let all their songs employ,
while fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy,
repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
nor thorns infest the ground:
he comes to make his blessings flow
far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found,
far as, far as the curse is found.

He rules the earth with truth and grace,
and makes the nations prove
the glories of his righteousness
and wonders of his love, and wonders of his love,
and wonders, wonders of his love.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

God of sultry stable air,
God of frosty wind and snow,
we come to you this wintry day,
yearning to be swaddled
against the raw chill of separation,
loneliness, lovelessness.
Thaw within us whatever keeps us
from echoing the angels’ praise.
Warm our moaning
with the shine of your glory,
as you fill the empty stable in our hearts
with your outpouring of home and love.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

Light of nations, veiled in history,
born of woman’s flesh and blood,
calling to the depths of mystery
restless hearts that seek the good.
Healing every human story,
Word made flesh reveals his glory.

FIRST READING: Galatians 4.4-7

4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

SPECIAL MUSIC: “What Child Is This”

SECOND READING: Psalm 96

Sing to God a new song;
sing your praise, all the earth.
Sing and bless God’s holy name,
tell the glad news of salvation from day to day.
Declare God’s glory among the nations,
among all the peoples God’s wonderful works.
For great is God and greatly to be praised,
to be revered above all the gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
but you, O God, made the heavens.
Honour and majesty attend you,
strength and beauty are in your sanctuary.

Ascribe to God, you families of peoples,
ascribe to God glory and strength.
Ascribe glory to God’s name,
bring an offering and enter God’s courts.
Worship God in the beauty of holiness,
and let the whole earth stand in awe.
Say among the nations: It is God who reigns!
The world is made firm and cannot be shaken.
God judges the peoples in equity.

Let the heavens rejoice, and the earth be glad;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the fields exult, and all that is in them.
Then let all the trees of the forest sing for joy,
for you come, O God, to judge the earth.
You shall judge the earth in righteousness,
its peoples with your truth.

THIRD READING: Matthew 1.18-25

18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

23 “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”

which means, “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25 but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

HYMN: “Twas in the moon of wintertime”

‘Twas in the moon of wintertime,
when all the birds had fled,
that mighty Gitchi Manitou
sent angel choirs instead;
before their light the stars grew dim,
and wandering hunters heard the hymn:
Jesus your King is born,
Jesus is born,
in excelsis gloria.

Within a lodge of broken bark
the tender babe was found,
a ragged robe of rabbit skin
enwrapped his beauty round;
but as the hunter braves drew nigh,
the angel song rang loud and high: R

The earliest moon of wintertime
is not so round and fair
as was the ring of glory on
the helpless infant there.
The chiefs from far before him knelt
with gifts of fox and beaver pelt. R

O children of the forest free,
the angel song is true,
the holy child of earth and heaven
is born today for you.
Come, kneel before the radiant boy,
who brings you beauty, peace, and joy: R

REFLECTION

Do you wish you could wake up to discover that 2020 was just a bad dream?

It worked for Pam and Bobby. An entire season suddenly became moot, the ultimate TV do-over. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you need to find someone over 50—quick. And not to outdone, the show Newhart ended the series with Bob and Emily discussing the strange dream Bob just had—in this case, he dreamt an entire series. Again, over 50, you know the drill.

Dreams are strange things. Freud said that dreams constitute “wish fulfillment,” which is a fancy way of saying you wish you could work out the vexing thing that’s troubling you. I dropped first-year psychology, so I can’t really say if Freud’s right. If you’re like me, however, and you’re working out vexing things in the middle of the night, the last thing that’s happening is sleep.

The Bible makes pretty strong case for dreams as a means to receive divine messages. Jacob dreams of a ladder, with angels descending and ascending, and receives an affirmation of the covenant with Israel. Joseph dreamed of a future, when famine would ravage the land and he would have an opportunity to help his family. And Joseph also had the power to interpret dreams, something that came in handy in the court of Pharaoh. Leaping over today’s dream, we learn of Peter’s dream, a blanket from heaven covered in all kinds of creatures. The Lord blesses them in the dream and commands Peter to eat.

And then there is the story of Jesus’ birth. It begins with a vision, where Zacharias learns that Elizabeth will bear a child—the one who will one day baptize Jesus. And then there is the passage Bunny read, where Joseph is seeking a way to save Mary the hardship of ending their betrothal, when an angel appears in a dream, saying:

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

At this point, Matthew breaks in and reminds his readers that all this was also the subject of a prophecy, when Isaiah said a young woman would bear a son, and he would be named Emmanuel, God-with-us. I think you can already see the problem with dreams: Is it Jesus, ‘for he will save the people from their sins,’ or is it Emmanuel, God-with us?

Well, it appears this child will have many names, with Isaiah suggesting Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace—just to name four. And this list is helpful, because it shows us that (in fact) Jesus has one name, but many titles. And that’s just on the night of his birth.

Why so many titles? I would argue that when we “put on Christ” (as Paul tells us) we also put on something we need. Dwelling in shadow? You need the Light of the World. Hungry for the food that truly nourishes? You need the Bread of Heaven. Feeling lost? You need the Good Shepherd. Jesus is ever near, to find us, feed us, illuminate us—and save us.

The dream is clear: “You are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” There’s more here, though, since Jesus is literally a Joshua, which the translation from Hebrew, to Greek, and to English, gives us Jesus. Now Joshua was a common name in the time of Jesus, but the reason was clear: it means “God is salvation,” or “God will save us.” Jesus’ name is both a prayer and an answer to prayer. Add Emmanuel—God-with-us—and it becomes even more fervent. God will save us and God is with us—Jesus is the hope and the answer.

And it begins with a dream. It begins with the dream of a world-made-new, where God enters the world to be our salvation. From that moment, and for all time, we can trust that God will save us and God-is-with-us. Whatever peril we face, we are not alone. Whatever circumstance confounds us, we are not alone. Whenever we are shadowed, hungry, or lost, we are not alone, for God will save us and God-is-with-us. Amen.

SOLO: “The First Noel”

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

Gracious God,
help us hear the song of the angels,
and to go in heart and in mind to Bethlehem,
to see the loving-kindness of our God,
the babe lying in a manger.
On this night we are grateful,
that you love the world as to take human form,
and that you hear our prayers, and listen
as we pray for the needs of the whole world.
We remember especially
those whose lives are disrupted by the pandemic,
and by all other forces beyond their control…
We pray for peace and goodwill among the nations…
Let us pray for the earth,
as it longs for the promise of God’s new creation…
Let us remember before God all who are poor, hungry or cold…
all who are oppressed by circumstance or by other people…
all who are sick or dying, all who are lonely or frightened,
and all for whom Christmas is a time of sadness…
Lastly we remember, O God,
those who have gone before us,
whose company and voices we miss,
but who, in the grace and goodness of God,
still share Christmas with us.
With them, and with the multitude of angels
and God’s faithful of every time and place,
we celebrate the hope and the mystery
that Jesus Christ is born.
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: “Silent night, holy night”

Silent night! Holy night!
All is calm, all is bright
round yon virgin mother and child.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
sleep in heavenly peace,
sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night! Holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight:
glories stream from heaven afar,
heavenly hosts sing Hallelujah,
Christ the Saviour is born,
Christ the Saviour is born.

Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, love’s pure light
radiant beams from thy holy face,
with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
Alles schläft; einsam wacht
Nur das traute hochheilige Paar.
Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar,
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!

BLESSING

The light that enlivens all the world,
the light that darkness cannot overcome,
love’s pure light in Jesus Christ,
shine on you and in our world this night. Amen.

Still, still, still: the night is calm and still.
The Christchild in his crib lies sleeping,
angels round him watch are keeping.
Still, still, still: the night is calm and still.

Sleep, sleep, sleep: sweet Jesus, softly sleep,
while Mary sings and gently holds you,
safely in her arms enfolds you.
Sleep, sleep, sleep: sweet Jesus softly sleep.

Joy, joy, joy; glad tidings of great joy!
For through God’s holy incarnation
Christ is born for our salvation.
Joy, joy, joy; glad tidings of great joy!

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, Jenny, Dave, Taye, and Heather!

LIGHTING THE FOURTH ADVENT CANDLE

The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness shall never overcome it.
St. Augustine said, “By loving us, God,
You made us lovable.”
Source of LOVE, shine in our hearts,
that we might love everyone we meet.
Amen.

O come, O Key of David, come,
and open wide our heavenly home;
make safe the way that leads on high,
and close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

OPENING PRAYER

O come, Emmanuel, come to us,
for we are lonely for God.
Come, bring the peace of God-with-us.
O come, Wisdom from on high,
lead us in the ways of knowledge,
and show us the paths of peace.
Glorious Shoot from the Jesse tree,
come and bring life,
fresh and green and lovely, to our spirits.
O Rose which blooms in the snow of winter,
come and grant to us the blessed gift of hope.
O Bright Morning Star of the darkened world,
come and be for us the Light, the Truth, and the Way.
Jesus our Christ, we welcome you.
Come and be known among us,
for we want to be your people. Amen.

HYMN: “Once in royal David’s city”

Once in royal David’s city
stood a lowly cattleshed,
where a mother laid her baby
in a manger for his bed.
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little child.

He came down to earth from heaven
who, with God, is over all,
and his shelter was a stable,
and his cradle was a stall.
There among the poor and lowly
lived on earth our Saviour holy.

For he is our lifelong pattern;
daily, when on earth he grew,
he was tempted, scorned, rejected,
tears and smiles like us he knew.
Thus he feels for all our sadness,
and he shares in all our gladness.

And our eyes at last shall see him,
through his own redeeming love;
for that child who seemed so helpless
is our Lord in heaven above;
and he leads his children on
to the place where he is gone.

INTRODUCTION TO LESSONS AND CAROLS

We begin our service of lessons and carols with some background. While King’s College, Cambridge remains the most famous example of lessons and carols—started in 1918—the tradition begins much earlier. The present form begins in 1880, in Truro, Cornwall, under the leadership of Bishop Edward Benson. He took carols and paired them with readings that recounted the complete story of our faith, from the Garden of Eden to the revelation of St. John.

The tradition, however, begins earlier still. The oratorio, developed in the 1600’s, combined orchestra, choir, and soloists to recount a sacred story. Some included a dialogue between saints and biblical characters, while others—such as Handel’s Messiah—drew on scripture alone.

Today we follow the theme of God’s light—beginning at the moment of creation and concluding with John’s promise that as the light shines in the darkness, the darkness will never overcome it. As we hear these familiar words, call to mind that everything God created was declared ‘good.’

FIRST READING: Genesis 1:1-3

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

SOLO: “See Amid the Winter’s Snow”

Bishop Benson’s service of nine lessons and carols began with Genesis 3, the story of Adam and Eve. The point of the reading—the fall of humanity—is summarized in the first verse of the next reading. The story of our salvation includes disobedience, exile, and the promise of one who will return to show us God’s way.

Isaiah 9 also highlights the Kingdom of God, the theme that Jesus taught throughout his earthly ministry. Every parable he told was a story of the Kingdom, and every interaction that brought healing and wholeness was a glimpse of his Kingdom.

SECOND READING: Isaiah 9.2, 6-7

2 The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shined.
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government will be upon his shoulder,
and his name will be called
“Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom,
to establish it, and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and for evermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

HYMN: “O little town of Bethlehem”

O little town of Bethlehem,
how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
the silent stars go by;
yet in thy dark streets shineth
the everlasting light;
the hopes and fears of all the years
are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary;
and gathered all above,
while mortals sleep, the angels keep
their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars, together
proclaim the holy birth,
and praises sing to God the King,
and peace to all on earth.

How silently, how silently
the wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
the blessed gift of heaven.
No ear may hear his coming;
but in this world of sin,
where meek souls will receive him, still
the dear Christ enters in.

O holy child of Bethlehem,
descend to us, we pray;
cast out our sin, and enter in;
be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
our Lord Emmanuel.

Like the Cambridge version, we include two readings from the prophet Isaiah. This underlines the importance of Isaiah, famously described by St. Jerome as “more evangelist than prophet.” In fact, some scholars have called the Book of Isaiah “the fifth Gospel,” owing to it’s importance in the development of the Christian faith.

Our third reading describes the scope of God’s promise. We will hear this reading again in the season of Epiphany—it reminds us that the light is for all people. Beginning with God’s chosen, and shining for everyone to see, God’s glory will be revealed.

THIRD READING: Isaiah 60.1-3

Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
3 And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.

SOLO: “Il est né, le divin Enfant”

Our fourth reading describes the heart of the nativity according to St. Luke. Jesus’ background and present circumstances are less important than the heavenly messages we are meant to hear.

It begins with Zechariah. The father of St. John the Baptist is the first to hear an angel’s message: He and Elizabeth will have a son, and his task will be to “make ready a people,” and return to the wisdom of the righteous. Next, an angel appears to Mary, and she learns that she will give birth to the son of the Most High.

Finally, in Luke 2, an angel brings “good news of great joy for all people.” The shepherds are sore afraid, but they need not fear—the angel will guide them to a sign.

FOURTH READING: Luke 2.8-14

8 And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; 11 for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!”

HYMN: “Angels, from the realms of glory”

Angels, from the realms of glory,
wing your flight o’er all the earth;
ye who sang creation’s story,
now proclaim Messiah’s birth:
come and worship, come and worship,
worship Christ, the newborn King.

Shepherds in the field abiding,
watching o’er your flocks by night,
God with us is now residing,
yonder shines the infant Light:
come and worship, come and worship,
worship Christ, the newborn King.

Sages, leave your contemplations;
brighter visions beam afar;
seek the great desire of nations;
ye have seen his natal star:
come and worship, come and worship,
worship Christ, the newborn King.

Saints before the altar bending,
watching long in hope and fear,
suddenly the Lord, descending,
in his temple shall appear:
come and worship, come and worship,
worship Christ, the newborn King.

Our fifth reading comes from the Book of Revelation, perhaps the most enigmatic book and the least read book in the Bible. The book has provoked debate from the earliest days of the Christian Church—the first debate was whether it should be included in the Bible at all!

The next debate, the debate that continues, concerns meaning. Does it describe past events, presented as future events? Is it a collection of prophecies, foretelling the future? Or is it an elaborate religious allegory that defies interpretation?

Whatever the meaning, chapter 21 seems clear: St. John sees a bright city on the hill, with God as the temple, and the lamb as the light casting light on the world.

FIFTH READING: Revelations 21.22-27

22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light shall the nations walk; and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates shall never be shut by day—and there shall be no night there; 26 they shall bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean shall enter it, nor any one who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

SPECIAL MUSIC: “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman”

Matthew 2 gives us a glimpse of the time to come. Some are very excited that God is entering the world in a new way, while others conspire to prevent such a turn-of-events. Both reactions underline that something extraordinary happened in little Bethlehem, and the world would never be the same.

This passage also points to a recurring theme in these readings: Jesus is born for all people. Nations and kings will be drawn to him, and some will find him sooner than others. The story of how our faith is shared will be told in the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles, but the story of sharing faith begins here: Wise men seeking Jesus.

SIXTH READING: Matthew 2.1-2, 9-11

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him.” 9 When they had heard the king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; 11 and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

SOLO: “In the bleak midwinter”

Our look at lessons and carols concludes the same way the King’s College version does: with John’s prologue. For over a hundred years, these words within the service have formed an ending that is really a beginning: “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory” and we behold it still.

Even in the most trying circumstances, the service continued. Even in the darkness of the Second World War—with the stained glass windows removed for safe-keeping, and the bitter cold—the service continued. For the sake of security the name “King’s College” was not mentioned, though it hardly mattered—the message came through: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness shall never overcome it.”

SEVENTH READING: John 1.1-14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God; 3 all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. 4 In him was life,[a] and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.
9 The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. 11 He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.

HYMN: “In the darkness shines the splendour”

In the darkness shines the splendour
of the Word who took our flesh,
welcoming, in love’s surrender,
death’s dark shadow at his crèche.
Bearing every human story,
Word made flesh reveals his glory.

Light of nations, veiled in history,
born of woman’s flesh and blood,
calling to the depths of mystery
restless hearts that seek the good.
Healing every human story,
Word made flesh reveals his glory.

Broken bread, sustaining us in sorrow,
wine poured out to toast our joy;
exodus and new tomorrow,
life’s full promise to enjoy!
Gladdening every human story,
Word made flesh reveals his glory.

All God’s people, sing in jubilation
of the birth that sets us free,
telling of the revelation:
Jesus, God’s epiphany.
Celebrate the human story!
Word made flesh reveals our glory.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

Gracious God,
we pray this day
for all who have come with us to Bethlehem
We pray for all who are poor and cold
and hungry like the shepherds,
that they may hear good news.
We pray for all who are too tired for the journey,
that their bodies and souls may be healed,
that they grieve no more.
We pray for all who are wandering and searching like the magi,
that they may find the place to leave their gifts
and their burdens.
We pray for all who are busy, hurried,
preoccupied like the innkeeper,
that they may know the peace
that comes from genuine acts of hospitality.
We pray for all like Herod who have power,
that they may use it with good will.
We pray for ourselves—we who need comfort, peace and joy,
even in this starlit season,
and all the days of our lives. 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: “Hark! the herald angels sing”

Hark! the herald angels sing,
‘Glory to the newborn King,
peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!’
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
with the angelic host proclaim,
‘Christ is born in Bethlehem!’
Hark! the herald angels sing,
‘Glory to the newborn King!’

Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
late in time behold him come,
offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
hail, the incarnate deity,
pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel!
Hark! the herald angels sing,
‘Glory to the newborn King!’

Hail, the heavenborn Prince of Peace!
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
born that we no more may die,
born to raise us from the earth,
born to give us second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
‘Glory to the newborn King!’

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 Taye and Heather, and special thanks to Angus for sharing the Lord’s Prayer!

PRELUDE: “Angels We Have Heard on High” (French Traditional)

LIGHTING THE THIRD ADVENT CANDLE

The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness shall never overcome it.
We struggle to celebrate,
in the midst of all that we face.
Send us JOY, and light our way,
that we might find joy and share joy today.
Amen.

O come, O Dayspring, from on high,
and cheer us by your drawing nigh;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

OPENING PRAYER

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
to the empty-handed and the heavy-hearted,
to the despairing and the despised.
Enter this world,
giving love to the lowly and hope to the downcast.
Dwell among us, and teach us your ways,
saving the lost and strengthening the weak.
Be made incarnate within us,
that we might cast away fear and live boldly by faith.
With gratitude that you come to be with us,
we worship joyfully this day. Amen.

HYMN OF PRAISE: “It came upon the midnight clear”

It came upon the midnight clear,
that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth
to touch their harps of gold,
‘Peace on the earth, good will to all,
from heaven’s all-gracious King!’
The world in solemn stillness lay
to hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come
with peaceful wings unfurled;
and still their heavenly music floats
o’er all the weary world;
above its sad and lowly plains
they bend on hovering wing,
and ever o’er its Babel sounds
the blessed angels sing.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife
the world has suffered long;
beneath the angel strain have rolled
two thousand years of wrong;
and warring humankind hears not
the love song which they bring.
O hush the noise, and cease your strife,
to hear the angels sing.

For, lo! the days are hastening on,
by prophets seen of old,
when with the ever-circling years
shall come the time foretold,
when peace shall over all the earth
its ancient splendours fling,
and the whole world send back the song
which now the angels sing.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

O God,
be not distant from our hearts.
Be near to us.
Hold us in your presence
as a mother who enfolds her infant
within her arms.
May we, restless children that we are,
wait and hope for you.
Amen.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

The Good News of this Advent season
is forgiveness of sin and new life.
Let us commit our lives
to Christ’s way of hope and peace.

SPECIAL MUSIC: “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” (Traditional German Carol)

FIRST READING: Psalm 126

When God brought Zion’s captives home,
it seemed to us like a dream.
But then our mouths were full of laughter,
and our tongues uttered shouts of joy.
Then they said among the nations:
‘God has done great things for them.’
Truly God has done great things for us,
and therefore we rejoice.

Restore our fortunes, O God, as streams refresh the Negev.
Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy.
Those who go out weeping, carrying seed for sowing,
shall come home with songs of joy,
bringing in their sheaves.

SECOND READING: Luke 1.46b-55

My soul proclaims God’s greatness.
My spirit rejoices in God my saviour.
For you have looked with favour on your lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed.
You have done great things for me, O Most Mighty.
Hallowed be your Name!
You have mercy on those who fear you,
From one generation to another.

You took action with a strong arm.
You scattered the proud in their conceit.
You pulled the mighty from their thrones.
You raised the lowly.
You filled the hungry with good things.
You sent the rich away empty.
You come to the aid of your servant, Israel,
for you remembered your promise of mercy,
to our ancestors, Abraham and Sarah,
and to their children in every age.

HYMN: “Joy is now in every place”

Joy is now in every place,
Christmas lightens every face;
now be with us, in your grace,
O hear us, bless us, holy Jesus.

May the star that shone that night,
making your poor stable bright,
fill our hearts with love and light, R

Through the New Year let it stay,
leading us upon your way,
making Christmas every day, R

Now and ever may we find
your good news to fill our mind:
peace and love to humankind, R

REFLECTION

Margaret Keenan was the first person to get the “the jab,” as they say in the UK. The soon-to-be 91 year-old described receiving the vaccine as the “best early birthday present.” It was a lovely moment, but then came the second recipient, an 81 year-old with the unlikely name William Shakespeare.

Twitter erupted: “They really are prioritising the elderly,” one person wrote, “this guy is 456.” Someone called it “the taming of the flu,” while another said, “I’m surprised they let William Shakespeare have the vaccine. I thought he was Bard.” I should stop. But one more: reflecting on the fame these two have gained after getting the jab, someone noted, “A plague on neither of their houses.”*

Ignoring the bad puns, it’s easy to feel joy and relief in the face of this long-awaited turn-of-events. It has a “beginning of the end” feeling to it, and somewhat perfectly timed, as we reach what are literally the darkest days of the year. If this was a seasonal film, this would be the moment for someone to shout “it’s a Christmas miracle!” And it certainly feels that way.

And beyond the feeling, some remarkable things have taken place: the early word was that vaccines can take years to develop—this one took about ten months. The early word was that finding one vaccine would be lucky—there are already three or more. Even the manufacture of doses, something that was predicted to take months or years, was started months ago, on the off-chance that the vaccine would eventually be approved.

So we praise God that we are here, waiting for the day we can get the jab, and we praise God for the gift of medicine, along with the gift of insight and imagination. God has shown us once more what’s possible when we focus all our attention on a problem. We can do something revolutionary.

Revolutionary. Revolutionary is one of those over-used words that has lost some of its power—perhaps too many hair products or exercise machines have been described using the word. When something is revolutionary—like developing a vaccine in a matter of months—it turns the existing order on its head, and it changes everything.

And the word also reminds us of political revolutions, a changing of the existing political order into something else altogether. Again, the word is often misapplied, with the most famous example being the American Revolution. For a revolution that proclaimed “all men are created equal,” there remained the bitter reality that 700,000 African-Americans were enslaved at the end of the revolution, or nearly one-in-six Americans. And this number would grow to 4,000,000 before slavery ended in 1865.

Turning to Oxford to help us understand what revolutionary truly means, we get “involving or causing a complete or dramatic change.” Like the Song of Mary:

You took action with a strong arm.
You scattered the proud in their conceit.
You pulled the mighty from their thrones.
You raised the lowly.
You filled the hungry with good things.
You sent the rich away empty.

It’s no surprise that when Latin-American theologians were trying to describe “a theology of liberation,” they pointed to Mary. Between Mary and Moses, and some early Isaiah thrown in for good measure, we begin to understand the radical nature of scripture. These three embody complete and dramatic change. For Isaiah it was “swords into plowshares,” an idea so powerful that it is carved in front of the UN headquarters. For Moses, it was literal liberation, the power of God to free God’s people. And for Mary it is predictive, a revolution that begins in Bethlehem and concludes at Calvary.

Why concludes? I say it concludes at Calvary because the cross is a once-and-for-all event, an event to reconcile us with God, to end death, and to ensure our freedom in the Spirit. The world no longer has hold over us, and we are free to live with love and mercy. But every conclusion, of course, must have a beginning: and the beginning of this revolution is God’s desire to enter the world in the most humble way possible, as a baby. And this is truly revolutionary: no strongman, no advancing army, no tactical plan. Just a baby, the most vulnerable form God could possibly assume.

But before we shift all our focus to the birth of Jesus, we would do well to remember Mary. For our Roman Catholic friends, she is the patron saint of all humanity, the Queen of Heaven, and the Our Lady of numerous locations. Our Lady of Guadalupe, as an example, is the patron saint of the Americans. And for all Christians, as declared at the Council of Ephesus (431), she is Theotokos, the Mother of God. In addition, Mary is the only woman named in the Quran—mentioned 70 times—and exalted as “the greatest of women.” Listen again to the beginning of her song:

My soul proclaims God’s greatness.
My spirit rejoices in God my saviour.
For you have looked with favour on your lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed.
You have done great things for me, O Most Mighty.
Hallowed be your Name!

As prophetic utterances go, this one remains true. From her lowly station she becomes mother, guardian, guide, follower, and witness to the resurrection. She inspires and blesses all humanity, with her song of liberation and her life with God. She reminds us that whatever seems fixed, or certain, or impossible to change can be quite the opposite. And she reminds us that praise and gratitude are at the centre of a life of faith.

May God see us through the dark days ahead, and may we never lose sight of hope, with Mary to guide us, Amen.

*https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/12/08/shakespeare-britain-pfizer-coronavirus-vaccine/

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

We praise you, God of promise,
and give you thanks for Mary, a daughter of Israel:
who sang the songs of David,
who knew the deeds of Judith,
and held in her heart
the burning words of Isaiah.

Enter our hearts, as we praise you with thanksgiving:
for friends and family,
for meaning in our lives,
for warmth and food,
for a roof over our heads.
Hear us as we pray for ourselves and those close to us:
for the anxious ones,
and the hurting ones,
for the ill, and those who mourn.
Fill our hearts, as we ask your blessing upon the world
and all its people:
that peace may come,
that justice may come,
that joy may enter every heart.

We pray as Mary did:
may your name be holy,
may the hungry be filled,
may the proud be scattered,
and the oppressed raised.
May your love be ever with your people.
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: “The virgin Mary had a baby boy”

The virgin Mary had a baby boy,
the virgin Mary had a baby boy,
the virgin Mary had a baby boy,
and they say that his name is Jesus.
He come from the glory, (clap, clap)
he come from the glorious kingdom.
He come from the glory, (clap, clap)
he come from the glorious kingdom.
Oh, yes! believer! Oh, yes! believer!
He come from the glory, (clap, clap)
he come from the glorious kingdom.

The angels sang when the baby was born,
the angels sang when the baby was born,
the angels sang when the baby was born,
and they say that his name is Jesus. R

The shepherds came where the baby was born,
the shepherds came where the baby was born,
the shepherds came where the baby was born,
and they say that his name is Jesus. R

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.