{"id":1355,"date":"2021-02-06T22:21:20","date_gmt":"2021-02-06T22:21:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/?p=1355"},"modified":"2021-02-06T22:21:20","modified_gmt":"2021-02-06T22:21:20","slug":"epiphany-v","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/2021\/02\/06\/epiphany-v\/","title":{"rendered":"Epiphany V"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/image-3.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1365\"\/><figcaption>Eric Parnell, Haida Baby Raven &amp; Eagle<em> \u00a9 <\/em>Canadian Art Prints &amp; Winn Devon Art Group Inc. Used with permission.  The two main clans of the Haida Nation are the Raven and the Eagle. The Eagle spirit gives vision and insight, as well as a connection to the Creator.*<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><em>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\u2019s Presence (UCPH).  Thanks this week to Jenny, Marlene, and Heather!<\/em>  <em>Inspired by Isaiah 40.31, the images in this service reflect the gift of renewal through the Holy Spirit.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>PRELUDE: \u201cAll Hail King Jesus\u201d (Moody)<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Prelude-All-Hail-King-Jesus-_-Dave-Moody.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>OPENING PRAYER:<\/p>\n\n\n<p>God of gladness,<br \/>We enter your presence<br \/>with praise on our lips,<br \/>and thanksgiving in our hearts.<br \/>The gates of your goodness are always open,<br \/>and your faithfulness extends to every age.<br \/>Tend us, Lord, and remind us<br \/>that we belong to you alone.<br \/>Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>HYMN OF PRAISE: \u201cPraise to the Lord, the Almighty\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/VU-220-Praise-to-the-Lord-the-Almighty.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><em>Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, who rules all creation;<br \/> O my soul, praise him, at all times your health and salvation.<br \/> Come, all who hear:<br \/> brothers and sisters draw near,<br \/> joining in glad adoration.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Praise to the Lord, above all things so mightily reigning,<br \/> keeping us safe at his side, and so gently sustaining.<br \/> Have you not seen<br \/> how all you needed has been<br \/> met by God&#8217;s gracious ordaining?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Praise to the Lord who will prosper our work and defend us;<br \/> surely his goodness and mercy will daily attend us:<br \/> ponder anew<br \/> what the Almighty can do,<br \/> who out of love will befriend us.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!<br \/> All that has life and breath come now with praises before him!<br \/> Let the Amen<br \/> sound from God&#8217;s people again:<br \/> gladly with praise we adore him.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>PRAYER OF CONFESSION<\/p>\n\n\n<p>God of mercy,<br \/>you know how we feel before we feel it.<br \/>When frustrated, you understand.<br \/>When weary, you know how much.<br \/>When angry, you always forgive.<br \/>Abide with us, Lord, even when we struggle,<br \/>Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>ASSURANCE OF PARDON<\/p>\n\n\n<p>God will give us what we need:<br \/> strength for today,<br \/> hope for tomorrow,<br \/> and forgiveness<br \/> for all that is past.<br \/> Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>SPECIAL MUSIC: \u201cOn Eagle&#8217;s Wings (Joncas)<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/eagleswings-jenny.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/image-4.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1369\"\/><figcaption>Detail of St John the Evangelist by Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P.,  St John the Beloved, McLean, VA. The eagle is the symbol of St. John, and represents the Spirit hovering over the church.  The quote is from John 1.14, &#8220;The Word became flesh.&#8221;  (Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 2.0) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>FIRST READING: Psalm 147<\/p>\n\n\n<p>How good it is to sing praises to God,<br \/>     <strong>how pleasant to laud the Most High.<\/strong><br \/> You are building Jerusalem, O God,<br \/> and gathering the scattered exiles of Israel.<br \/>     <strong>You are healing the broken-hearted,<br \/>     and binding up their wounds.<\/strong><br \/> You count the number of the stars,<br \/> and call them all by their names.<br \/>     <strong>Great are you, O God, and mighty your power;<br \/>     yes, and your wisdom is infinite.<\/strong><br \/> You raise up the lowly,<br \/>     <strong>and bring down the wicked to dust.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<p>Sing to God in thanksgiving;<br \/> make music on the harp to our God,<br \/>     <strong>who covers the sky with clouds, <br \/>     who prepares rain for the earth, <br \/>     who makes the hills green with grass.<\/strong><br \/> You give the cattle their food,<br \/> and the young ravens when they cry.<br \/>     <strong>You set no store by the power of a horse,<br \/>     nor by the strength of a warrior&#8217;s thighs.<\/strong><br \/> But your delight is in those who revere you,<br \/>     <strong>in those who rely on your mercy.  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<p>SECOND READING: Isaiah 40.21-31<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/is40reading-marlene.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>21 Do you not know?<br \/>\n    Have you not heard?<br \/>\nHas it not been told you from the beginning?<br \/>\n    Have you not understood since the earth was founded?<br \/>\n22 He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,<br \/>\n    and its people are like grasshoppers.<br \/>\nHe stretches out the heavens like a canopy,<br \/>\n    and spreads them out like a tent to live in.<br \/>\n23 He brings princes to naught<br \/>\n    and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.<br \/>\n24 No sooner are they planted,<br \/>\n    no sooner are they sown,<br \/>\n    no sooner do they take root in the ground,<br \/>\nthan he blows on them and they wither,<br \/>\n    and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>25 \u201cTo whom will you compare me?<br \/>\n    Or who is my equal?\u201d says the Holy One.<br \/>\n26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:<br \/>\n    Who created all these?<br \/>\nHe who brings out the starry host one by one<br \/>\n    and calls forth each of them by name.<br \/>\nBecause of his great power and mighty strength,<br \/>\n    not one of them is missing.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>27 Why do you complain, Jacob?<br \/>\n    Why do you say, Israel,<br \/>\n\u201cMy way is hidden from the Lord;<br \/>\n    my cause is disregarded by my God\u201d?<br \/>\n28 Do you not know?<br \/>\n    Have you not heard?<br \/>\nThe Lord is the everlasting God,<br \/>\n    the Creator of the ends of the earth.<br \/>\nHe will not grow tired or weary,<br \/>\n    and his understanding no one can fathom.<br \/>\n29 He gives strength to the weary<br \/>\n    and increases the power of the weak.<br \/>\n30 Even youths grow tired and weary,<br \/>\n    and young men stumble and fall;<br \/>\n31 but those who hope in the Lord<br \/>\n    will renew their strength.<br \/>\nThey will soar on wings like eagles;<br \/>\n    they will run and not grow weary,<br \/>\n    they will walk and not be faint.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>HYMN: \u201cWe praise you, Creator\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/VU-293-We-Praise-YouCreator.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><em>We praise you, Creator, in earth, sea, and sky:<br \/> our Ruler, our Maker, our Sovereign most high.<br \/> Each new generation lifts voices in praise;<br \/> how good your creation, how gracious your ways!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Each springtime the blossoms bloom fragrant once more;<br \/> each summer and autumn brings forth its rich store.<br \/> With witness compelling our praise and our prayer,<br \/> creation is telling of your faithful care.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Your wondrous works teach us, Creator, to trace<br \/> the limitless reaches of your love and grace.<br \/> Your grace dwells among us, your love goes before:<br \/> from eldest to youngest we praise and adore.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/image-2-1024x425.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1364\"\/><figcaption>Marble transenna with eagles and hares, Byzantine, 11th century, British Museum, London.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>REFLECTION<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/feb7sermon.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>Often called the king of all birds, we might better say the eagle is the king of all symbols.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>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\u2019s 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\u2019s wonderful book The Eagle of the Ninth, exciting interest in Roman Britain since 1954.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s the forward view, how about looking back in time?  Among Canada\u2019s 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.**<\/p>\n\n\n<p>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\u2019s homily to the Word (found in John 1) and the eagle, symbolizing \u201cthe gift of the Spirit hovering with his wings over the church.\u201d  We\u2019ll have to leave Matthew (a man), Mark (a lion) and Luke (an ox) for another day.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>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: \u2018You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles\u2019 wings and brought you to myself\u2019 (Ex 19). The Lord then asks for faithfulness, and a willingness to keep the covenant God made.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>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:<\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>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&#8217;s hand double for all her sins.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>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:<\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Even youths grow tired and weary,<br \/>     and young men stumble and fall;<br \/> But those who hope in the Lord<br \/>     will renew their strength.<br \/> They will soar on wings like eagles;<br \/>     they will run and not grow weary,<br \/>     they will walk and not be faint.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>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\u2019m 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:<\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>The first dimension of trusting God is acknowledging that we can\u2019t 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\u2019t 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:<\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>25 \u201cTo whom will you compare me?<br \/>     Or who is my equal?\u201d says the Holy One.<br \/> 26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:<br \/>     Who created all these?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>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\u2014why do people suffer?\u2014remains 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 <em>not<\/em> believe that God sent COVID or caused it to happen).<\/p>\n\n\n<p>But I know I\u2019m not the first to imagine\u2014if only for a moment\u2014that 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.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>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 <em>can<\/em> 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.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>In John\u2019s 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.  \u201cSoon,\u201d he said, \u201cthe Holy Spirit, whom God will send in my name, will teach you and remind you of all that I have said to you.\u201d  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\u2014so that rescue, shelter, and renewal will come to us, now and always, Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/image-5.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1382\"\/><figcaption>Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, Detail of Hebe sleeping, circa 1869, Mus\u00e9e d&#8217;Orsay, Paris.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE<\/p>\n\n\n<p>God of love,<br \/>We come before you with many needs.<br \/>We are beset with worry:<br \/>for our friends and family,<br \/>for our congregation,<br \/>for the community we inhabit,<br \/>for the nation we love,<br \/>for the sad and the lonely,<br \/>for the hurt and oppressed.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Day and night we struggle,<br \/>for fear of the future,<br \/>and fear of an illness,<br \/>that remains overwhelming<br \/>and beyond our control.<br \/>Sustain us through these times,<br \/>giving wisdom to leaders,<br \/>and insight to researchers,<br \/>and patience to all who need more.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Find us, Lord,<br \/>in the midst of this moment:<br \/>comfort those in grief,<br \/>and ease those in pain.<br \/>Help us abide in you,<br \/>walking in the light of your goodness,<br \/>now and always,<br \/>Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>THE LORD\u2019S PRAYER<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Our Father who art in heaven,<br \/>\nhallowed be thy name.<br \/>\nThy kingdom come,<br \/>\nThy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.<br \/>\nGive us this day our daily bread;<br \/>\nand forgive us our trespasses<br \/>\nas we forgive those who trespass against us;<br \/>\nand lead us not into temptation<br \/>\nbut deliver us from evil.<br \/>\nFor thine is the kingdom,<br \/>\nand the power, and the glory,<br \/>\nfor ever and ever. Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>HYMN: \u201cCome now, almighty King\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/VU-314-Come-Now-Almighty-King.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><em>Come now, almighty King,<br \/> help us your name to sing, help us to praise;<br \/> one God all glorious, ever victorious,<br \/> come and reign over us, Ancient of Days.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Come now, incarnate Son,<br \/> your life in us begun, our prayer attend;<br \/> come, and your people bless, come, give your word success;<br \/> stablish your righteousness, Saviour and friend!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Come holy Comforter,<br \/> your sacred witness bear in this glad hour;<br \/> your grace to us impart, now rule in every heart,<br \/> never from us depart, Spirit of power!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>To the great One in Three,<br \/> eternal praises be for evermore;<br \/> your sovereign majesty may we in glory see,<br \/> and to eternity love and adore!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>BLESSING<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way,<br \/>\nand may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless<br \/>\nuntil our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. Amen.<br \/>\n\u20141 Thessalonians 5:23<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/meetagainredux.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><em>God be with you till we meet again;<br \/> loving counsels guide, uphold you,<br \/> with a shepherd\u2019s care enfold you;<br \/> God be with you till we meet again.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">*https:\/\/www.sarahshaidaarts.com\/haida-symbols\/  **https:\/\/www.ictinc.ca\/blog\/elijah-harper-the-man-with-a-feather-who-changed-the-course-of-history<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/6\/6b\/Relief_with_a_carved_eagle_%28aquila%29%2C_symbol_of_the_Roman_Empire%2C_Yorkshire_Museum%2C_York_%28Eboracum%29_%287685045956%29.jpg\/800px-Relief_with_a_carved_eagle_%28aquila%29%2C_symbol_of_the_Roman_Empire%2C_Yorkshire_Museum%2C_York_%28Eboracum%29_%287685045956%29.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption>Roman Eagle, Yorkshire Museum, York, UK. Photo by Carole Raddato (Creative Commons BY-SA 2.0)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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\u2019s Presence (UCPH). Thanks this week to Jenny, Marlene, and Heather! Inspired by Isaiah 40.31, the images &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/2021\/02\/06\/epiphany-v\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Epiphany V<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1355"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1355"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1355\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}