{"id":702,"date":"2020-09-12T18:02:32","date_gmt":"2020-09-12T18:02:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/?p=702"},"modified":"2020-09-12T18:02:32","modified_gmt":"2020-09-12T18:02:32","slug":"fifteenth-after-pentecost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/2020\/09\/12\/fifteenth-after-pentecost\/","title":{"rendered":"Fifteenth after Pentecost"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/875\/40477163915_f61480976a_c.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; a greatness no one can fathom!  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 Heather!<\/p>\n\n\n<p>PRELUDE: \u201cPut Your Hand in the Hand\u201d (MacLellan)<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/putyourhandinthehand.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>OPENING PRAYER<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Creative God, you who breathe life into dust<br \/> and bring new life out of death:<br \/> we come as your Easter people,<br \/> raised up with Christ in resurrection hope.<br \/> Though our steps may be halting, we remain<br \/> travellers on a road bound for home.<br \/> You walk with us each day,<br \/> and you fill our journey with hope!<br \/> We thank you for this great gift;<br \/> may our whole lives express our gratitude.<br \/> We pray in the name of our risen Saviour.  Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>HYMN OF PRAISE: \u201cSing praise to God\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/singpraisetogod.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><em>Sing praise to God, who has shaped and sustains all creation!<br \/> Sing praise, my soul, in profound and complete adoration!<br \/> Gladsome rejoice &#8211;<br \/> organ and trumpet and voice &#8211;<br \/> joining God&#8217;s great congregation.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Praise God, our guardian, who lovingly offers correction,<br \/> who, as on eagle&#8217;s wings, saves us from sinful dejection.<br \/> Have you observed,<br \/> how we are always preserved<br \/> by God&#8217;s parental affection?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Sing praise to God, with sincere thanks for all your successes.<br \/> Merciful God ever loves to encourage and bless us.<br \/> Only conceive<br \/> what godly strength can achieve:<br \/> strength that would touch and caress us.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Sing praise, my soul, the great name of your high God commending.<br \/> All that have life and breath join you, their notes sweetly blending.<br \/> God is your light!<br \/> Soul, ever keep this in sight:<br \/> amen, amen never ending.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>PRAYER OF CONFESSION<\/p>\n\n\n<p>O God,<br \/>\nyou have searched the depths we cannot know,<br \/>\nand touched what we cannot bear to name;<br \/>\nmay we so wait,<br \/>\ntrusting your compassion,<br \/>\nand assured of your mercy.<br \/>\nCreate in us new hearts,<br \/>\nand a renewed sense of your presence,<br \/>\nIn Jesus we ask, 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: \u201cWhat wondrous love is this\u201d (Walker&#8217;s Southern Harmony)<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/wondrouslove.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>FIRST READING: Psalm 103<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Bless God, my soul,<br \/>\nand all my being, bless God&#8217;s holy name.<br \/>\n    Bless God, my soul,<br \/>\n    and forget not all God has done for you.<br \/>\nBless God, who forgives all your sin,<br \/>\nwho heals you in all your infirmities,<br \/>\n    who redeems your life from the grave<br \/>\n    and crowns you with mercy and love,<br \/>\nwho fills your life with good things,<br \/>\nso that your youth is renewed like the eagle&#8217;s,<br \/>\n    who works righteousness<br \/>\n    and justice for all who are wronged.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>O God, you showed your ways to Moses,<br \/>\nyour deeds to the children of Israel.<br \/>\n    You are compassionate and merciful,<br \/>\n    slow to anger and extravagant in love.<br \/>\nYou will not always accuse<br \/>\nnor do you keep your anger for ever.<br \/>\n    You have not dealt with us according to our sins<br \/>\n    nor punished us according to our wickedness.<br \/>\nFor as the heavens are high above the earth,<br \/>\nso great is your steadfast love toward those who fear you.<br \/>\n    As far as the east is from the west,<br \/>\n    so far have you put away our sins from us.<br \/>\nAs a father has compassion for his children,<br \/>\nso you have compassion for those who fear you.<br \/>\n    *As a mother comforts her child,<br \/>\n    so you comfort us, O God.<br \/>\nFor you know how we were made.<br \/>\n    You remember that we are dust. Bless God, O my soul. <\/p>\n\n\n<p>SECOND READING: Romans 14.7-12<\/p>\n\n\n<p>7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.<br \/>\n10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister[a]? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God\u2019s judgment seat. 11 It is written:<br \/>\n\u201c\u2018As surely as I live,\u2019 says the Lord,<br \/>\n\u2018every knee will bow before me;<br \/>\nevery tongue will acknowledge God.\u2019\u201d[b]<br \/>\n12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>HYMN: \u201cYou servants of God, your Saviour proclaim\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/youservants.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><em>You servants of God, your Saviour proclaim,<br \/> and publish abroad that wonderful name;<br \/> the name all victorious of Jesus extol,<br \/> whose kingdom is glorious and rules over all.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>God rules from on high, almighty to save,<br \/> whose Word still is nigh, a presence we have.<br \/> The great congregation God&#8217;s triumph shall sing,<br \/> ascribing salvation to Jesus our King.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Salvation to God, who sits on the throne!<br \/> Let all cry aloud, and honour the Son!<br \/> The praises of Jesus the angels proclaim,<br \/> bow down in deep reverence and worship the Lamb.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Then let us adore and give as is right,<br \/> all glory and power, all wisdom and might,<br \/> all honour and blessing with angels above,<br \/> and thanks never ceasing and infinite love.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>REFLECTION<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/sept13sermon.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>Everything comes back to George Bailey.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>A conversation about affordable housing?  \u201cThe money&#8217;s not here. Your money&#8217;s in Joe&#8217;s house\u2026right next to yours. And in the Kennedy house, and Mrs. Macklin&#8217;s house, and a hundred others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>A conversation with evil rich guys?  \u201cJust remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you&#8217;re talking about\u2026they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this town\u2026but to you, a warped, frustrated old man, they&#8217;re cattle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Or how to \u201cget the girl\u201d as they say in movies: \u201cWhat is it you want, Mary? You want the moon? Just say the word and I&#8217;ll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. Hey. That&#8217;s a pretty good idea. I&#8217;ll give you the moon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>And I think it\u2019s a fairly straight line from George\u2019s promise to lasso the moon to the many ways love is expressed, particularly in books for children.  \u201cI Love to the Moon and Back\u201d (Tim Warnes) is the first and obvious example, along with \u201cGuess How Much I Love You?\u201d (Sam McBratney)  Even the Munsch classic follows this lead, which (of course) you now have to say with me:<\/p>\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;ll love you forever,<br \/>\nI&#8217;ll like you for always,<br \/>\nAs long as I&#8217;m living<br \/>\nmy baby you&#8217;ll be.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Unlike Robert Munsch, I can\u2019t condone breaking into your grown children\u2019s homes and rocking them in the wee hours, but it does add to a lovely story.  So we go from a lasso around the moon to loving from \u201cthe moon and back\u201d (to quote Big Nutbrown Hare), pausing for a little nocturnal singing on the way.  Yet even before George Bailey and Robert Munsch and all the other writers we love, there was Psalm 103:<\/p>\n\n\n<p>11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,<br \/>\n    so great is his love for those who fear him;<br \/>\n12 as far as the east is from the west,<br \/>\n    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.<br \/>\n13 As a father has compassion on his children,<br \/>\n    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;<\/p>\n\n\n<p>So the poet reaches for a spatial image when trying to describe the greatness of God\u2019s love and mercy.  In a pre-scientific age, these immense distances\u2014the east from the west\u2014were ill-defined and a ready shorthand for a vastness that could not be measured.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>But there is more here.  The poet is making an intentional connection between the love of God and the natural world: the size of the sky, the dimensions of the known world, the depths of the sea.  We know that we\u2019re never far removed from our ancient forebears, as we too experience awe as we look to the heavens or ponder the far horizon.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>So back to our passage.  \u201cFor as high as the heavens are above the earth,\u201d the psalmist says, \u201cso great is his love for those who fear him.\u201d  Already we have a problem.  Fear of the Lord takes us to all sorts of uncomfortable places, where we are inclined to push back on a relationship based on fear.  We are ready to love God in return for the love God has for us, but to introduce fear doesn\u2019t seem right.  So we look for a way forward.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>A lazy theologian might step in at this moment and suggest we simply substitute the word \u201cawe\u201d for \u201cfear\u201d and it\u2019s problem solved.  We all know awe, from the mountain vista to the wonder of a newborn.  \u2018So great is his love for those in awe of him,\u2019 simply feels better, and is certainly one way to solve the problem. <\/p>\n\n\n<p>Maybe I\u2019m being too harsh on lazy theologians, but wouldn\u2019t the poet say awe if she meant awe?  Fear and awe may live on the same street, but they are clearly not the same thing.  So it\u2019s back to the drawing board.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>And to do this, I want to take you on a rollercoaster ride.  Why do people take a rollercoaster ride?  I expect they take the ride to experience fear.  Safe fear, or controlled fear to be sure, but fear nonetheless.  The rollercoaster is a sort of simulated danger, lighting up parts of our imagination and leaving us with the kind of euphoria you get when you survive a brush with danger.  A cynic might say this is fake danger, but your brain may not know the difference, and the result is often the same.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Please don\u2019t go to lunch and say \u201cpastor told us that our relationship with God is like a rollercoaster ride.\u201d  Because there is more.  There is the difference between fear and fear.  We all know fear.  Fear for the future, fear for the safety of those we love, fear for our planetary home, fear of human carelessness and fear of human stupidity.  Fear of the things we can\u2019t control and fear that we\u2019ll mishandle the things we can control.  I could go on. <\/p>\n\n\n<p>This is the very real fear we experience through life on earth, and it\u2019s also the precise type of fear that God seeks to save us from:<\/p>\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?\u201d (Ps 27)<br \/>\n\u201cI will fear no evil, for thou art with me.\u201d (Ps 23)<br \/>\n\u201cDo not let your hearts be troubled, do not let them be afraid.\u201d (John 14)<br \/>\nThen the angel said to her, \u201cDo not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.\u201d (Luke 1)<\/p>\n\n\n<p>The last example might be the most instructive.  An angel speaks to Mary and says \u201cGreetings, you who are highly favored!\u201d  But Mary is rightly terrified.  This is the other fear, the natural fear that follows the unexpected, the tremendous, the truly startling.  It was more to do with the exhilaration of the rollercoaster than fear of harm, in whatever form it may take.  An encounter with the Living God ought to be fearful, in the best sense, or it might not be an encounter at all.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>On Boxing Day, 1958, Pope John decided to visit a prison, only the second time a pope left the safety of the Vatican in 88 years (the first time was the day before).  In his characteristic style he said to the prisoners, \u201cYou could not leave to see me, so I have come to see you.\u201d  At one moment a murderer broke through the cordon and threw himself at the pope\u2019s feet.  \u201cTell me, Holy Father, is there hope for even me?\u201d  And the pope embraced him.  I tell this story, because it\u2019s a story filled with fear.  I expect the pope was fearful, surrounded by hardened criminals.  His staff were fearful, freaking out, in fact.  And the man who stepped forward was terrified, that God would not forgive.  It\u2019s in this light the poet speaks:<\/p>\n\n\n<p>12 as far as the east is from the west,<br \/>\n    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.<br \/>\n13 As a father has compassion on his children,<br \/>\n    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;<\/p>\n\n\n<p>God\u2019s love for us is best expressed in forgiveness\u2014the unexpected, the tremendous, and the truly startling.  A thief is forgiven on the cross, St. Paul is thrown to the ground, a reprieve comes before the first stone is cast.  Compassion can be truly unsettling when the world demands judgment, retribution, and revenge.  But God has another way.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>\u201cWork out your salvation with fear and trembling,\u201d St. Paul wrote, maybe reflecting on his own story.  \u201cWork out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you.\u201d  When we love and forgive others, we have the same capacity to unsettle or amaze.  When we imagine that everyone is a child of God, and treat them with compassion, we have the same capacity to unsettle and amaze.  With apologies to Robert Munsch, I\u2019m going to suggest that each of us, whether deserved or not deserved, is held by the God who says:<\/p>\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;ll love you forever,<br \/>\nI&#8217;ll like you for always,<br \/>\nAs long as I&#8217;m living<br \/>\nmy baby you&#8217;ll be.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Amen.  <\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/3363\/3480353794_20fec526de_b.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Let us pray, brothers and sisters, <br \/>\nfor the holy church of God throughout the world,<br \/>\nthat God may guide it and gather it together<br \/>\nso that we may worship God in peace and tranquility.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>God of power and love,<br \/>\nyou have shown your compassion in Jesus Christ.<br \/>\nGuide the work of the church.<br \/>\nHelp it to persevere in faith<br \/>\nand to proclaim your name to people everywhere. <br \/>\nLet us pray for all who serve the church<br \/>\nwith the gifts God gives them.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>God of power and love,<br \/>\nyour Spirit guides the church and makes it holy.<br \/>\nStrengthen and sustain all who serve.<br \/>\nKeep them in health and safety<br \/>\nand help each of us to do faithfully<br \/>\nthe work to which you have called us.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Let us pray for all who do not know God,<br \/>\nthat the light of the Holy Spirit<br \/>\nmay awaken them to faith.<br \/>\nGod of power and love,<br \/>\nmay all your children everywhere<br \/>\nknow your goodness.<br \/>\nHelp us, your church,<br \/>\nto become more perfect witnesses of your grace<br \/>\nso that all may see you in us.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Let us pray for all in positions of power<br \/> in government and society<br \/> that God may guide their hearts and minds<br \/> so all may live in peace and justice.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>God of power and love,<br \/>\ndefender of the poor and oppressed,<br \/>\ncall to account the rulers of this world,<br \/>\nso that people everywhere may enjoy<br \/>\njustice, peace, and freedom<br \/>\nand a fair share of the goodness of creation.<br \/>\nLet us prayer all who are sick or dying,<br \/>\nall who are homeless or in prison,<br \/>\nand for all who suffer from hunger or violence.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>God of power and love,<br \/>\nstrength of the weary,<br \/>\nhope of the despairing,<br \/>\nhear the cries of your suffering children<br \/>\nand give us the courage to be agents of your love for them.<br \/>\nWe pray in the name of Christ our Saviour.  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: \u201cAll my hope is firmly grounded\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/allourhope.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><em>All my hope is firmly grounded<br \/>     in our great and living Lord;<br \/> who, whenever I most need him,<br \/>     never fails to keep his word.<br \/> God I must wholly trust,<br \/>     God the ever good and just.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Tell me, who can trust our nature,<br \/>     human, weak, and insecure?<br \/> Which of all the airy castles<br \/>     can the hurricane endure?<br \/> Built on sand, naught can stand<br \/>     by our earthly wisdom planned.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>But in every time and season,<br \/>     out of love&#8217;s abundant store,<br \/> God sustains the whole creation,<br \/>     fount of life forevermore.<br \/> We who share earth and air<br \/>     count on God&#8217;s unfailing care.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Thank, O thank, our great Creator,<br \/>     through God&#8217;s only Son this day;<br \/> God alone, the heavenly potter,<br \/>     made us out of earth and clay.<br \/> Quick to heed, strong in deed,<br \/>     God shall all the people feed.<\/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=\"http:\/\/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","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; a greatness no one can fathom! 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 Heather! PRELUDE: \u201cPut Your Hand in the Hand\u201d &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/2020\/09\/12\/fifteenth-after-pentecost\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Fifteenth after Pentecost<\/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\/702"}],"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=702"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/702\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}