{"id":737,"date":"2020-09-26T21:32:56","date_gmt":"2020-09-26T21:32:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/?p=737"},"modified":"2020-09-26T21:32:56","modified_gmt":"2020-09-26T21:32:56","slug":"seventeenth-after-pentecost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/2020\/09\/26\/seventeenth-after-pentecost\/","title":{"rendered":"Seventeenth after Pentecost"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/image-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-746\"\/><figcaption>Georg Pencz, The Parable of the Father and His Two Sons in the Vineyard, c. 1534, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.<\/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 Dave, Cor, and Heather!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>PRELUDE: \u201cReflections\u201d (Alexander)<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/reflections-alexander.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>OPENING PRAYER<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Eternal God, <br \/>\nwe come to you with hungry hearts, <br \/>\nwaiting to be filled:<br \/>\nwith a sense of your presence; <br \/>\nwith the touch of your spirit; <br \/>\nwith new energy for service.  <br \/>\nCome to us, we pray.<br \/>\nBe with us.<br \/>\nTouch us.<br \/>\nEmpower us as your people,<br \/>\nthat we might worship you,<br \/>\nand act in the world for Jesus\u2019 sake.  <br \/>\nAmen.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>HYMN OF PRAISE: \u201cPraise, my soul, the God of heaven\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/praisemysoul.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><em>Praise, my soul, the God of heaven,<br \/>     glad of heart your carols raise;<br \/> ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,<br \/>     who, like me, should sing God&#8217;s praise.<br \/> Hallelujah! Hallelujah!<br \/>     Praise the Maker all your days!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Praise God for the grace and favour<br \/>     shown our forebears in distress;<br \/> God is still the same forever,<br \/>     slow to chide and swift to bless.<br \/> Hallelujah! Hallelujah!<br \/>     Sing our Maker&#8217;s faithfulness!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Like a loving parent caring,<br \/>     God knows well our feeble frame;<br \/> gladly all our burdens bearing,<br \/>     still to countless years the same.<br \/> Hallelujah! Hallelujah!<br \/>     All within me, praise God&#8217;s name!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Frail as summer&#8217;s flower we flourish;<br \/>     blows the wind and it is gone;<br \/> but, while mortals rise and perish,<br \/>     God endures unchanging on.<br \/> Hallelujah! Hallelujah!<br \/>     Praise the high eternal one.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Angels, teach us adoration,<br \/>     you behold God face to face;<br \/> sun and moon and all creation,<br \/>     dwellers all in time and space.<br \/> Hallelujah! Hallelujah!<br \/>     Praise with us the God of grace!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>PRAYER OF CONFESSION<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Merciful God,<br \/> the Risen Christ is here,<br \/> among us and within us\u2014<br \/> yet recognition is slow to come.&nbsp;<br \/> Give us eyes to see and ears to hear,&nbsp;<br \/> a mind to understand,<br \/> and a heart to invite him in.<br \/> Renew us and forgive us,<br \/> now and always,<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: \u201cCome into my heart, O Lord Jesus\u201d (Clarke)<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/cometomyheart-voice.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>FIRST READING: Psalm 78.1-4, 12-16<\/p>\n\n\n<p>My people, hear my teaching;<br \/>     <strong>listen to the words of my mouth.<\/strong><br \/> I will open my mouth with a parable;<br \/>     <strong>I will utter hidden things, things from of old\u2014<\/strong><br \/> things we have heard and known,<br \/>     <strong>things our ancestors have told us.<\/strong><br \/> We will not hide them from their descendants;<br \/>     <strong>we will tell the next generation<\/strong><br \/> the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,<br \/>     <strong>his power, and the wonders he has done.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<p>He did miracles in the sight of their ancestors<br \/>    <strong> in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.<\/strong><br \/> He divided the sea and led them through;<br \/>     <strong>he made the water stand up like a wall.<\/strong><br \/> He guided them with the cloud by day<br \/>     <strong>and with light from the fire all night.<\/strong><br \/> He split the rocks in the wilderness<br \/>     <strong>and gave them water as abundant as the seas;<\/strong><br \/> he brought streams out of a rocky crag<br \/>     <strong>and made water flow down like rivers.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<p>SECOND READING: Matthew 21.23-32<\/p>\n\n\n<p>23 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. \u201cBy what authority are you doing these things?\u201d they asked. \u201cAnd who gave you this authority?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>24 Jesus replied, \u201cI will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John\u2019s baptism\u2014where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>They discussed it among themselves and said, \u201cIf we say, \u2018From heaven,\u2019 he will ask, \u2018Then why didn\u2019t you believe him?\u2019 26 But if we say, \u2018Of human origin\u2019\u2014we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>27 So they answered Jesus, \u201cWe don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Then he said, \u201cNeither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>28 \u201cWhat do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, \u2018Son, go and work today in the vineyard.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n<p>29 \u201c\u2018I will not,\u2019 he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>30 \u201cThen the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, \u2018I will, sir,\u2019 but he did not go.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>31 \u201cWhich of the two did what his father wanted?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe first,\u201d they answered.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Jesus said to them, \u201cTruly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>HYMN: \u201cJesus, come to our hearts like falling rain\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/jesuscometoourhearts.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><em>Jesus, come to our hearts like falling rain;<br \/> come to refresh, come to renew,<br \/> wash all our sins away.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Spirit, come to our hearts like rushing wind;<br \/> come with your fire, come with your life,<br \/> blow all our doubts away.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Come, God, come to our hearts like shining sun;<br \/> come to reveal, lighten your Word,<br \/> drive all our gloom away.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Glory be to the Lamb that once was slain;<br \/> praise for his life, praise for his death,<br \/> praise that he lives again.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Praises be to our God, the three in one;<br \/> praise for the sun, praise for the wind,<br \/> praise for the falling rain.<\/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\/sept27sermon.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>You don\u2019t need to be Lucy van Pelt to see that there is some complex psychology going on in our parable.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Actually, Lucy\u2019s standard response\u2014\u201dSnap out of it! Five cents, please!\u2014might not be up to the task of solving the interpersonal stuff that\u2019s going on in these five short verses.  But before we dig into the Parable of the Two Sons, I want to talk a little bit about scripts.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>In most families (all families?), each member of the family is assigned a \u201cpart\u201d to play.  In essence, we are given a script to follow, and the character we play tends to define us.  Thinking about your own family, perhaps you can picture someone when I describe some of the roles: the peacemaker, the fragile one, the helper, the victim, or the one who can always look after themselves.  I\u2019m sure you can think of more.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>Reading the script, or following your assigned role isn\u2019t a problem in-and-of-itself, unless you get locked in that role and can\u2019t get out.  Sometimes people carry that role into other situations and cannot understand why it doesn\u2019t work the way it does back home.  And then, of course, there is a common source of conflict in families: stepping out of your role and trying to be someone else.  Imagine the play where one character suddenly decides to go \u201coff-script\u201d and the chaos that follows.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>So the first son in our parable is the one who always says \u201cno.\u201d  You know that person, maybe even by looking in the mirror, the person who leads with no and needs to be convinced\u2014or needs to convince themselves.  So the first son says, \u201cI will not,\u201d but then quickly changes his mind and heads off to the vineyard.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>And then there is the second son.  The son who will say anything that the questioner might want to hear (\u201cSure, I\u2019ll go!\u201d) but has no real intention to follow through.  There is a technical term for what the second son is doing, but instead I&#8217;ll call it balderdash, codswallop, hogwash, hooey, malarkey, or trumpery (more on that in a moment).<\/p>\n\n\n<p>So, which of the two did what his father wanted?<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Before we dig into the question, we should talk about meaning, and how meaning is the first-cousin of assigned roles.  Whenever we are confronted by a situation, or we\u2019re trying to summarize some event, we tend to attach a particular meaning.  Whenever someone uses phrases like \u201ca cautionary tale\u201d or \u201ca redemption story,\u201d or my new favourite, a Bildungsroman\u2014a borrow-word that means a coming-of-age story\u2014we are attaching meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Preachers do this all the time.  We assign meaning to a story, or receive an assigned meaning from others, and develop that meaning before we land the plane and go to lunch.  The problem with assigned meaning is that it tends to be fixed.  It\u2019s hard to change your mind, or imagine that there are other ways to explain the same story.  So, in the Parable of the Two Sons we might say \u201cdeeds speak louder than words\u201d and call it a day.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>So, which of the two did what his father wanted?<\/p>\n\n\n<p>In the \u201cdeeds speak louder than words\u201d interpretation, the son who actually did the work was the one who did the will of the father.  And it fits with Jesus\u2019 previous words on the same topic.  You can only judge a false prophet by their fruits, not by the words they say.  \u201cNot everyone who says to Me, \u2018Lord, Lord,\u2019 will enter the kingdom of heaven,\u201d goes the lesson, \u201cbut he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.\u201d (Matthew 7)  Deeds speak louder than words.  Even in the context of prayer, Jesus condemns the one who prays \u201cthank God I\u2019m not like that guy over there\u201d (I\u2019m paraphrasing) in favour of the one who says simply \u201chave mercy on me, a sinner.\u201d (Luke 18)  The attitude of humility before God also fits in this \u201cdeeds speak\u201d model, since it neatly defines who we are.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Now I want to try on a new meaning.  What if we shift the meaning and say \u201cwords matter.\u201d  On the face of it, no one\u2019s words matter in this parable, since no one did what they said they would do.  So let\u2019s try again.  What if the matter was simply about what the father wanted to hear?  Hear me out.  Imagine that the father simply wanted a day without drama.  One son can never manage a day without drama, refusing to go to the vineyard while just as likely to go anyway.  The other son, never one for drama, says \u201csure pop, I\u2019ll go.\u201d  Is the work really that important?  Maybe the father just wanted everyone to get along.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>In years to come, when we try to make sense of the era we\u2019re living in, we might reach the conclusion that sometimes people just want to be lied to.  Maybe it doesn\u2019t matter if someone makes the best trade deals, or hires the best people, or even manages to make a beautiful wall that someone else will pay for.  What if people just want to be lied to?  Now you\u2019re getting more than your original five cents worth, but this theory might explain a lot.  Maybe it was never about results at all, only the lies that drive some people crazy and give others a false sense of comfort.    <\/p>\n\n\n<p>As you chew on that, we should return to the text and look for some real clues.  It turns out that the Greeks among us may have known the meaning all along, based on the word kyrie, a word that can mean either \u2018Lord or sir.\u2019  So when the second son speaks, he\u2019s actually saying \u201cSure, I\u2019ll go, kyrie.\u201d  This is the same Greek word that Jesus uses when he creates the caricature of the obsequious prayer: \u201cNot everyone who says to me, \u2018kyrie, kyrie,\u2019 will enter the kingdom of heaven\u2026\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>In other words, words matter, because the person who\u2019s first to make ardent promises (saying \u201cLord, Lord!\u201d) is the least likely to keep them.  Yes, there is also a problem with Mr. No-And-Go, but the person who says the most and does the least is the one who truly disappoints.  If you think we have come full circle, you would be right.  Again, there is a link to Jesus\u2019 thoughts on prayer, condemning the one who prays a Very Big Prayer (\u201cThank God I\u2019m not like him, or him, or her over there\u201d) while lifting up the humblest prayer (\u201cLord have mercy\u201d).  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>So it turns out our words matter, and our deeds matter, and the humility we bring as we encounter the Most High.  Maybe our role in the script dictates that we will be an initial \u201cno,\u201d before we become a resounding \u201cyes!\u201d  Maybe we stand with generations of initial noes, reluctant to follow, or take a risk, or give voice to the \u201cyes\u201d in our hearts.  It hardly matters, because God can read the \u201cyes\u201d in our hearts even as we say \u201cno.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>May God find us in the vineyard, labouring with others, working to turn every \u201cno\u201d to a \u201cyes.\u201d  Amen.   <\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/image-2-1024x455.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-748\"\/><figcaption>Decorative Inlay, 11th or 12th century, Egyptian.  Museum f\u00fcr Islamische Kunst, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Almighty and merciful God, <br \/>\nfrom whom comes all that is good,<br \/>\nwe praise you for all your mercies:<br \/>\nfor your goodness that has created us,<br \/>\nyour grace that has sustained us,<br \/>\nyour wisdom that has challenged us,<br \/>\nyour patience that has borne with us,<br \/>\nand your love that has redeemed us.<br \/>\nHelp us to love you and all your children,<br \/>\nand to be thankful for all your gifts,<br \/>\nby serving you and delighting to do your will.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Almighty and merciful God,<br \/> from whom comes all that is just,<br \/> we praise you for your guidance:<br \/> your law that guides us,<br \/> your prophets that speak to us,<br \/> your Spirit that animates us,<br \/> and your Word that leads us.<br \/> Help us to further your kingdom,<br \/> and demonstrate your mercy,<br \/> by serving you and delighting to do your will.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Almighty and merciful God,<br \/>\nfrom whom comes the desire to pray,<br \/>\nwe turn to you when our hearts are heavy:<br \/>\nfor the lost and those uncertain,<br \/>\nfor the sick and those recovering,<br \/>\nfor the sad and those tired with grief,<br \/>\nand for everyone who is vulnerable in your sight.<br \/>\nHelp us to comfort them,<br \/>\nand demonstrate your compassion,<br \/>\nby serving you and delighting to do your will.<br \/>\nIn Jesus\u2019 name, we pray.  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: \u201cRetell what Christ&#8217;s great love has done\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"http:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/retellwhat.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><em>Retell what Christ&#8217;s great love has done,<br \/> how crib and cross the victory won:<br \/>     God&#8217;s call obeyed, temptations faced,<br \/>     the good news preached, then death embraced.<br \/> Let us who share his Easter light<br \/> sing praise to God, our chief delight.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Recall the covenant of grace<br \/> in which you freely find your place:<br \/>     with water washed, at table fed,<br \/>     in Christ alive, to self now dead.<br \/> Then with your lives, by day and night,<br \/> sing praise to God, your chief delight.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Review the tapestry of saints,<br \/> that canvas which the Spirit paints:<br \/>     a prophet scorned, a teacher famed,<br \/>     a host unknown and unacclaimed,<br \/> yet one and all who fought the fight<br \/> sing praise to God, their chief delight.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Rehearse the chorus of the heart,<br \/> let all earth&#8217;s hopes and fears take part:<br \/>     the shouts of youth, the cries of age,<br \/>     the prisoners&#8217; groans, the victims&#8217; rage.<br \/> And may each voice which seeks the right<br \/> sing praise to God, its chief delight.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>Rejoice at what Christ yet will do,<br \/> intent on making all things new:<br \/>     the hungry filled, the peaceful blessed,<br \/>     the wounded healed, each heart at rest.<br \/> Then sing, till faith gives way to sight,<br \/> in praise of God, our chief delight.<\/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>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 Dave, Cor, and Heather! PRELUDE: \u201cReflections\u201d (Alexander) OPENING PRAYER Eternal &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/2020\/09\/26\/seventeenth-after-pentecost\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Seventeenth 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\/737"}],"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=737"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/737\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}