5th Sunday of Easter,
2021-05-02
Services in church continue to be cancelled for Covid protection
THE GATHERING OF THE CHURCH
The 5th Sunday of Easter
2nd May 2021
St. Andrew by-the-Lake
Toronto Islands
www.standrewbythelake.com
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Priest- David Howells 416-890-4578
Church Office – 416-203-0873
Warden - Bella Beazer 416-203-4142
Warden – Jane Davidson-Neville 416-203- 8564
Deputy Warden & Synod Rep – Julia Weldon Tait
Deputy Warden - Nancy Kendrew
Outreach Chair – Graham Mudge 416-203-3556
Treasurer/Bookings – Joyce Rogers 416-203-0987
Musicians--
Roger Sharp, Julia Weldon Tait,
& Jane Davidson-Neville
Music selected by Jane Davidson-Neville
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THE GATHERING OF THE CHURCH
We give thanks to our Creator for the earth we share with all creatures, and we acknowledge that here we are on the traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Anishinaabe, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the Wendat.
We also recognize the enduring presence of all First Nations,
Metis and Inuit peoples, and we seek to live respectfully with
them and with the earth.
We believe that black lives matter.
We know that love is love,
and we welcome everybody
who desires to join us in worship.
You are a beloved creation of God, and you are most welcome.
(borrowed from St Aidan’s in the Beach)
The Collect
Almighty God,
Your Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life.
Give us grace to love one another
and to walk in his commandments,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
One God, now and forever. Amen
Opening Hymn: ‘Love is the Touch of Intangible Joy’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlBAX0cCKeI
Love is the touch of intangible joy, love is the force that no fear can destroy.
Love is the goodness we gladly applaud, God is where love is, for love is of God.
Love is the lilt in a lingering voice, love is the hope that can make us rejoice;
Love is the cure for the frightened and flawed, God is where love is, for love is of God.
Love is the light in a tunnel of pain; love is the will to be whole once again;
Love is the trust of a friend on the road, God is where love is, for love is of God.
Love is the maker and spirit and Son; love is the kingdom their will has begun;
Love is the path that saints all have trod, God is where love is, for love is of God.
Love is the touch of intangible joy, love is the force that no fear can destroy.
Love is the goodness we gladly applaud, God is where love is, for love is of God.
Text by Alison Robertson of the Iona Community, hymn tune Slane (traditional Irish melody), arrangement by Lori True, contemporary composer and hymnist
1st Reading 1 John 4:7-21
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.
God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him.
In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.
No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.
By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world.
God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God.
So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.
God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.
Love has been perfected among us in this:
that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear;
for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.
We love because he first loved us.
Those who say, "I love God," and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.
The commandment we have from him is this:
those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.
Psalm 22: ‘I Will Praise You, Lord’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqogNhSJLnA
Refrain: I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.
v.1: My vows I will pay before those who fear God, the poor shall eat and have their fill. Those who seek the Lord shall praise the Lord. May their hearts live forever and ever. Refrain
v.2: All the earth shall remember and return to the Lord, all families of the nations shall bow down in awe; they shall bow down in awe, all the mighty of the earth, all who must die and go down to the dust. Refrain
v.3: My soul shall live for God and my children too shall serve. They shall tell of the Lord to generations yet to come; declare to those unborn, the faithfulness of God. These things the Lord has done. Refrain
THE PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John John 15:1-8
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit.
Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.
You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you.
Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.
Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.
The Gospel of Christ
Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ
Abiding, a Reflection for Easter 5. 2021 Video of reflection; click here
Turn your minds back to the Christmas story for a moment. Mary, engaged, but not married, discovers that she is pregnant. She was unsure of herself, unsure of how this affected her betrothal to Joseph and unsure about what she believed and what the angel had said to her. The ground beneath her feet had become more like quick-sand. Where could she go to be safe, to be stable, to be supported and helped? She made haste and went to her kinswoman Elizabeth. “And Mary abode with her about three months, and then returned to her own house.”
“Abode” is the past tense of abide. When did you last abide? It is a word we don’t often use.
To “bide” is to wait, linger, tarry or to stay. We might say “Bide your time!” meaning “be patient”, or “Just wait for things to become clear. Don’t rush!”
“Abode”, as a noun, is a place that you come to rest in, where you feel at home, a place of rootedness and stability.
“To Abide” means to be still, patient, trusting, to come to rest. It is used to mean remaining in a fixed state of relationship. To continue to dwell in a place, house, or town. “I abide on Toronto Island” means not only that you live here, but that you belong here, you are committed to the place and feel rooted here.
To abide means that you accept the rules and guidelines. Not abiding is interesting too. “I cannot abide a dirty house!” my grandmother might have said.
Abide also works in the other direction. “I have a deep and abiding desire to go home before I die.”
An idea or a belief that takes root in you is one that abides in your soul, your heart or mind. “Seeing the best in others is an abiding principle for Lucy.” or “I have an abiding desire to be at peace with whoever I meet.”
John says, in the Epistle for today:
“God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God.
So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.
God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.
Then in John’s Gospel there is a veritable flock of “abides”
Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.
Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.
That’s 13 “abides”, which is a lot of “abides” for just one Sunday!
Perhaps it is something to do with the slowness of life, the stillness of being at home, the absence of meetings, appointments, visits and engagements in this Covid time, that makes me notice this invitation to Abide.
Abiding is not something our society is attached to. We celebrate change and newness. We have short attention spans thanks to radio, TV and the stimulation of cells phones and laptops that ping and squeak at us at all times of the day (and night if you don’t muffle them!) Adverts promise something NEW! and our economy depends on throwing out the old and buying lots of new stuff.
God calls to us. Calls to us over the Radio and TV. Calls to us over the delivery truck unloading a new barbeque for my neighbour as I type (Ooo! it looks good, and mine is battered and has a loose leg..maybe I should buy a new BBQ? )
From this noise God calls us to abide in him. The femininity of the Divine invites you to abide in her home, in her love of you, in her Mary-like nurture of the Christ that is within you, that name “Christian” that you may claim.
John’s teaching is clear on this. Unless you abide in your relationship with God you cannot hold your balance. Unless you make room in your mind/soul/heart/calendar for the Spirit of Jesus to abide, to have a corner reserved, to share warmth and nourishment and conversation, you will not be able to have that love deepen and change and bless you.
Abiding in God and making an abode for God within your very heart and soul is the work of being a Christian.
Abiding; Settling in, being at peace, finding warmth and security and life in your prayers. Being nourished.
And making your soul an Abode for the Spirit of Jesus. That place reserved for the Spirit. The door you open in the hope of saying “Hello”, and finding her there. When you have a sleep-over spot for God and God has one for you, then you are able to make something wonderful unfold.
It is relatively simple to begin or deepen this.
Making an abode is about clearing out some space. Set aside ½ an hour in each day. Sit in a quiet place. Have a cross or a candle or any symbol of holiness beside you. A Bible open at a Gospel; slowly reading through Mathew is a good idea. It is not a duty, but a plan to go hunting for Jesus’s spirit, hide and seeking and finding, learning to notice.
And leave that space for ONLY being in prayer. It is an abiding place for God to dwell with you and for you to dwell with the Spirit.
“Being in prayer” means, in a way, waiting with your door open for God’s presence to come in. God is not obvious. There is no knock or fanfare. No. You have to listen with your imagination’s ears. Like finding a cookie by scent, rather than just opening the cookie jar for a factory imitation. You have to begin with the expectation that something inside you might shift as you turn over an event that is stuck in your mind, or a song or a hope you nurture, or a sadness you carry. God’s will is to heal and mend, to enliven and wake up what is broken or asleep in you.
Prayer is really 80% opening to door to the abode you want to make for God, and realising (seeing with real eyes) that Jesus has gone ahead and made a place for you, an abode, into which you may step any time you want.
Reflection Music: ‘I am the Bread of Life’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX4uC3a7RC8
I am the Bread of life. You who come to me shall not hunger, and who believe in me shall not thirst. No one can come to me unless the Father beckons.
Refrain: And I will raise you up, and I will raise you up, and I will raise you up on the last day.
I am the Resurrection, I am the life, if you believe in me, even though you die, you shall live forever. Refrain (this verse in Spanish)
Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, Who have come into the world. Refrain
University of Notre Dame Folk Choir, lyrics and tune by Suzanne Toolan
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Let us pray for ourselves and each other, and for those that we do not know, but who you know, God.
In this month remember those who find the doors of our society locked against them, those who feel they are not equal because of the colour of their skin. Pray for those who have privileged lives without knowing who pays. Pray to be shown how to bring justice, even if only by a first trickle.
As we seek our vaccinations and we face new variants of the Covid Virus,
we pray for our Prime Minister and the Premier of this Province to be blessed with clear guidance and wisdom.
We pray for those who work in dangerous jobs caring for us.
We pray for those who have contracted the Covid 19 Virus in this last year.
We pray for the “long-haulers” dealing with months of pain and fatigue.
We pray for those who have died, and for those who have watched loved ones die.
We pray caregivers in nursing and retirement homes,
for medical staff in clinics and hospitals who have lived with the risks
and some who have contracted the disease.
We pray for those who must organise, communicate with us, the public, and get vaccines in arms.
We pray for the Medical Officers of Health who have guided our political leaders.
We hold up to God all whose lives have been marred by this pandemic, here and far away.
We pray for ourselves and others for a spirit of self-control, compassion and hope and patience.
We remember those we know who are sick in body mind or spirit, especially Donna, Michael, Penny, Enid, Freda, Anne & family, Charlotte, Rose, Gail, Peter, Bob, Douglas, Marian
We pray for those who are close to death or who have passed through death, remembering Ron, Joey, Mick, Paulette, Bev, Fred, Farima, Cathy, June, Barbara, Craig, Les
In the diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for St. Francis of Assisi, its Christmas hampers, support of local food security programs and the Pikangikum water project;
for St. George Memorial, Oshawa, its monthly community lunch offering toiletries and gently-used clothing, participation in the Mary Street school breakfast program and St. Vincent soup kitchen, prayer shawl ministry to the community and St. Michael's Hospital, crafts for overseas and weekly Fill in the Gap drop-in from November through March;
and for St. George on Yonge, its work as a pick-up centre for Out of the Cold programs, its monthly distribution of gift cards and TTC tokens, ESL classes, its support of the local food bank and local community housing.
Here take a few moments to hold before our God all who you are carrying in love and care.....
All of our longings and our fears, our hopes and our desires we bring to you. Hear our prayers, gracious God. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Closing Hymn 349: ‘All People That on Earth Do Dwell’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-1dQ8t03mE
All people that on earth do dwell, sing out your faith with cheerful voice;
delight in God whose praise you tell, whose presence calls you to rejoice.
Know that there is one God, indeed, who fashions us without our aid,
who claims us, gives us all we need, whose tender care will never fade.
Enter the sacred gates with praise; with joy approach the temple walls.
Extol and bless our God always as people whom the Spirit calls.
Proclaim again that God is good, whose mercy is forever sure,
whose truth at all times firmly stood, and shall from age to age endure.
A version with full choir, organ, congregation and horns from Westminster Cathedral in 2013; text above is more modern than William Kethe version in Anglican hymn book
May the blessings of the Risen Lord be upon you
May the peace of God’s Holy Spirit dwell within you
May the Creator hold you ever in the palm of his hand.
And may you have joy in your life.
NOTICES
Here are several ways you can support your church:
The Collection Plate (when we are back in Church)
PAR - Pre-Authorized Remittance. You direct your bank to deposit your donation into the church account on the 20th of each month. To apply contact Joyce Rogers at standrewbookings@gmail.com
E-Transfer - Use email: standrewbookings@gmail.com
Canada Helps – Visit the church website www.standrewbythelake.com, go to the Home Page and click on the Donate button.
A LETTER FROM BISHOP ANDREW
Dear Friends in Christ,
For many of us, weddings, funerals, graduations, confirmations, anniversaries, and other rites of passage have been relegated to online gatherings or postponed until after COVID-19 passes. We tell ourselves, when it’s all over, we will get together to celebrate, to dance, to grieve and to remember. We hold to the promise that we will drive across the province, over the border, hop on a plane – whatever it takes to be present, to give a hug, to give a pat on the back or to share in a wee dram without mask or distance.
Significant people in my life have died within the last 14 months. While we, as a circle of family and friends, have done pretty well reaching out to bear the sadness, it’s not the same as hovering around the grave as a clan to mourn with hearts that are broken. We have made do with a small backyard family wedding, while the rest of the kin waved over Zoom, but it’s not the same as dancing the Time Warp together late in the evening. Two of our children graduate from university programs this spring; their diplomas will likely arrive in the mail. After all the nights of study and hard work, there will be no hooting and hollering with pride when they cross the floor with degree in hand at convocation. It’s been hard not to mark these occasions and be with our people the way we want.
On Sunday afternoon at 4:30 p.m., 10 people will gather at St. James Cathedral, in a building that comfortably holds 800. A preacher, a server, two presenters, a livestreamer, an organist and cantor, a bishop and two candidates will gather to mark a new beginning after a long journey of formation, prayer, study, and preparation. On occasions like this one, the place would be full, but not on Sunday in lockdown.
Instead, a small group will gather to celebrate the rite of the ordination of two deacons, Claire Latimer-Dennis and Micah Latimer-Dennis, two candidates who happen to be married to each other. We have two other aspirants, Ginnie Wong and Andrew Kuhl, who will be ordained, God willing, at the end of June. Perhaps we could have waited until the third wave subsided, but our need for ordained leaders is pressing and in a time of upset and want, it’s important to move with haste. Like other first responders and frontline agencies, the Church is called to move quickly. We hear this urgency echoed in the second reading appointed for the 5th Sunday of Easter, Acts 8.26-40.
Philip was whisked away by the Spirit to go south on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza. There he met an Ethiopian Eunuch, a court official of Candace, Queen of the Ethiopians, seated in his chariot. He was reading from the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit prompted Philip to walk alongside, and he heard him reading aloud. Do you understand what you are reading? Philip asked. How can I, unless I have someone to guide me, the court official responded. Philip opened the scripture to reveal Jesus to him. The man was so moved by this encounter that the caravan stopped by a pool of water and he was baptized. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of God whisked Philip away to Azotus, where he preached the Gospel. And the Eunuch saw him no more and went on rejoicing…
Philip’s example is reflected in the words of the examination in the ordination service. As a deacon in the Church, you are to study the holy scriptures, to seek nourishment from them, and to model your life upon them. You are to make Christ and his redemptive love known, by your word and example, to those among whom you live and work and worship. You are to interpret to the Church the needs, concerns, and hopes of the world…
In the midst of pandemic comes Good News! Two deacons are ushered out into the world to serve, to interpret and to proclaim. In a time of deep need comes Good News! Two are whisked away by the Spirit to attend to the needs of the hurting and the grieving, the lost and the forsaken. Two are summoned to walk alongside with us to the grave, on the dance floor, down the aisle, across the stage.
While only 10 may gather in person, I hope that you will join us online on Sunday afternoon to welcome two new deacons called by God to serve.
Yours in Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Andrew Asbil
Bishop of Toronto