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Announcements: Look for these down at the end of the order of service
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Sunday, 27th September 2020
1st Sunday of the Season of Creation a day of prayer for creation Online St. Andrew by-the-Lake Toronto Islands www.standrewbythelake.com 1 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 Sung music selected by Jane Davidson-Neville Instrumental music selected by Roger Sharp Service for People of the “Distant email Church” THE GATHERING OF THE CHURCH May the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you. Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hidden. 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. The Collect Creator God Your eternal power is seen in the whole web of life, Your voice is heard in the beauty of Creation Rooted in your love may we worship you with all your creatures And work to protect our common home Through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Opening Hymn. #506: ‘Lord of All Hopefulness’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-D_aT8CXyc 1 Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy, whose trust, ever childlike, no cares could destroy: Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray, your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day. 2 Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith, whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe: Be there at our labors, and give us, we pray, your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day. 3 Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace, your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace: Be there at our homing, and give us, we pray, your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day. 4 Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm, whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm: Be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray, your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day. 1st Reading. From the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, 2;4-13 Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. Thus says the Lord: What wrong did your ancestors find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthless things, and became worthless themselves? They did not say, “Where is the Lord who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that no one passes through, where no one lives?” I brought you into a plentiful land to eat its fruits and its good things. But when you entered you defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination. The priests did not say, “Where is the Lord?” Those who handle the law did not know me; the rulers transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal, and went after things that do not profit. Therefore once more I accuse you, says the Lord, and I accuse your children’s children. Cross to the coasts of Cyprus and look, send to Kedar and examine with care; see if there has ever been such a thing. Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for something that does not profit. Be appalled, O heavens, at this, be shocked, be utterly desolate. says the Lord, for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and dug out cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that can hold no water. The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God Psalm 25: ‘To You, O Lord’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AByEZ6kq0fg Refrain: To you, O Lord, I lift my soul, to you, I lift my soul. v.1: Lord, make me know your ways, teach me your paths and keep me in the way of your truth, for you are God, my Saviour. Refrain v.2: For the Lord is good and righteous, revealing the way to those who wander, gently leading the poor and the humble. Refrain v.3: To the ones who seek the Lord, who look THE PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL The Lord be with you. And also with you. The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke (Lk 14;1, 7-14) Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus at a Pharisee’s House One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” The Gospel of Christ Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ. Reflections on the 1st week of the Season of Creation https://youtu.be/10S8Mch8iDE The season of Creation is quietly becoming widely used in churches and denominations around the World. As we use this we are joining with a vast body of Christians in prayer for our planet, our piece of Creation. And, given the nature of this Toronto Island and the community here, it seemed like a very good fit, and a variation in our pattern of worship to focus on the environment. I want to tell you about a fly. But first, as a matter of thinking about the environment or theology or spiritual practice, it is generally true that starting with something small and manageable makes it easier to get to the big picture than trying to begin big. And once you have got yourself a bit closer to the big vision, this way you can more easily go to the small and do-able things that actually engage your heart and hands in action. Now about that fly. This Summer our house has become a hangout place for flying things. Not large, but present. The doors are often open for the dogs to come and go, and it seems others use this access. I dislike moths because they might eat my clothes. We used to squash them in a clap of the hands, but this has changed. The change came with a small fly. I was washing dishes (we are old fashioned and actually still wash by hand) and a small fly began investigating the air between the dishes and my face. Honestly, if my hands had not been wet I would have squashed this fly, but the soapy water would have been all over the window and I would have had to clean the window then. So, I just looked at it. It was about as big as a mustard seed, including wingspan. It was very small indeed. I moved a hand towards it and it swerved away. I stopped moving and watched it explore and follow the scent of food, or whatever flies look for. Then I began to look at it in wonder, sheer amazement! This tiny fly had wings that allowed it movement in any direction. It could look for food. It could detect my presence and movement and take very effective evasive action. It had eyes, ears and smell all at a good level of function. It decided to land on the window. “On the window!” I thought, “a vertical sheet of glass!” And, yes, it landed, closed its wings and started to stroll around looking for things. Then it took off again. There was a whole person, or being, in there, in that mustard seed sized creature. I was caught in astonishment. I still don’t want flies on my house, but now we use an old, salvaged dust-buster to catch and release them outside. They come out looking a bit confused, but after a moment or two they fly off, following whatever scent or sight catches their attention. Jesus tells a story about a banquet, to which I am invited. It’s a creation banquet in this version. Everything is there. Furred and feathered, scaled and skinned, aquatic, terrestrial and avian. The whole of living creation is there against a backdrop of grasses, trees and water, in which there are other hosts of living things. Naturally, I am representing the human race, and where do I expect to be seated? I expect to be next to God at the high table. After all, do we not think of ourselves as God’s best work? God looks at me, the representative of humanity, and asks, “Have you seen the number of empty seats? Species you have driven into extinction through over-hunting, pollution, deforestation and so forth?” How do I reply? That we invented writing? That we build big things like pyramids and high-rise office blocks? That we have armies and enough nuclear weapons to wipe out our entire species? (But I omit to say how many other innocent species we will wipe out because we humans tend not to count them.) That we humans are rapidly increasing in numbers and burning our way through the planet’s resources so fast that we are beginning to look for another planet to move off to? Do I reply that we invented symphony orchestras and oil paintings? God says, “You can go and sit down, just below that small fly.” We were meant to be the stewards of Creation, but largely, as a species, we have plundered it. The Garden of Eden story sets us in the garden, of the garden, and responsible for the garden. To tend it and care for it, and to eat its fruit and be in balance with the garden. We are part of the ecosystem. But now we tend to imagine ourselves to be outside and other. And the ecosystem is for our use, convenience or pleasure. I think that when we gathered enough science and technology, enough gun-powder and steam engines, we effectively stepped “outside of nature” into an “Us-It” relationship. It is much like my attitude to my local Valu-Mart. I just go and get stuff there. There’s always food there. I have no real idea where it comes from or how it gets there. That’s not my worry. This is not new. Listen again to Jeremiah.. Thus says the Lord: What wrong did your ancestors find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthless things, and became worthless themselves? ......... I brought you into a plentiful land to eat its fruits and its good things. But when you entered you defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination. And it is because of this attitude, that I shamefully acknowledge as my own, that I must sit below the fly. Jesus invites me to start thinking of myself at the very bottom of the line. We see ourselves as the top of the pyramid of creation, but perhaps we are just at the bottom, removing the blocks of the pyramid to build ourselves ugly mansions. If I were to hear Jesus, how might I begin to live out that response? If you were to hear Jesus, how might you begin to live out that response? It is something about humility. Willingly going to the lowest place, not expecting to be moved up higher, but, perhaps, hoping. In the Christian teaching humility is based in service. How then do we serve the web of creation in which we actually live? Perhaps it begins with a fly. Perhaps it begins with a plastic bag not chosen, and a cloth bag, a bit tattered, bundled in your pocket. It might begin by marking the boundaries of your world by the distance you can walk or cycle. It might be in choosing a different diet. There are innumerable staring points. But it needs to begin with something like a fly. It needs to begin in your heart. Something that God used to touch you, call you to attention, to notice, to wonder and be in awe. It needs, for us who have faith, in seeking the mind and heart of God. It needs to be a seed that grows into a tree of actions and choices, not a rule book of miserable deprivations, but a set of celebratory markers. “A week without meat! Hurrah!” “A donation to an ecological study/activism/political influence group?” “A daily touching of the water in the lake to say thank-you to the Creator.” You can make your own symbolic and active commitments. And enter some sort of accountability system to help you keep going. Another point of the Christian teaching is that we do not gain salvation in isolation from others, but as members of a body, different parts of a whole. Your church community might be a place to find travelling companions on this journey. Your journey might start with a fly. Which, in many ways, resembles an angel. May God go with you on this journey David. Reflection Music: ‘For the Beauty of the Earth’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFz3uQbImnw Lyrics in YouTube, music by John Rutter, choir from St. Joseph’s Private School, Kuching THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE A prayer leader reads the prayers Let us pray for ourselves and each other, and for those that we do not know, but who you know. We remember those we know who are sick in body, mind or spirit, especially........ We pray for those who are close to death or who have passed through death, remembering ....... All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures. You embrace with your tenderness all that exists. Pour out upon us the power of your love, that we may protect life and beauty. Fill us with peace, that we may live 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. Prayers of Reconciliation Dear friends in Christ, God is steadfast in love and infinite in mercy; welcoming sinners and inviting us to this table. Let us confess our sins, confident in God’s forgiveness. Giver of life in the midst of a plundered earth we groan with creation have mercy on us Giver of Life in the midst of poisoned water we groan with creation have mercy on us Giver of life in the midst of polluted air we groan with creation have mercy on us Giver of Life, in the midst of mountains of waste we groan with creation have mercy on us. Amen Silence is kept. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us, that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen. May Almighty God have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. The Peace The peace of the Lord be always with you. And also with you. Offering Hymn #408: ‘Wind Upon the Waters’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8aS-VlIevg Wind upon the waters, voice upon the deep, rouse your sons and daughters, wake us from our sleep, Come, O spirit, and renew all the life that comes from you. Send your winds upon the waters of my soul. Showers from the heavens, water from the earth, gift so wholly given, source of every birth. Come, O Spirit, and rewnew all the life that comes from you. Send your winds upon the waters of my soul Rock and hill and garden, wood and desert sand; prairie, field and meadow, shaped by Love's own hand. Love that fills the world around, springing up from barren ground, grow your love within the garden of my soul. Blazing light of wonder, flame that pierces night; burst the dark asunder, fill our souls with light. Lord of glory, fill the skies, make an end to hatred's cries, be the blazing Sun of justice in our lives. Wind upon the waters, rains upon the sand, grace your sons and daughters, newborn by your hand. Come, O Spirit and renew all the life that comes from you, send your winds upon the waters of my soul. THE FIRST EUCHARISTIC PRAYER FOR THE SEASON OF CREATION The Lord be with you And also with you Lift up your hearts. We lift them to God Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God of all of Creation It is right to give God thanks and praise You spoke the Word and all that is in heaven and on the earth, all things, came to be. Your Spirit hovered over the primal elements, and you brought forth life in forms innumerable, including this our fragile earth, and we amongst its inhabitants. As our past is in you, so our hope for the future rests with you. As we have turned from your way, so we turn again to the warmth of your love. Through you all things are brought to new life. And now we give you thanks for the glories of your creation given into our care, and for the opportunities we have to share that richness with all your people. And so with the wonders of creation and the songs of praise of all your creatures both in heaven and on earth, we praise you now and forever saying: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of passion and light, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. In the night that Jesus was betrayed, he took bread, work of human hands, gift of our earth, and gave thanks to God. He broke the bread to speak to us of the breaking of his body upon the cross. He gave it to his friends and said: Take and eat, for this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. He took the wine, work of human hands, gift of our earth, and gave thanks to God the Creator. He poured out the wine to speak to us of the pouring out of his blood. saying: This is my blood of the new covenant, shed for you and for all creation for the forgiveness of sins. Every time you drink of the vine, do this in remembrance of me. So we proclaim the mystery of faith: Christ has died Christ is risen Christ will come again. Therefore God, we who seek your reconciliation; we who need reconciliation one with another; we who hope for reconciliation with all creation, draw close to this mystery. In being broken, poured out and buried, life sprang forth again. In the breaking, there is an opening up; in the pouring out, there are the roots of sharing; in death and burial, there is the seed of the new life to come. As we look in our world, in our lives, and in our hearts, for his second coming, keep us close to this vision that we have seen. Send upon us, and upon all your creation, the life-giving Spirit who first moved upon the waters of the deep. Stir in us the creative and redeem the destructive. Unite us with you through the body and blood of your Son, your Word made flesh. By whom, and with whom and in whom, in the unity of your Creative Spirit, with all that has been, is, and will be in your universe, we stand before you and worship you, God of all, in songs of everlasting praise, Blessing and honour and glory and power be yours for ever and ever. Amen. The Lord’s Prayer As our Saviour taught us, let us pray, Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil, For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, Now and for ever. Amen. Closing Hymn #411 ‘O Lord of Every Shining Constellation’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs2NJdBXCfo O Lord of every shining constellation that wheels in splendour through the midnight sky, grant us your Spirit’s true illumination to read the secrets of your work on high. You, Lord, have made the atom’s hidden forces; your laws its mighty energies fulfil. Teach us, to who you give such rich resources, in all we use, to serve your holy will. You, Lord, have stamped your image on your creatures, and though they mar that image, love them still; lift up our eyes to Christ, that in his features we may discern the beauty of your will. The Blessing Go out into the world rejoicing, and encounter the Creator who waits to meet you there; Rejoice in its richness and diversity and live as those who praise God for its bounty; and the blessing of the Creator God, the Eternal Father, the Risen Son and the Promised Holy Spirit bless you that you might be a blessing to others today and always. Amen We will depart in peace, in the name of the Lord. Amen! Alleluia! ******** NOTICES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THIS WEEK Please continue to contribute to St. Andrew’s! The church has ongoing monthly expenses and no collection plate while we are all unable to gather. Due to Covid-19, please do not use cheques. Here are several ways you can support your church: PAR - Pre-Authorized Remittance. This is the best way we have found to help. It is secure and well recommended. For information contact Joyce Rogers at standrewbookings@gmail.com You can continue to use these methods of support too.. E-Transfer - Use email: standrewbookings@gmail.com Canada Helps – See the link in the announcement section or go to the website. https://www.canadahelps.org/CharityProfilePage.aspx?CharityID=d65834 |
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