As we gather, we recognize that we live, work, pray, and play
in the traditional, unceded lands
of the Cowichan Tribes and Coast Salish People. 
We continue to commit ourselves
to the work of reconciliation and relationship-building
with our First Nations neighbours.     

Call to Worship:

Jesus preached
the gospel of the kingdom & healed 
every infirmity
among the people.

Matthew  4.23

O Come. Let Us Worship. 

Gathering

We are going to open our service this seek by singing:

"I, the Lord of sea and sky, 
I have heard my people cry. 
All who dwell in dark and sin 
my hand will save."
("Here I Am Lord")

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. 

Collect for Today 

Stir up, O Lord,
the wills of your faithful people,
that richly bearing the fruit of good works,
we may by you be richly rewarded;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Proclamation of the Gospel:

Mark 7. 24-37

May the words that I share with you today be words that are given to the Glory of God and in thanksgiving of God’s blessing in our lives.

"Rehydrating Creation"

Who’s in and who’s out? Who do we care for and who do we leave out?

What parts of Creation are most important to us, and which are the ones that I, as an individual, would wish to take care of?

Every now and then the media gives the preacher a helping hand.

I am not sure how many of you took note, here in the Valley, of some of the headlines in the “Citizen” this week.

A quick look on Wednesday provided the following:

• Mt. Sicker waste rock project moving forward.

I was heightened of an interest in that headline.
The article went on to read:

“The greater part of this article lies in what is contained in these mounds of waste.”
(I quote:)
“ … there are massive piles of waste rock on the mountain left from the Tyee, Lenora and Richard III mines, in places as much as 50-feet high, and (I love the name) Sasquatch Resources has completed studies that indicate the waste rock and tailings associated with the mining operations have decently high grades of remaining gold, silver, copper and zinc.”

Reading the complete article, one might see a metaphor between the fact today that what appears to be a “real concern” by big business is, in realty, about profit.
Is it about cleaning up the environment or is it about making more money? And I did not read how they plan to deal with the waste from this new operation.

The next headline:

• Water an issue with development.

  Well, here in the Valley, we all know that the state of the rivers for renewing the fish is a constant concern.
  Every year, there is great concern about the fish going up the Cowichan River to spawn. Would there be enough water? And so, when you read about the issue, and of water and development, then you ask “Which is more important: the fish stocks or industry or development?”

Following that article on water, is an issue with this headline,

• Dead fish in Somenos Lake. Reading that article, with the differing viewpoints, I think it best if I stay out of the political discussion. But the 4th one I want to touch on briefly.

• Possibly the most disturbing was the article on the small dog bags left in parks.

On the flipside, though, there was talk of:

• Flood mitigation work underway along the Chemainus River, to improve the flows of water and the habitat for fish spawning up that river.

So, turning to our text, if there is one common theme, it is one of inclusivity. We might ask: who is included in our Lord’s holy family, and who we are called to include in our work and worship?

The obvious answer, of course, is: “everyone.”

The tough question (or questions) are about which is more important though.  

As one writer I read this week asked: "Whose voice, vote, and views take priority when we are making decisions in our faith talk?"

It is worth hearing these words again from Proverbs:

“A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.”

“The rich and the poor have this in common: the Lord is the maker of them all.”

“Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of anger will fail. ‘

“Those who are generous are blessed, for they share their bread with the poor.”

“Do not rob the poor because they are poor or crush the afflicted at the gate; for the Lord pleads their cause and despoils of life those who despoil them.”

So, God’s inspired Word continues to this day to challenge us in how we care not only for the people around us, but care for the creation for which we are so dependent upon for our own health and our own ability to live and to share together.

In other words: Life presents choices for us.

James, today, presents for us three principles of faith:

• Commitment:
  We are reminded regularly through the scriptures, it is not good enough to simply affirm the right doctrine or agreeing with Biblical facts. We are called to commit our life to the ministry of Christ, or what is often called, Whole Life Christianity.

  In other words, it is fine for us to spend these few weeks talking about Creation, but what is our commitment? What is the commitment I am willing to make?
  And that leads to the 2^nd point from James:

• Right Action:
  The natural byproduct of true faith is action.

  And so, that’s where, when we make this commitment, then we are called to act and to be faithful in our action. And of course…

• Faith without good deeds
  does not do anybody any good. And so, that also is a very important part of our work.

And so, in studying the Epistles, you discover two truths.
Paul will tell us the purpose of faith is to discover salvation. The other, James emphasizes the result of faith – is a changed life.
I believe, if we are to care for Creation, we need to look at life-changes.

And so, we read in Letter of James today:

“What good is it, my brothers, and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Surely that faith cannot save, can it? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?  So, faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.”

From here, we can make a direct shift to our care of creation—Creation in the full meaning of the word.

To ask: how are our actions? Are our actions mere words or are they works?
Last spring, participating in the clean-up here on our church grounds, I not only watched, but worked alongside, other volunteers to shore up our plants and shrubs.

Over the next few weeks, our bulletin covers will be adorned with a variety of pictures from around our Island home. We might ask:

• “How can we protect these places of tranquility for future generations?”

• How can we protect our environment to safeguard re-hydration, day by day, week by week, year by year?

Recalling: “The Lord God made them all, each creature great and small.”

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Let Us Pray

Let us pray to God, that He will bring to fruition all that He desires for His creation.

You have created the universe by your eternal Word,
and have blessed humankind in making us stewards of the earth.
We pray for your world, that we may share and conserve its resources,
and live in reverence for the Creation and in harmony with one another.
Father, Lord of creation,
in your mercy, hear us.

You have given the human race a rich land,
a land of streams and springs, wheat and barley, vines and oil and honey.
We have made by sin a world of suffering and sorrow.
We pray for those who bear the weight of affliction,
that they may come to share the life of wholeness and plenty. 
Father, Lord of creation,
in your mercy, hear us.

In Christ, you call us to a new way of life,
loving our neighbours before ourselves.
Help us to treat with care and respect the world as it is
as we live in hope and anticipation of the world as it will be
when your kingdom comes and your will be done.
Thank you for those, living and departed, who have shown a true respect for your creation.
Help us to follow in their footsteps, until, with them, we see you face to face,
where all is made new in Christ our Lord.

For Christians in their Vocation:

Almighty and everlasting God,
by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified,
receive our supplications and prayers, which we offer before you for your servant Vernon in his vocation in ministry and for his service at St. Paul's Nanaimo, which we offer before you today. Pray that his vocation and ministry may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 

Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.  AMEN.

As our Saviour taught us:
Our Father,
who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as in heaven. 
Give us today our daily bread. 
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive
those who trespass against us.
And lead us  not into temptation,
but deliver us fom evil.  
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power and the glory,
forever and ever.  Amen.

Father,
your word and sacrament give us food and life.
May we who have shared in holy things
bear fruit to your honour and glory,
in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.

The Blessing: 

And the Peace and blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be with you, and remain with you, always. 

As we have enjoyed being in (what I like to call) my outdoor theater, we give thanks that we can share together in freedom, in the midst of all life that has been created for us, and that through the Sacrament, and the Word of God, we will always know the fruit by the honour and glory of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

Amen.