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:

A new commandment I give to you,
that you love one another
as I have loved you.

John 13.34

O Come. Let Us Worship. 

Gathering

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 

Almighty God,
your Son revealed in signs and miracles
the wonder of your saving love.
Renew your people with your heavenly grace,
and in all our weakness
sustain us by your mighty power;
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:

Luke 6.27–38

May the words of my lips and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable to You, O Lord.  Amen.

Living in Harmony with God

In about an hour, we will begin our AGM. As we go through the Annual Report, we will review the story of St. John’s living in harmony with God.

Reading the scriptures we can glean many examples of just how we can or should be living in harmony with God. 
    
In the BAS there is a prayer with the title “A Prayer for Christian Life.” 
    
This prayer begins with a plea for peace.
    
The world today prays for peace. The world of yesterday prayed for peace. The world tomorrow will pray for peace. 
    
This past week as it was very cold on the prairies and if you looked at a map of Canada you would see the majority of the geographical area shaded in red.
    
I stopped, -- thinking of those few words I just shared with you -- how much of the globe at this moment would be shaded in red if we were to identify those areas without peace.
    
Last Sunday I spoke about “why we are here.” This was connected to a Christmas card we received in the parish giving thanks for the care of this parish when visiting. The writer shared with us how this parish had lived  out  its baptismal covenant in the ministry that was offered by this person while she visited here in the parish—how we had lived out our living in harmony with God.
    
Today we can say that we are here to give to the world the basis and reason for living in harmony with God.

Following a call for peace, the prayer calls for us to be a people of love over hatred.
    
Then we are asked to remember the basics of forgiveness. 

To have peace, we need to be able to pardon. 

To create community, we need to find unity.

In the midst of all of this we need to find faith; need to find faith, hope and light. 
    
One of the lessons is to be able to find joy when there is sadness. 
    
One of the lines is “not so much to be consoled as to console.” 

Here I want to give a shout out to mothers. The golden example most of us have learned from the knees of our mothers—or some of us who grew up in an era of mothers and aprons, who learned how to console from the apron strings of our mothers. Now as a parent we all understand this petition: to seek to console rather than be consoled.      
    
By now I am sure we have all put a name to the prayer. 
    
It ends: For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
    
Yes, the Prayer of St. Francis.

Let us take a look at Francis and his life. Who was he?
    
Reading the life of St. Francis, we discover he grew up in a very rich family: really, he had no wants. Everything was available to him. All the food, you might say, that he could ask for. All the gifts and securities that one could think of having. Really, in some ways, he might say ‘not a care in the world.’  He could have anything he desired. 
    
Then by chance, one day in his 20’s he encountered a leper. It was at this moment he discovered his uselessness. (I love that word—how they relate that to what Francis experienced) and it was soon after that that he heard a voice from Jesus speak to him.
    
It was at that moment that he threw away his wardrobe, and renouncing his family’s wealth.
    
It was soon after that Francis established a life committed to caring for the poor and crippled. Today we know it as the Franciscans or, The Franciscan Community’. 

Let us hear once again then, these words Christ spoke to the world through the eleven. (Matthew 28:18-20)
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” 

I am not sure. When we hear the life stories of some of our saints, that we too might wonder. Possibly wonder more about our own living and asking, “Would I give up wealth to be a follower of Jesus?”

Let me share three real life incidents with you—incidents from my personal life.
1.    When it became public, I would leave my first vocation to go to seminary and offer myself for Ordination or Holy Orders. Some found that difficult to understand. To them it was like giving up security.
2.    When I returned to Saskatoon to work at the seminary, we had Bishop Claude Payne of Texas as the Bishop in Residence. Bishop Payne is remembered for his book, “Reclaiming the Great Commission.” The book is based on Matthew 28:18-20. – “Go and make disciples…”

Bishop Payne and his colleagues introduced to the church to this great challenge: all of us—individuals, congregations, judicatories, and denominations—to move away from a maintenance orientation and embrace “the missionary power of first-century Christianity.” In twenty-first century churches that was a message that certainly caught peoples’ ears.

One of my views of Annual Meetings, is first then to ask the question “Are we church or are we business?” We should not be all about maintenance. Rather, we should be about mission. 

One other quote from Bishop Payne is:

“Is anyone else tired of time, talent, and treasure?” And he would say, “Try “time and talents, love, compassion, effort and dedication, and whatever funds (we) can provide.” P.123

My friend Lon who was a student at the time of Bishop Payne’s visit both quickly became students of Bishop Payne. These words resonate with St. Francis’ prayer. 

3.    Our move to Vancouver Island. The first reaction by friends and colleagues, and in particular from our Island friends: “you obviously came to the Island  because of the weather.” Or (to pick up on some clergy chatter) “Are you that close to retirement?” When we told them neither they were surprised when we said, “It was a Call from God.”

4.    Quickly. Lon and myself, visiting a parishioner who was dying and who (just prior to his death rallied as we sometimes call it) and spoke to both of us saying, “Go and tell about Jesus.” That moment resonates to this day—loudly!
    
When we come then to today, and to the point in my words today, one could think, “All this is fine for the ordained. But does it apply to everyone out in the pew?’

Of course! It is a rhetorical question. You know the answer!
    
In Genesis, we have Joseph and his brothers’ finding reconciliation. At the beginning of the story of Joseph, would anyone have thought that there could be reconciliation between him and his brothers?  After all, they had sold Joseph into slavery not realizing that it would be for the salvation of all the people of their nation. 
    
Then Luke gives us these words from Christ highlighting what it is to live in harmony with God.
    
He is not just addressing the disciples, but the whole congregation. It is much like attending an ordination service in our church. We observe words of encouragement for the person or persons being ordained, but at the same time, they are words of encouragement and endorsement for each one of us listening.

So, we ask, what do we hear from Christ today?
    
Christ invites us to shower radical love, blessing, forgiveness, generosity, and trust—even on our enemies and those who we might call “outsiders.” For then our reward will be one of overflowing blessings. 

Thanks be to God, Amen. 

Let Us Pray

With the Spirit of Christ shining upon us, let us boldly pray for the church, the world, and all of creation.

Surprising God, you call us to love our enemies and to show kindness in the fact of cruelty.
Let our actions be shining witness of your overwhelming grace for all.
God of grace, hear our prayer.

As animals hibernate and fields lay dormant, let them be a reminder that life and faith are not static but always changing and growing. May we, with all creation, trust that the ending of one thing promises life in a new way.
God of grace, hear our prayer.

We pray for leaders and policymakers who work to reduce violence in our nations, cities, and towns. Give your wisdom and discernment amid heated arguments and differing viewpoints.
God of grace, hear our prayer.

We pray for the victims of abuse and violence.
Provide safe shelter and new beginnings to those experiencing domestic violence and dangerous situations. Enfold with love all who seek your healing care. 
We continue to pray for:
John, Sheila, Geoff, and we pray for our friends in Roman Catholic communities as they pray for their leader, Pope Francis.
God of grace, hear our prayer.

Empower our faith communities to be signs of your gracious love.
Bless the local ministries of parish nursing and caregiving, that they will be a voice for those in need in our communities. 
God of grace, hear our prayer.

We give thanks for the enduring witness of those who have died before us. May their lives in you provide a witness of your everlasting grace.
God of grace, hear our prayer.

We entrust our prayers to you, O God, in the sure and certain hope that your promise is revealed among the people.  Amen.

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.

Gracious God,
As we have celebrated your love today, grant us strength that in the gifts of community that we received,
we may know your love in our lives, and in our friends and neighbours and families, and may we see its fulfilment in your presence in our lives.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

The Blessing: 
The peace of God,
which passes all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and
love of God, and of his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

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