Announcements: 

• June Announcements
• All Saints’ Summer Alpha
• Shareable Alpha Online Invitation

Welcome

Greeting
Celebrant:  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
People: And also with you.

Glory to God
Celebrant: Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, heavenly king, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer.

For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Collect for the Day
Celebrant:  Let us pray.
Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ has taught us that what we do for the least of your children we do also for him. Give us the will to serve others as he was the servant of all, who gave up his life and died for us, but lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Hymn: I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say #508
(for personal viewing: Audrey Assad)

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Come unto Me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down
Thy head upon My breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was,
weary and worn and sad;
I found in Him a resting place,
and He has made me glad.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one,
stoop down, and drink, and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank
of that life giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
and now I live in Him.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“I am this dark world’s Light;
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise,
and all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found
in Him my Star, my Sun;
And in that light of life I’ll walk,
till traveling days are done.

The Word

• A Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans (Chapter 7: 15-25a)
• Psalm 45: 10-17
• The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew (Chapter 11: 16-19, 25-30)

Hymn: Blest are the Pure in Heart  (vs. 1, 2 & 4)  #439
(for personal viewing: Josh Bales)

Blest are the pure in heart,
for they shall see our God;
the secret of the Lord is theirs,
their soul is Christ’s abode.

The Lord, who left the heavens
our life and peace to bring,
to dwell in lowliness with men,
their pattern and their King;

Lord, we thy presence seek;
may ours this blessing be;
give us a pure and lowly heart,
a temple fit for thee.

Stewardship Moment
We are a part of God’s mission to care for the world using all the gifts God has given us. Whether we meet in person or online or not at all, God wants us to give back in ways that are meaningful and significant. Offertory is not a membership fee. Regular giving is an answer to God’s call to us to be disciples … to offer resources that reflect the grace and generosity of  Christ and equip the Church to be His hands and feet in the world. It supports for ministry opportunities to reach those who have not yet heard of God’s love and invite them to make our church their church.

Thank you for your faithfulness in stewardship.  Continue to drop off or mail your offertory envelopes to the church. If you haven’t yet, please consider becoming a pre-authorized giver or making a habit of donating online at the end of each Sunday service.

Sermon
Lord, we thank you for the gift of your Word and as we think on these things, open our hearts and our minds to hear you. Amen.

Do you have any cousins? Are you exact copies of each other, like clones? Well, if you have the same sort of cousins as I do, nothing could be further from the truth. Even brothers and sisters can often be described as ‘different as chalk and cheese.’ Jesus had a cousin, John the Baptist, and, although not quite opposites, they were certainly at other ends of the scale as far as their approach to religion was concerned. John came preaching ‘a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.’ This doesn’t mean he was constantly bashing people over the head with their sins. But he certainly expected people to aim for the highest standards of morality and demonstrated a life of abstinence in protest at the self-indulgent and selfish lifestyles of the society at the time. For he was preaching to the complacent and the proud, who thought having the right parents and going through the rituals of religion assured them of a seat in the kingdom of God. They regarded foreigners as dirty and immoral, who needed to wash before they could come into the presence of respectable folk. John said everyone is a sinner in the eyes of God because God loves everyone equally; those who were despised as sinners just as much as those who thought themselves as righteous.

John’s cousin Jesus went further. He was an extrovert, who enjoyed going to parties with people who weren’t quite respectable, no matter how much it harmed his reputation. His enemies even accused him of eating and drinking too much; he was a ‘glutton and a drunkard’, they said, and, though no one had ever found Jesus drunk in a gutter, ‘a man is known by the company he keeps’, they thought, and declared Jesus guilty by association. So, they rejected John for being too sober, and Jesus for not being sober enough. But that was just an excuse, because they didn’t like their message, and ‘some people are never satisfied’. In fact, Jesus and John were proclaiming different aspects of the same message. God is like those good parents, they said, who want their kids to behave, and be loving and tolerant to each other, but nothing will stop them loving their children, no matter how naughty they may be at times.

So, who were these ‘tax collectors and sinners’ whose company Jesus enjoyed so much? They were outcasts from respectable Jewish society because they collaborated with the Roman occupying forces. Tax was collected from the Jews, on top of the Temple tax they were already burdened with, to support the Roman administration and pay the soldiers who oppressed them. So, the tax collectors were quislings and traitors to their own nation. Jesus is sometimes mentioned as associating with prostitutes. But, in those days, a woman who was widowed or divorced often had no other way to keep herself from starving to death. Where there’s an occupying army, there are always camp followers, ‘sleeping with the enemy’. So, these outcasts weren’t especially wicked people; they were shut out by those who wanted to be exclusive, to have nothing to do with those who were perceived as foreigners and traitors.

Jesus, by contrast, welcomed the underprivileged and the marginalised and touched those who were ritually unclean. He even healed a Gentile woman’s daughter and a Roman centurion’s boy. Jesus’s parable of the good Samaritan praised a foreigner above his fellow Jews. Like his cousin John, who taught that the ‘in-crowd’, the Jews were just as much in need of repentance as the outsiders, the Gentiles, Jesus battled to break down the artificial barriers of race, class and culture, and after he died his disciples continued the same programme right up to the present day.

Richard Dawkins, the former well-known British author and atheist, blames religion for starting wars by being so narrow-minded and exclusive, but tolerance is at the heart of the message of Jesus. It’s true that most of us fail to live up to the standard of inclusiveness which Jesus taught, but gradually it’s having an effect. We have only to look at the progress made in bringing human rights and justice to the black population of the USA and other persecuted minorities around the world to see how this Gospel of Jesus continues to effect so much of human history in spite of the huge opposition to it down the centuries. Amen.

Prayers of the People
Leader:        Lord of all,
Response:   Hear our prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer

Hymn: How Clear is our Vocation (vs. 1, 3 & 4)  #466
(for personal viewing)

How Clear is our vocation, Lord,
when once we heed your call:
to live according to your word,
and daily learn, refreshed, restored,
that you are Lord of all,
and will not let us fall.

We mark your saints, how they became
in hindrances more sure,
whose joyful virtues put to shame
the casual way we wear your name,
and by our faults obscure
your power to cleanse and cure.

In what you give us, Lord, to do,
together or alone,
in old routines or ventures new,
may we not cease to look to you,
the cross you hung upon,
all you endeavoured done.

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 amongst you and remain with you always.  Amen.

Tuesday, June 2

Anyone who claims “The Bible is boring,” has obviously not read Chapter 12 in the Gospel of Mark. In this New Testament chapter, we have a full display of human conduct and emotions; murderous vineyard workers, dialogue laced with suspicion and trickery, questions about the guidance of human conduct and royal lineage, interrogations with dark intentions, commentary on the virtue of the marginalized and spoken wisdom on the role of civic responsibility. And this all contained in a mere forty-four verses!

No doubt you have heard the famous maxim attributed to Mark Twain, “Never discuss politics and religion in polite company.” Well, in today’s Gospel reading (Mark 12: 13-17), we read of an encounter where Jesus decides to engage in such an exchange in response to a cagey question posed to him by some Pharisees and Herodians. You will recall that Pharisees (Hebrew for “separated ones”) were members of the Jewish party who obeyed the written law of Moses and its unwritten interpretations. Their focus was on holiness particularly as seen in the course of human conduct. Herodians were prominent and influential Jewish men who accepted Herod as their king and collaborated with the Roman government. It was these two groups who Mark described, in Chapter 3, v.6, as conspiring together in order to destroy Jesus after witnessing Him on the Sabbath healing a man with a withered hand,

Part of the dialogue designed to trick Jesus, seen in today’s reading, involved a question about paying a tribute or tax levied on a flat fee per person basis. “Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor or not? Should we pay them or not?” This was a loathsome reminder that Judea was subjugated to Rome. The Pharisees and Herodites designed their question in such a way that it looked like Jesus would get in trouble with someone no matter how he answered it. A negative response by Jesus would cast him as a seditious enemy of Rome; a positive response would undermine his popularity with the vast majority of Jewish people, who generally detested the tribute.

Our Lord’s wisdom is seen in his response to this question. Jesus asks to see a denarius, a Roman coin used for propaganda purposes that depicted the head of the emperor on one side and typically a robed woman on the reverse side of the coin holding a scepter in her right hand and a palm or olive branch in the left. The inscriptions on the coin refer to the divine nature of the Roman emperor and that all people were subject to his divine rule and authority. Jesus then responds to the Pharisee and Herodian interrogators “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor and to God the things that are God’s.” Those who tried to trick Him were amazed at this answer.

Austin Cline of Princeton University (2017) noted a traditional Christian interpretation of Jesus’s response seen in Mark’s gospel is to direct people to be diligent in fulfilling their obligations to God as they are in fulfilling their secular obligations to the state. This relationship is echoed elsewhere in the New Testament letters, Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2. In the 21st century, we realize and indeed value the necessity of government in ordering the affairs of society. But we also are cognizant of the fact that government authority over humankind is delegated by God. While Christians should model good citizenship towards the state, as “the emperor” is indeed owed something, our true desire to worship the giver of all that we have and all that we are is solely owed to God.

Prayer

Heavenly Father. we are so grateful to be living in a democracy where many play a part in making sure the needs and desires of the nation’s citizens are heard and met. As our leaders work together to find solutions to difficult problems, we ask that You guide them to speak respectfully and with humility to one another. Help them to show Christ-like love to those they interact with and be an advocate for their constituents and others, particularly those in these times who are without food, work, justice or safety. Amen.

Adapted from World Vision’s “How to pray for government leaders.” (2019)

Thursday, June 25

After 15 weeks of work-from-home protocols, I am sick of my dining room. The furniture, the wall colour, the framed family photos on the sideboard, I cherish them all, but I have seen enough of them. In desperation last week I borrowed a piece of original art from an Ajax artist who wasn’t able to show his work this spring. You may have noticed “Fragile Earth-Handle with Care” for the first time in my background at last Sunday’s zoom service. It was coincidental that this picture literally loomed large for me as we read John Chapter 1, verse 1: “In the beginning was the Word…,” and as Gary Gannon’s thoughtful sermon reminded me that the New Testament verse plays off of the Old Testament’s “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.“ (Genesis 1:1).

Gary also vividly recalled for us the experience of encountering the Gospel reading on a wintery Christmas Eve. Some of you may associate the Genesis reading with Christmas Eve as well, thanks to the NASA Apollo 8 moon orbit in 1968. As they viewed their first lunar sunrise and grainy footage was transmitted to earthbound listeners, astronauts Lovell, Anders and Borman read Scripture. Their view of earth (and mine in my new art piece) are variations of that singular iconic image of Earth that we have all seem countless times, that perfect blue marble that stands out for us a symbol of our shared habitat. Add to that other stunning celestial images, like “Earthrise” or the “Pillars of Creation” captured by the NASA Hubble telescope, and you get a sense of how space is a powerful indicator of God’s great glory and transcendence.

Astronaut John Glenn told reporters in 1998, just after returning from his final trip to space at age 77, “To look out at this kind of creation and not believe in God is to me impossible. It just strengthens my faith.” And there are countless accounts of astronauts and astronomers having their faith increased or sparked by their glimpses into the cosmos.

The news of the day increasingly tests our faith and seems to point out to us how fractured and divided the world is and how little we understand each other’s experiences. And yet, from that “thirty-thousand foot view” or more correctly, the 380, 000 km view of space, we can easily comprehend why the Genesis reading ends on the sixth day with this: “And God saw everything that he had made and it was very good.” Indeed, five times before that – with each day’s newly formed element – the Genesis narrative repeats, “God saw that it was good.”

When we look at Earth from space, it appears (for the most part) very good and unified and whole. Similarly, when we look at a coral reef, we don’t see individual species of fish, we see a precious, beautiful ecosystem.  And there’s that cliché about not seeing the forest for the trees, but I think it’s sometime a good thing to pull back and see the whole of the forest in its cohesion and solidarity. As one of my favorite bands sings of people’s us-vs-them approach to life, “Darling, our disease is the same one as the trees/ Unaware that they’ve been living in a forest.” We are – despite our individual differences and our recurring failure to navigate those differences with grace and love – all of one community in Creation. We are made in God’s image as part of a cosmos so vast and intricate and astonishingly beautiful to the human eye (or at least the human eye aided by the wonder of satellites and rovers and deep space telescopes) that it is staggering, and we should feel bound together as humankind above all else.

The majesty of space should reinforce for us the oneness and common interests of our humanity. As Psalm 19:1 indicates “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” The work of God’s hand is the created universe and us in it. I am not saying we can ignore the real and apparent differences with which we struggle as a global society. I am not saying that we should look at things with such a broad view that we don’t see human individuality in its many colours and gender expressions and socioeconomic diversity, but I do think that at the heart of everything is God’s great unswerving “it is good.” And attached to that is a call to us as faithful disciples to make it so when it’s not.

In a 2017 interview, Jim Lovell, the astronaut who flew on the Apollo 8 mission that featured the Creation reading and later on the Apollo 13 mission that almost didn’t return, remarked “In reality, you know, God has really given us a stage, …  a stage on which we perform. And how that play turns out is up to us, I guess.”

Hard to sum it up more plainly and persuasively than that.

Prayer:

At your command all things came to be: the vast expanse of interstellar space, galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses, and this fragile earth, our island home; by your will they were created and have their being. From the primal elements you brought forth the human race, and blessed us with memory, reason, and skill; you made us the stewards of creation.
Pour out your Spirit upon the whole earth and make it your new creation. Gather your Church together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom, where peace and justice are revealed, that we, with all your people, of every language, race, and nation, may share the banquet you have promised; through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ, all honour and glory are yours, creator of all.
Glory to you for ever and ever. Amen.

– Excerpted from Eucharistic Prayer 4, Book of Alternative Services

June 23, 2020

Light at the end of the tunnel – signs of hope

Dear Friends in Christ,

My letter to you today is more practical in nature than spiritual but, as I’m talking about our return to worship in church, I suppose it’s a bit of both! I make no apology but I’m paraphrasing to a large extent a letter sent out on June 17 by our Diocesan Bishop Andrew Asbil to all clergy and church leaders.

Ever since the lockdown in March 2019 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been looking for signs of hope, whether it be a vaccine or a cure or a potentially effective drug. Unfortunately, the opposite has been the case with dire statistics and rising numbers of new cases. As weeks turned into months, it was easy to become discouraged and we all kept asking, “When will it start to get better?”

But now we are seeing signs of hope and the light at the end of the tunnel is becoming more distinct! As of today, Ontario has seen a consistent drop of infected cases to less than 200 cases per day and the curve seems to be flattening and progress is being made with Durham now entering Stage 2 of easing the lockdown. I’m even going for a haircut today at 1:00pm – Hallelujah!!

As well as many other liftings of restrictions, the provincial government and health authorities have loosened the restraints imposed on the Church. But, as people of God, we are conscious of our tremendous responsibility – our baptismal promises, in fact – to care for each other and the whole world. Therefore, we are obliged to resume our common life together using the utmost caution, with deliberate care. As I mentioned in the notices two Sundays ago, I would hate to be the Priest-in-Charge who allowed his church to open up too soon and by doing so caused an outbreak of COVID-19 among our family and possibly even the deaths of some parishioners.

For this reason, the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario has issued a template for the reopening of our churches entitled “Loving Our Neighbours” and each separate diocese will be releasing specific instructions with concrete guidance for parishes on June 30, 2020 (NB: this is not a date for reopening, only the date of issuing instructions on how to reopen). Hours of prayer, consultation and hard work have been poured into this by Bishop Andrew and his staff and I would ask all of us to pray for them as they deliberate on these difficult decisions to be made. I am sure the instructions will give us a clear path as to how we proceed in reopening All Saints, Whitby for public worship. Please pray for me and the Wardens as we seek to bring us back together in person!

Finally, let us not forget the 2,550 Ontarians who have lost their lives to COVID-19. For their families, there will be no “return to normal”. Please keep them, and all those affected by the disease – the sick, the vulnerable, health-care workers, care-givers and those working in essential businesses – in your prayers as we move forward in reopening carefully, bringing signs of hope and a bright, shining light at the end of the tunnel!

Thank you for reading this different type of Thought for The Day but I hope you will understand why I have done it. Finally, a reminder of God’s love for us in the words of “Footprints”:

One night I had a dream. I dreamed I was walking along the beach with God, and across the sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonged to God and one belonged to me. When the last scene of my life flashed before us I looked back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed that at times along the path of life there was only one set of footprints. I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of my life. This really bothered me, and I questioned God about it.

‘God, you said that once I decided to follow you, you would walk with me all the way, but I noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why, in times when I need you most, you would leave me.’

God replied, ‘My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never, never leave you during your times of trials and suffering. When you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.’

With love and best wishes to you all,

Geoff