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Services continue exclusively by zoom,
and our church building will be closed to the public.
The Deacon’s Cupboard (food bank) remains open during the lockdown.
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Hymn: Let There Be Light (vs. 1, 5 & 6) #572
Let there be light,
let there be understanding,
let all the nations gather,
let them be face to face;
thy kingdom come,
thy spirit turn to language,
thy people speak together,
thy spirit never fade;
let there be light,
open our hearts to wonder,
perish the way of terror,
hallow the world God made.
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.
Welcome
Celebrant: Almighty God,
All: 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.
Kyrie Eleison
Celebrant: Lord, have mercy upon us.
People: Christ, have mercy upon us.
Celebrant: Lord, have mercy upon us.
Collect
Celebrant: Let us pray. Almighty God, by grace alone you call us and accept us in your service. Strengthen us by your Spirit, and make us worthy of your call; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
A Reading from the Book of Jonah (Chapters 3: 1-5, 10)
The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, “Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk across. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth. When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.
Reader: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God.
Psalm 62: 6-14
For God alone my soul in silence waits; truly, my hope is in him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold, so that I shall not be shaken.
In God is my safety and my honour; God is my strong rock and my refuge.
Put your trust in him always, O people, pour out your hearts before him, for God is our refuge.
Those of high degree are but a fleeting breath, even those of low estate cannot be trusted.
On the scales they are lighter than a breath, all of them together.
Put no trust in extortion; in robbery take no empty pride; though wealth increase, set not your heart upon it.
God has spoken once, twice have I heard it, that power belongs to God.
Steadfast love is yours, O Lord, for you repay everyone according to his deeds.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Gradual: Alleluia (vs. 3) #715
Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
(cantor only)
The Word of the Lord is alive,
the Word of God is active–
it can judge our thoughts,
bring us closer to the Father.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
Reader: The Lord be with you
People: And also with you.
Reader: The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark
People: Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea – for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him. (Mark 1: 14-20)
Reader: The Gospel of Christ
People: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Gradual: Alleluia (vs. 3) #715
Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
(cantor only)
The Word of the Lord is alive,
the Word of God is active–
it can judge our thoughts,
bring us closer to the Father.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
Sermon
This morning’s Gospel is found in the first chapter of Mark. Mark is the shortest Gospel and stresses Jesus’ actions rather than his words. It is detail oriented with Mark explaining Jewish customs for his Roman readers. A third of his book focuses on the events during the last week of Jesus’ life, but today’s reading is about the beginning of his ministry.
Before we get to the reading for today, this chapter has already told us about John the Baptist, the baptism of Jesus, the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness and the arrest of John the Baptist. No doubt Simon and Andrew, James and John had heard stories about John, the wild man in the desert, the dove descending from heaven at the baptism of Jesus and the voice which proclaimed “You are my Son, the beloved, with you I am well pleased.” They may even have heard that the one who was baptized had now come to Galilee and as we read in verse 15 was proclaiming that “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near, repent and believe in the good news.”
We are introduced to Simon and Andrew in verse 16. They are going about their day just as they did every day. They had probably grown up watching their father doing the same thing. They were fishermen and each day had its own predictable routine. Isn’t this just like us? How many of us get up at the same time? For myself, I like to read the paper, yes a physical paper, not online. I do the word search, jumble and sudoku – always in that order. Routine, the ordinary.
Simon and Andrew are going about their day not expecting anything to change. But, Jesus has a way of showing up in these ordinary places of our life and interrupting our daily routines. That’s what he did to the lives of Simon and Andrew, James and John. That’s what he does to your life and to mine.
“Follow me and I will make you fishers of men” is Jesus’ invitation to them. If they accept the invitation, they will no longer catch just fish. They will fish for people. Jesus is not just talking about “catching” but rather the transformation that is about to happen in their lives. Jesus meets us where we are, and spoke to Simon and Andrew with words they would understand by using a fishing metaphor. Mark doesn’t record if these fishermen asked any questions, he simply records that immediately they left their nets and followed him. I would have had questions – who will look after my fishing business, what is the pay rate, do I get 3 weeks vacation after a year?
The same invitation Jesus gave to them, he gives to us – “follow me,” be part of God’s plan. Jesus’s call doesn’t come with an itinerary, only an invitation. It is a journey. It is about leaving behind ourselves, our wants, and our desires. It may even include leaving behind people or a home town. One thing is certain the journey will never be boring. God will never call us to go anywhere that He is not with his.
“Follow me” is both an invitation and a promise. It is not just about changing your career or moving to a new town. It is about discovering ourselves and discovering God within us.
As we see in our Old Testament reading, it also an invitation that may come more than once. In Jonah 1:3 we read “the word of God came to Jonah a second time.” If God wants you to do something, he will keep calling you. Jonah didn’t even want to do what God was calling him to do. He tried to run away and even when he gave in and did what God wanted, instead of being happy for the Ninevehites, he was angry! Probably not the best response.
I believe God calls us all, all through our lives. Like those fishermen of old, will we follow him?
The Apostle’s Creed
Celebrant: Let us confess our faith, as we say,
All: I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Prayers of the People
Leader: God of love;
Response: Hear our prayer
Confession and Absolution
Celebrant: Dear friends in Christ, God is steadfast in love and infinite in mercy; he welcomes sinners and invites them to his table.
Let us confess our sins, confident in God’s forgiveness.
Silence is kept.
Celebrant: Most merciful God,
All: 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.
Celebrant: 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.
People: Amen.
Peace
Celebrant: The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People: And also with you.
Announcements
- Growing in Faith: An Epiphanytide series: Wednesdays at 7:30pm weekly from Jan 6 to Feb 10 we gather online for 30-40 minutes to read and reflect on the Epiphany Old Testament readings and what they mean for us as we journey and grow in faith today. Coming up this week: Mthr Jennifer on Jonah 3:1-5, 10, Conversion, and Unexpected Grace
- All Saints’ Men’s Group is “RE-ZOOMING” monthly meetings starting on Saturday, Feb. 13, 9–10am. Guest speaker – Rev. Geoff Lloyd. Zoom link to be posted on church website. Be ready to show us your favourite coffee mug. For questions or to learn more about the group, contact Gary Gannon garygannon24@nullgmail.com
- Altar Flowers in a Time of Covid: if you would like to provide a memorial gift for your loved one to be remembered in the prayers of the people and in the bulletin, as they would have been if you had given flowers, please consider an equivalent donation in their memory. Dedications should be sent to Maria (allsaintswhitby@nullbellnet.ca) no later than the Wednesday before the Sunday it should appear.
- 2020 Annual Reports to Vestry are due today. Email reports to the office at allsaintswhitby@nullbellnet.ca. Annual General Vestry meeting will be February 28.
Hymn: Jesus Calls Us! O’er the Tumult” (vs. 1, 4 & 5) #432
Jesus calls us o’er the tumult
of our life’s wild, restless sea;
day by day his sweet voice soundeth,
saying “Christian, follow me!”
In our joys and in our sorrows,
days of toil and hours of ease,
still he calls, in cares and pleasures,
“Christian, love me more than these.”
Jesus calls us; by thy mercies,
Saviour, may we hear thy call,
give our hearts to thine obedience,
serve and love thee best of all.
Stewardship Moment
Thank you for your continued 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. All Saints also has a new way to give! Simply TEXT the word “give” to 1-844-416-1270 to contribute to the life of the parish. You will be prompted to give your name and email address (and envelope #). We accept any major credit card. Once you have entered your information the first time, giving in the future is simply one short text away.
Prayer over the Gifts
Celebrant: Loving God, before the world began you called us. Make holy all we offer you this day, and strengthen us in that calling. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Celebrant: And now, as our Saviour Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
All: Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Prayer
Gracious God, may our lives be nourished by the life of your Son. May we be strengthened for service in your world. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.
Doxology
Celebrant: Glory to God,
All: whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God from generation to generation, in the Church and in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Blessing
The Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, teach you to walk in his way more trustfully, to accept his truth more faithfully, and to share his life more lovingly; and the blessing of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit be with you and remain with you now and forevermore. Amen.
Hymn: Jesus Shall Reign Where’er the Sun (vs. 1, 3 & 4) #383
Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
doth its successive journeys run;
his kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
till moons shall wax and wane no more.
Blessings abound where’er he reigns;
the prisoners leap to lose their chains;
the weary find eternal rest,
and all who suffer want are blest.
Let every creature rise and bring
peculiar honours to our King,
angels descend with songs again,
and earth repeat the loud Amen.
The Dismissal
Leader: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
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Those Assisting with Today’s Worship
Celebrant: The Rev. Jennifer Schick
Preacher: Joanne Warman
Voice of the Congregation: Pauline Reid
Gospeller: Gary Gannon
Organist: Adriaan Bakker
Cantor: Amanda Marsh
Prayers of the People: Gail Holland
Reader: Gary Gannon
Psalmist: Pauline Reid
Digital Vergers: Erin Ralph, Tim Ralph
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