Epiphany Service for May 21, 2023

 

The flowers in the Sanctuary today are to the Glory of God and in loving memory of a dear husband and father Don Hawkins, given by Carole Hawkins and family.

 

The flowers in the Sanctuary today are to the Glory of God and in loving memory of a dear father Maurice Delves given by daughter Gail Rees and family.

 

The flowers in the Sanctuary are dedicated to the Glory of God in memory of Don Rake, loving husband of Marion Rake.

 

Thank you Rev. Peter for preaching at 11 a.m.

 

*Garage/Rummage/Bake Sale.Thank you workers! 1000.00$ 

 *Trivia Night.  $1700.00

 

*Mason’s visit.  With lunch after.  May 28.  Let’s do our church proud shall we?  Write this on your calendar.

 

*Penny Social.  Friday May 26 Help needed.  Doors at 6:30.  Calling or Drawing at 7:30. Donate Little prizes? 1:00 set up.  Chips and Drinks for sale.

 

*Epiphany Emporium. COFEE CANS NEEDED.  Crafters Show and Sale. Saturday June 17.  10 a.m. till 3 p.m. Set Up Fri. June 16.  Help needed.

 

*  Mint smoothies Sandra $3.

 

*Jeremy Smith in Concert.  John Denver.  Sunday July 30 at 2:00  ! 10$

 

Craft Club – Saturday, May 20 and  June 10 – 10am-noon

 

*Food Cupboard.  For the sake of inventory clarity, we request that all requests go through Butch. 519-615-9106. Text or call.  See reverse for current needs.

 

* Cancelled stamps. Gloria Thompson.

*Rinsed empty drink containers for Keanna

*The Church Website http://www.thechurchofepiphany.com/

 

* Please Like Our FACEBOOK PAGE https://www.facebook.com/11Briscoe

 

 

 

*If you wish, our regular weekly donations or special donations may be sent to our Envelope Secretary:

 

Barb Smallman

4860 Whiteoak Road

London, Ontario

N6E 3Y8

 

519-680-0649

 

 

 

 

Bible Readings for May 21 2023

 

 

Audio Service for May 21 2023

 

Opening: 

 

Living and gracious God,

through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ

you have brought us out to a spacious place

where we are called to live as those redeemed.

Empower us by your spirit to keep your commandments,

that we may show forth your love

with gentle word and reverent deed

to all your people. Amen.

 

Thematic Prayer:

Creator of the universe,

you made the world in beauty,

and restore all things in glory

through the victory of Jesus Christ.

We pray that, wherever your image is still disfigured

by poverty, sickness, selfishness, war and greed,

the new creation in Jesus Christ may appear in justice, love, and peace,

to the glory of your name. Amen.

Reading John 17:1-11

17:1 After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you,

17:2 since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

17:4 I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do.

17:5 So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.

17:6 “I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

17:7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you;

17:8 for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.

17:9 I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours.

17:10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them.

17:11 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.

Sermon

In one of his writings, Thomas Carlyle

        told of a boy who went to a fancy dinner. 

 

In the midst of the meal,

        he got a piece of hot potato in his mouth. 

 

Much to the embarrassment 

           of all those dignified dinner guests

                              he spit the piece of potato out 

                                         and put it back on his plate. 

 

Then he looked around at the shocked faces 

              and said, 

               “You know, 

                     there’s many a fool 

                           that would have tried to swallow that!”

===

And now I am no longer in the world,

        but they are in the world, , 

                                       protect them, 

 

protect us

 

A man was being tailgated 

      by a stressed-out woman on a busy street. 

 

Suddenly the light turned yellow.

 

 And though he could have run it,

                                     he chose not to.

 

 The tailgating woman –

          who was all set to run it with him – 

                 missed his rear end by a matter of inches. 

 

Screeching to a stop, 

         she jerked forward in her seat.

 

 Figuratively, she hit the roof. 

 

Literally, she hit the horn.

           Rolling down the window,

                   she screamed and gestured 

                      until an officer approached her in mid-rant 

 

the officer

asked for her license and registration.

 

When he returned,

      she had calmed enough to inquire as to why she

                was under suspicion. 

 

“Well,” said the officer, 

        “when I pulled up behind you 

            blowing your horn and screaming, 

                          I paused to read your bumper stickers.”

 

“God loves you and so do I.”

“Honk if you love Jesus.”

 

 So you can understand 

             why I assumed you had stolen the car.”

====

And now I am no longer in the world,

                          but they are in the world, , 

                                so they may be one, as we are one.

 

Oneness is the goal:

 

A Canadian 

draws cartoons 

called “Pot Shots.”

 

 There is one

Two people with walking sticks in hand 

        are climbing a mountain in knee-deep snow. 

 

The caption reads: 

         “Keep Climbing Upwards! 

 

You may never reach the top, 

              but it’s definitely in that direction.”

 

According to today’s reading, 

    Our goal in unity.

——

We have to continue to work toward unity and understanding – 

          between each other, , 

                between cultures and between faiths. 

 

We may never reach it, 

         but by working toward it, 

              at least we’ll be going in the right direction.

=====

but they are in the world, , 

 

We still have to live in the world

       But that is a good thing.

           We all have work to do on earth.

 

The work of Love.

 

Each of our individual skills 

                  can be used for good. 

 

For example;

        Idlers of a seacoast town watched the village smith day 

                  after day as he painstakingly wrought every link 

                           of a great chain he was forging. 

 

Behind his back they scoffed

          at such care being taken on such an ordinary thing

                     as a chain. 

 

But the old craftsman worked on,

              ignoring them as if he had not heard them at all.

 

Eventually the chain was attached

            to a great anchor on the deck of an ocean vessel. 

 

For months it was never put to use. 

 

But one day the vessel was disabled

           by a breakdown in its steering  

                  while nearing the coast in a storm. 

 

Only a secure anchorage

            could prevent the vessel 

                   from being driven onto the rocky coast. 

 

Thus the fate of the ship 

             and hundreds of passengers

                     depended on the strength of that chain.

 

 No one knew of the care and skill

                    that had been lavished on each link

                             of that chain 

                                     by an obscure smith 

                                            who was only doing his best. 

 

The chain held,

         both the ship and its passengers and crew were saved.

 

The blacksmith had saved the day.

====

The reading goes on:

 

but they are in the world, , 

protect them, 

 

 

Ivan Denisovich,

               endureed all the horrors of a Soviet prison camp.

 

 One day he is praying with his eyes closed 

                   when a fellow prisoner notices him 

                           and says with ridicule,

 

 “Prayers won’t help you get out of here any faster.”

 

 Opening his eyes, Ivan answers,

           “I do not pray to get out of prison

                                     but to do the will of God.”

Our reading says:

 

_____________________________

And now I am no longer in the world,

 but they are in the world, , 

protect them, 

so that they may be one, as we are one

 

At a Midwestern fair 

many spectators gathered

 for an old-fashioned horse-pull

 

The grand-champion horse

 pulled a sled with 4,500 pounds on it. 

 

The runner up was close, 

with a 4,400 pound pull. 

 

Separately, they had totaled nearly 9,000 pounds,

 but when hitched  as a team,

           the winning horses were able to pull

                        more than 12,000 pounds.

 

 Almost three times

               what either one of them could pull, alone.

 

Imagine the powerful force 

            we could exert as a congregation, 

                       as a denomination 

                              and as the Church in the world,

                                       if we all “pulled together as a team.”

 

Hymn:  Holy Holy Holy

Holy, holy, holy!Lord God AlmightyEarly in the morningOur song shall rise to TheeHoly, holy, holy!Merciful and mightyGod in three personsBlessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy!Though the darkness hide TheeThough the eye of sinful manThy glory may not seeOnly Thou art holyThere is none beside TheePerfect in power, in love and purity

Holy, holy, holy!Lord God AlmightyAll Thy works shall praise Thy nameIn earth and sky and seaHoly, holy, holy!Merciful and mightyGod in three personsBlessed Trinity

Oh God in three persons
Blessed Trinity! 

 

The Apostles’ Creed

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:

O God, your Son remained with his disciples after his resurrection,

teaching them to love all people as neighbors.

As his disciples in this age,

we offer our prayers on behalf of the universe

in which we are privileged to live

and our neighbors with whom we share it.

 

Prayers: Lynda M. (Jan M.) Sarah-Jane P.; Linda H.; Sharon D.; Philip D; Jacquie and Cam D.; Janice L & Darrin R;  Roland;  Helene.(Suzie D.)  Debbie H (Lorenz); Garfield; Eunice S.; Connie C.;  Jack and Julie. (Church) –Gus; Jay P.;Maddex; Randy; Rick W.; Shelley and Martin C.; Sharon;  Anne F.; Marcel D.; Tara; Jeff B.; Nicole; Shelley (Sandra); Joel; Melanie; Marlene H. Pam B. (Barb & George);  Ella D., Keanna, Nancy (Dan & Sue); Donna Mc.; (Ron and Jan); Jamie; (Gloria); Diane; Norma A,;Dave F.; Peter T.;  Dan B.;. (Garfield & Diane);     Marilyn; Val ; Karen T.;Bill, Sheila, Jessica, Sonya, Jamie (Peter); Allan (Brian G.); Dori;  Belinda,;  Kim; Ross B., Francis & Bill W.; Jeff G. (Dori);  Jean (Bruce J.);

We pray for Bev Black and all who mourn her passing especially Dori and all her family.

 

Open our hearts to your power moving

around us and between us and within us,

until your glory is revealed in our love of both friend and enemy,

in communities transformed by justice and compassion,

and in the healing of all that is broken. Amen.

 

As our Savior taught us, let us pray,

 

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.

 

Glory to God,

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.

 

Prayer based on Scripture for today:

O God of glory,

your Son Jesus Christ suffered for us

and ascended to your right hand.

Unite us with Christ and each other,

in suffering and in joy,

that all your children may be drawn

into your bountiful dwelling. Amen.

 

Blessing from the Book of Common Prayer:

The peace of God, which passeth 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 Ghost, be amongst you, and remain with you always. Amen.

 

Our Parting Blessing Song:

May God’s blessing surround you each day

As you trust Him and walk in His way

May His presence within guard and keep you from sin,

Go in peace, go in joy, go in love.

Go in peace, go in joy, go in love.