(Modified 2021-10-31: Added audio recording of sermon.)
Sermon for St. Mary’s Anglican – by Henry Friesen – Oct 31, 2021
Scriptures: Ruth 1:1-18, Psalm 119:1-8, Hebrews 9:11-14 and Mark 12:28-34
Audio recording of this sermon
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts together, be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer.
It Is Our Choice
In the poem entitled “The Road Not Taken” the American poet Robert Frost included these famous lines: Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. These short lines have become famous because they speak to the universal human reality of choice; we as human beings have the ability to freely make choices and we do so every day. In addition we know that those choices have consequences, they will affect our future. Now the choice we make as to the kind of car or house we buy may not have a huge impact on our lives, at least not compared to the choice we make as to a career, a life partner or our convictions in regard to faith. The latter choices are loaded with the potential of deeply affecting our lives at both an intellectual and emotional level. As I get older – and of course I am not old YET – I recognize so clearly that the choices I made at several key junctures have greatly affected my life: they have “made all the difference.”
WARM WELCOME to Revd. Paula Foster who has begun worshipping with us in preparation for the beginning her ministry on All Saints Sunday, November 7.
CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS. Our parish has always been hospitable, loving, caring and welcoming to families and individuals from different walks of life. This community life is very practical in our refugee sponsorship plan. To continue to be such a hospitable and caring community, we need a group of volunteers to sit on the refugee and newcomer support committee. If you are interested in volunteering for the refugee and newcomer support committee, please talk to Nathaniel, Janice or Mary. We will have a meeting on Sunday October 31, 2021 after worship service in the worship centre to allow for physical distancing requirements. Thanks for considering this great opportunity to serve your community.
Update on the ongoing refugee sponsorship at St. Mary 1. Mapiou (family of five members) —Current amount received = $29,377.07. 2. Dau (Family of one member)—current amount in account = $12,239.65.
VESTRY MEETING will takes place this Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.
NEXT SUNDAY will be Claude and Hilary’s final Sunday before leaving on sabbatical. We will be sending them off with our blessings and prayers at the end of the service. Henry will be preaching.
WEEKDAY WORSHIP THIS WEEK.
Tuesday to Friday: Morning Prayer at 8.30 a.m. and Evening Prayer at 5.30 p.m.
For seven weeks through October and the beginning of November, we are making our way through the letter to the Hebrews in our New Testament lessons. You may remember such phrases as “In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them,” and “was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek,” and from today, “For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.” Hebrews is not a light read. I’m not sure the creators of the lectionary do us any favours by doling it out chunk by chunk a week at a time. I mean, this month we’ve read 4 verses from chapter one, 7 verses from chapter two, 10 verses from chapter five, 6 verses from chapter 7 today, and 4 verses from chapter 9 next week. We would have had 5 more from chapter 4, except, Thanksgiving. Anyway, my point is, what are we to make of that? It occurred to me to wonder, exactly how much of Hebrews do we read in the whole 3-year cycle of the Revised Common Lectionary? So I looked it up. I think this is really interesting, but I’m a nerd, so your mileage may vary.
(Modified 2021-10-24: Added the Order of Service. Removed the live audio stream player.)
(Modified again later 2021-10-24: Added the audio recording.)
TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
October 24, 2021
10.30 A.M. Holy Communion
THE HYMN: # 446 Word of God, Come Down on Earth
Word of God, come down on earth, living rain from heaven descending; touch our hearts and bring to birth faith and hope and love unending. Word almighty, we revere you; Word made flesh, we long to hear you.
Word eternal, throned on high, Word that brought to life creation, Word that came from heaven to die, crucified for our salvation, saving Word, the world restoring, speak to us, your love outpouring.
Word that caused blind eyes to see, Speak and heal our mortal blindness. Deaf we are: our healer be; Loose our tongues to tell your kindness. Be our Word in pity spoken; Heal the world by our sin broken.
Word that speaks God’s tender love, one with God beyond all telling, Word that sends us from above God the Spirit, with us dwelling, Word of truth, to all truth lead us; Word of life, with one bread feed us.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
COLLECT FOR PURITY
ALMIGHTY God, unto whom all hearts be open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
SUMMARY OF THE LAW
OUR Lord Jesus Christ said: Hear O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first and great commandment And the second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.
Lord, have mercy upon us, and write both these thy laws in our hearts, we beseech thee. Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us.
The Lord be with you; And with thy spirit. Let us pray.
COLLECT FOR THE DAY
Grant, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and peace; that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON: Job 42:1-6, 10-17
Then Job answered the Lord: “I know that thou canst do all things, and that no purpose of thine can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you declare to me.’ I had heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees thee; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends; and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house; and they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him; and each of them gave him a piece of moneyand a ring of gold. And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses. He had also seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first Jemi′mah; and the name of the second Kezi′ah; and the name of the third Ker′en-hap′puch. And in all the land there were no women so fair as Job’s daughters; and their father gave them inheritance among their brothers. And after this Job lived a hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, four generations. And Job died, an old man, and full of days. R. / Thanks be to God.
PSALM 34:1-8, 19-22
I WILL alway give thanks unto the LORD; / his praise shall ever be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD; / the humble shall hear thereof and be glad.
O praise the LORD with me, / and let us magnify his Name together. I sought the LORD, and he heard me; / yea, he delivered me out of all my fears.
O look unto him and be lightened; / and your faces shall not be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him; / yea, and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD tarrieth round about them that fear him, / and delivereth them. O taste and see how gracious the LORD is: / blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
Great are the troubles of the righteous; / but the LORD delivereth him out of all. He keepeth all his bones, / so that not one of them is broken.
But misfortune shall slay the ungodly; / and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. The LORD delivereth the souls of his servants; / and all they that put their trust in him shall not be destitute.
EPISTLE: Hebrews 7:23-28
The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues for ever. Consequently he is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did this once for all when he offered up himself. Indeed, the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect for ever. R./ Thanks be to God.
THE HYMN: Lead Me Lord
Blessed are the poor in spirit, longing for their Lord, For God’s coming kingdom shall be theirs. Blessed are the sorrowing, for they shall be consoled, And the meek shall come to rule the world.
Refrain: Lead me, Lord, lead me, Lord, by the light of truth To seek and to find the narrow way. Be my way; be my truth; be my life, my Lord, And lead me, Lord, today.
Blessed are the merciful, for mercy shall be theirs, And the pure in heart shall see their God. Blest are they whose hunger only holiness can fill, for I say they shall be satisfied.
Blest are they who through their lifetimes sow the seeds of peace; All will call them children of the Lord. Blest are you, though persecuted in your holy life, for in heaven, great is your reward.
THE HOLY GOSPEL: Mark 10:46-52
R. / Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Jesus stood still and said, ‘Call him here.’ And they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart; get up, he is calling you.’ So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man said to him, ‘My teacher, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
R./ Praise be to thee, O Christ.
THE NICENE CREED
I BELIEVE in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And of all things visible and invisible: And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, Begotten of the Father before all worlds; God, of God; Light, of Light; Very God, of very God; Begotten, not made; Being of one substance with the Father; Through whom all things were made: Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, And was made man, And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, And ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead: Whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, The Lord, The Giver of Life, Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, Who spake by the Prophets. And I believe One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins. And I look for the Resurrection of the dead, And the Life of the world to come. Amen.
Alleluia! Sing to Jesus! His the scepter, His the throne. Alleluia! His the triumph, His the victory alone. Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion Thunder like a mighty flood: “Jesus out of ev’ry nation Has redeemed us by His blood.”
Alleluia! Not as orphans Are we left in sorrow now; Alleluia! He is near us; Faith believes, nor questions how. Though the cloud from sight received Him When the forty days were o’er, Shall our hearts forget His promise: “I am with you evermore?”
Alleluia! Bread of angels, Here on earth our food, our stay! Alleluia! Here the sinful Flee to You from day to day. Intercessor, friend of sinners, Earth’s redeemer, plead for me, Where the songs of all the sinless Sweep across the crystal sea.
Alleluia! King eternal, You the Lord of lords we own; Alleluia! Born of Mary, Earth Your footstool, heav’n Your throne. You within the veil have entered, Robed in flesh, our great high priest; Here on earth both priest and victim In the eucharistic feast.
OFFERTORY ANTHEM
BLESSED be thou, LORD God of Israel, for ever and ever. All that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine. All things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. 1 Chronicles 29. 10, 11, 14.
THE BIDDINGS
THE INTERCESSION.
ALMIGHTY and everliving God, who by thy holy Apostle hast taught us to make prayers and supplications, and to give thanks, for all men: We humbly beseech thee most mercifully to accept our alms and oblations, andto receive these our prayers, which we offer unto thy Divine Majesty; beseeching thee to inspire continually the universal Church with the spirit of truth, unity, and concord: And grant that all they that do confess thy holy Name may agree in the truth of thy holy Word, and live in unity and godly love. We beseech thee also to lead all nations in the way of righteousness; and so to guide and direct their governors and rulers, that thy people may enjoy the blessings of freedom and peace: And grant unto thy servant ELIZABETH our Queen, and to all that are put in authority under her, that they may truly and impartially administer justice, to the maintenance of thy true religion and virtue. Give grace, O heavenly Father, to all Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, and specially to thy servant GREGORY our Metropolitan and Michael, our Diocesan Administrator, that they may both by their life and doctrine set forth thy true and living Word, and rightly and duly administer thy holy Sacraments: Prosper, we pray thee, all those who proclaim the Gospel of thy kingdom among the nations: And to all thy people give thy heavenly grace, and specially to this congregation here present, that, with meek heart and due reverence, they may hear and receive thy holy Word; truly serving thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of their life. And we most humbly beseech thee of thy goodness, O Lord, to comfort and succour all them, who in this transitory life are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity, especially those for whom our prayers are desired. We remember before thee, O Lord, all thy servants departed this life in thy faith and fear: and we bless thy holy Name for all who in life and death have glorified thee; beseeching thee to give us grace that, rejoicing in the fellowship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and all the Saints, we may follow their good examples, and with them be partakers of thy heavenly kingdom. Grant this, O Father, for Jesus Christ’s sake, our only Mediator and Advocate, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.
CONFESSION and ABSOLUTION
YE that do truly and earnestly repent you of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbours, and intend to lead the new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from henceforth in his holy ways: Draw near with faith, and take this holy Sacrament to your comfort; and make your humble confession to Almighty God, meekly kneeling upon your knees.
ALMIGHTY God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all men: We acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness, Which we from time to time most grievously have committed, By thought, word, and deed, Against thy Divine Majesty. We do earnestly repent, And are heartily sorry for these our misdoings. Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father; For thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, Forgive us all that is past; And grant that we may ever hereafter Serve and please thee In newness of life, To the honour and glory of thy Name; Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, who of his great mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all them that with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto him: Have mercy upon you; pardon and deliver you from all your sins; confirm and strengthen you in all goodness; and bring you to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
COMFORTABLE WORDS
THANKSGIVING AND CONSECRATION
THE Lord be with you; And with thy spirit. Lift up your hearts; We lift them up unto the Lord. Let us give thanks unto our Lord God; It is meet and right so to do.
Then shall the Priest turn to the Lord’s Table, and say:
IT is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times, and in all places give thanks unto thee, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty, Everlasting God, Creator and Preserver of all things. THROUGH Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore with Angels,and Archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious Name; evermore praising thee and saying:
HOLY, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts, Heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Glory be to thee, O Lord Most High. BLESSED is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.
BLESSING and glory and thanksgiving be unto thee Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who of thy tender mercy didst give thine only Son Jesus Christ to take our nature upon him, and to suffer death upon the Cross for our redemption; who made there, by his one oblation of himself once offered, a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world; and did institute, and in his holy Gospel command us to continue, a perpetual memorial of that his precious death, until his coming again. Hear us, O merciful Father, we most humbly beseech thee; and grant that we receiving these thy creatures of bread and wine, according to thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ’s holy institution, in remembrance of his death and passion, may be partakers of his most blessed Body and Blood; who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took Bread; and, when he had given thanks, he brake it; and gave it to his disciples, saying, Take, eat; this is my Body which is given for you: Do this in remembrance of me. Likewise after supper he took the Cup; and, when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all, of this; for this is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins: Do this, as oft as ye shall drink it, in remembrance of me. Wherefore, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, we thy humble servants, with all thy holy Church, remembering the precious death of thy beloved Son, his mighty resurrection, and glorious ascension, and looking for his coming again in glory, do make before thee, in this sacrament of the holy Bread of eternal life and the Cup of everlasting salvation, the memorial which he hath commanded; And we entirely desire thy fatherly goodness mercifully to accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, most humbly beseeching thee to grant, that by the merits and death of thy Son Jesus Christ, and through faith in his blood, we and all thy whole Church may obtain remission of our sins, and all other benefits of his passion; And we pray that by the power of thy Holy Spirit, all we who are partakers of this holy Communion may be fulfilled with thy grace and heavenly benediction; through Jesus Christ our Lord, by whom and with whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory be unto thee, O Father Almighty, world without end. Amen.
THE peace of the Lord be always with you; And with thy spirit.
PRAYER OF HUMBLE ACCESS
WE do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, Trusting in our own righteousness, But in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy So much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord, Whose property is always to have mercy: Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, So to eat the Flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, And to drink his Blood, That our sinful bodies may be made clean by his Body, And our souls washed through his most precious Blood, And that we may evermore dwell in him, And he in us. Amen.
THE COMMUNION
What Shall I render to the Lord…
THE LORD’S PRAYER
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 them that 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.
ALMIGHTY and everliving God, we most heartily thank thee that thou dost graciously feed us, in these holy mysteries, with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ; assuring us thereby of thy favour and goodness towards us; and that we are living members of his mystical body, which is the blessed company of all faithful people; and are also heirs through hope of thy everlasting kingdom. And here we offer and present unto thee, O Lord, ourselves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and living sacrifice unto thee. And although we are unworthy, yet we beseech thee to accept this our bounden duty and service, not weighing our merits, but pardoning our offences; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.
GLORIA
GLORY be to God on high, and in earth peace, good will towards men. We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee for thy great glory, O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty. O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesu Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sin of the world, receive our prayer. Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us. For thou only art holy; thou only art the Lord; thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
DISMISSAL
Let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God! Alleluia!
HYMN # 508 I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say
I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Come unto me and rest. Lay down, O weary one, lay down your head upon my breast.” I came to Jesus as I was, so weary, 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 the dawning light. Look unto me, your morn shall rise, and all your 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 trav’ling days are done.
10.30 A.M. GODLY PLAY in the Worship Centre for children 3-6.
LIVE AUDIO STREAMING during today’s service is available on the Order of Service page. Recorded audio will be added following worship.
PARISH LIFE NOTES
STATEMENTS AND ENVELOPES— If any parishioners would like a statement of giving to date in 2021 please let me know and I will be happy to email one to you. If anyone would like to change their envelope status (change weekly to monthly or vice versa, begin to use envelopes, discontinue using envelopes) or to begin or discontinue making donations by direct deposit, please contact me. – Blair
PASTORAL LETTER AND GRAPEVINE NEWSLETTER was mailed out to all parishioners last week. Please call the office if for some reason you did not receive your copy.
EPISCOPAL ELECTION. Archbishop Greg Kerr-Wilson has announced that the Ven. Helen Kennedy was elected 13th Bishop of the Diocese of Qu’Appelle at the electoral synod held Saturday, October 16.
WEEKDAY WORSHIP THIS WEEK.
Tuesday to Friday: Morning Prayer at 8.30 a.m. and Evening Prayer at 5.30 p.m.
(Modified 2021-10-17: Added audio recording of this sermon)
St. Mary’s Anglican Church, Trinity 20, October 17, 2021 Revd. Canon Claude Schroeder
Audio recording of this sermon
The story of Job in the Old Testament, from which our first lesson this morning was taken, is the story of man whose life fell apart, and whose happy, orderly existence was plunged into chaos, and subjected to intense suffering, and who was left wondering, “What did I do to deserve this? Where is God in all of this?”
I think it’s a very timely Scripture for us today in light of the chaos of the times in which we live, where so much of life is seems to be spinning out of control, defying and resisting all our attempts to manage and control, and where we find ourselves struggling to keep from drowning if only emotionally in this sea of chaos in which we have been plunged.
10.30 A.M. GODLY PLAY in the Worship Centre for children 3-6. Today’s story is “Ruth” (Ruth 1.16, 4.13, 16-17)
LIVE AUDIO STREAMING during today’s service is available on the Order of Service page. Recorded audio will be added following worship.
PARISH LIFE NOTES
HARVEST THANKSGIVING! Final harvest of the parish garden took place this week. Tomatoes and green onions are available for pick up following the service.
CHIMNEY REPAIR was conducted this week, that included sealing cracks on the masonry. Our thanks to Terry for project management!
PARISH BIBLE STUDY on the Life of St. Peter led by Henry. Join us on Thursday evenings on zoom at 7:00 p.m. Contact Henry.
Legacy Grandparenting Summit 2021 – October 21st and 22nd A live conference being held in Alabama with a live simulcast site at Celebration Church,Regina. This two day event will inspire you to become a more intentional Christian Grandparent. Featured speakers will provide you with encouragement and a vision to have a tremendous impact on the spiritual direction of your grandchildren. For more information and to register please go to https://christiangrandparentingnetwork.ca or speak to Dave and Janice. Join us and catch the vision of becoming an intentional Christian grandparent.
STATEMENTS AND ENVELOPES— If any parishioners would like a statement of giving to date in 2021 please let me know and I will be happy to email one to you. If anyone would like to change their envelope status (change weekly to monthly or vice versa, begin to use envelopes, discontinue using envelopes) or to begin or discontinue making donations by direct deposit, please contact me. – Blair
PASTORAL LETTER AND GRAPEVINE NEWSLETTER was mailed out to all parishioners last week. Please call the office if for some reason you did not receive your copy.
ELECTION OF A NEW BISHOP will take place this Saturday over “ zoom.” Please remember this event in your prayers, especially for St. Mary’s clergy (Claude Schroeder, Nathaniel Deng Mayen) and lay delegates (Bob, Andrew, Ben).
WEEKDAY WORSHIP THIS WEEK
Tuesday to Friday: Morning Prayer at 8.30 a.m. and Evening Prayer at 5.30 p.m.
(Modified 2021-10-10: Added audio recording of this sermon)
(Following the sermon text below is an Appendix with supporting material.)
St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church. October 10, 2021. Sermon on Matthew 6:25-33
May the Spirit of God the Father and of Son, the crucified, risen and ascended Lord Jesus Christ, our true and everlasting righteousness, inspire us to listen and understand the Word of life that nourishes and preserves our bodies and souls into eternal life. Amen.
The opening sentence to the Gospel reading today, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25), seems contradictory to the Canadian cultural and social spirit for the Thanksgiving weekend, where the emphasis is mostly about celebrating the human merits and everything else, we think is a result of our success.