Sunday Gathering - February 20
Trinity United Church
February 20 2022
5th Sunday after Epiphany
Worship
“Connection not Perfection”
Worship Leader: Rev David Cathcart
Music Leader: David Rogers
Scripture Reader: Betty McLean
Lead Singer: Choir
Zoom Hosts: Wheatleys
Soundboard: Ross Shearer
WE GATHER
Gathering
Welcome
Rev David: May the peace of Christ be with you.
Welcome to Trinity United Church in Port Coquitlam, BC.
We are so grateful that you have chosen to spend some time with us, we are glad you are here.
If you are joining us on YouTube, please check out our website at ucpoco.ca. We would also appreciate if you would subscribe to our channel, and like and share our service. Those buttons are right below the video, and it does make a difference when you interact with our account.
Acknowledgement of Territory
Much of what we know as the Northwest Coast of North America was occupied by the Coast Salish Peoples. The territory where Trinity United Church of Port Coquitlam resides is the unceded territory of the Kwikwetlem First Nations. Our acknowledgement of unceded traditional territory is a first step in reconciliation between settler cultures and indigenous peoples and the decolonization of western systems that continue to oppress and exploit indigenous peoples and land. The work of reconciliation is daunting. The work of reconciliation will not be ours to complete, but neither is it ours to abandon.
Let us prepare our hearts and minds for worship.
Prelude: David Rogers
Lighting of the Christ Candle
Call to Worship and Opening Prayer:
Do not fret because of the wicked
or envy those who do evil.
Trust in God and do good;
find your delight in God,
who will grant the desires of your heart.
Be still before God and wait patiently;
do not fret because some prosper in evil schemes.
Let go of anger and abandon wrath.
Do not fret – it can only do harm.
Salvation for the righteous comes from God
our refuge in times of trouble.
Let us pray together:
Holy One, in Christ, our Joy has no end.
May we let go of fretting and anger,
may we abandon wrath and distrust,
may we be joyful with the heavens,
joining with all things seen and unseen
in singing notes of gladness. Amen.
Hymn: “The Day of Resurrection” VU 164
Reconciliation Meditation
I invite you to make yourselves as comfortable as you can in the pew and to bring your attention to your breath. You don’t need to control your breath, just become aware of it. With each exhalation, let your body be a little heavier on the pew, trust the pew to hold your weight. Feel your feet on the ground, the floor solidly supporting them. And maybe imagine them extending down into the earth, into rich warm soil. Imagine as you inhale that the nutrients of the earth are entering your body through your feet: water, and minerals. And you draw that nutrition and energy up your calves, through your knees, through your thighs and into the core of your body. Let that energy move up your back, through your arms and out your hands and the top of your head. At the same time as you exhale, imagine the warmth and light of the sun coming down from above, into the top of your head and shoulders, down through your body, and your core, and down through your feet into the ground. So we inhale energy from the earth letting it go up through our bodies, and exhale energy from the sun letting it go down into the earth through our bodies. Imagine ourselves like a tree carrying God’s blessings from the earth to sky and sky to earth.
I will read a word from Scripture then we will hold several minutes of silence to rest in God’s blessing. If you feel your thoughts getting busy or distracted, simply think that word from scripture and return your focus to resting in God’s blessing.
Psalm 37:3a “Trust in God.”
[3 min silence]
“Trust in God… take delight in [God], and [God] will give you the desires of your heart.”
WE HEAR THE WORD OF GOD
The Story: “Joseph and His Brothers” Ralph Milton Lectionary Story Bible, p182
Psalm 37 VU 763
Reading: Luke 6:27-38
27 ‘But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 30Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 ‘If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
37 ‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.’
Hear what the spirit is saying to the church. Thanks be to God!
Hymn: “Now the Green Blade Rises” VU 186 CLICK HERE
Message: Rev David “Among the Ungrateful and Wicked”
A popular meme keeps coming across my feed: "When you're dead, you don't know you're dead; but it's hard for the people around you. Its the same when you're stupid."
Let us pray:
Hatred slays love, but love wins.
The tomb is dark, but light is greater.
Our hearts winter, but spring comes.
As we reflect on your word,
may our hearts be made new.
In the name of the one
who like the risen grain
comes forth at Easter,
we pray. Amen.
Do we remember the fable about Scorpion and Frog? Scorpion wants a change of scenery so it starts traveling and comes to a river. The river is swift and wide and the scorpion has no way of crossing it by itself. So it approached Frog. "Frog, would you be so kind as to carry me across the river on your back?" Frog replies, "You're a scorpion, you'll kill me." Scorpion replies, I'll be on your back. If I sting you and you die, I'll die too." So Frog thinks this makes sense and starts carrying Scorpion across. Half way across the river, Frog feels a sting in his back, followed by numbness in his limbs. "You fool," croaks Frog, "Now we shall both die! Why did you do that?" Scorpion shrugs and says, "I could not help myself, its my nature."
And so is the nature of some people. Some people are ignorant, self-centered, and cruel.
When I look at my news feed and read about climate disaster, the anti-vax movement; when I hear about the ungodly amount of money certain tech executives make in a week while children are starving; when countries and world leaders continue to resort to mass violence to solve conflict, I believe the human species as a whole is ignorant, self-centered, and cruel.
I'm theologically in good company. It is called the doctrine of utter depravity.
I’m not generally a fan of anything resembling orthodox theology, however, the doctrine of utter depravity states that as a result of the fall from grace, original sin, humans are incapable of fully loving and obeying God.
In partnership with the doctrine of utter depravity is the doctrine of irresistible grace. Whether we want it or not, God gives us what we need to love and obey.
"God is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked." Thanks be to God.
...
We need to be circumspect as we explore the Gospel Text today. It has been used to oppress and exploit minorities throughout history: Black slaves, women, LGBTQ people, and others have been expected to turn the other cheek, to give more, and to do onto others. This passage becomes a text of terror when appropriated by an abusive authority, and lorded over a minority.
We need to be very clear about reading this text through the lens of a God who loves the weak, who favours the marginalized, who is the champion of the poor.
Jesus is NOT saying that an abused wife needs to turn the other cheek when her husband beats her. Jesus is not saying that when white people take land from indigenous people, indigenous people need to give everything else they have as well. Jesus is not saying that the poor should enslave themselves so that the rich can get richer.
To use the scripture in that way is ignorant, self-centered, and cruel.
Jesus talks about how we should treat our enemies. The language of "enemies" is alienating to most of us. We don't tend to think of ourselves as having "enemies." However, we all know people who are really, really hard to live with. People who's worldview is so small, who are so self-centered, they can't even imagine people disagreeing with them. People, like the scorpion who simply can't help but harm their neighbours even when it isn't in their best interests. And, of course, people who aren't well informed, don't care that they aren't well informed, but think that others should share their opinion or way of being in the world.
How do we live with people who are ignorant, self-centered and cruel? People who are ungrateful and wicked?
Sometimes, the doctrine of utter depravity helps. It helps to remember that there are times when we all get it wrong, deeply, deeply wrong. We are all among the ungrateful and wicked. And it is only grace that brings reconciliation. Only grace that gives us what we need to love again.
Thanks be to God, God is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
I believe that if the human species hasn't completely annihilated itself and every other species in the next 30 to 50 years, it will be proof that the universe is seriously stacked in our favour.
That stacking of the universe in our favour, is grace. Irresistible Grace. That's God giving us what we need to love and obey.
We are not expected to love the ungrateful and the wicked on our own.
I do deeply appreciate the center of today's passage from Luke: "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them." Jesus expands on this command to give and lend expecting nothing in return.
I do believe that we are here to increase our capacity to love. And the only way you get better at any skill is to increase the difficulty level at which we are practicing. People who are difficult to love are an opportunity for us to increase our capacity for compassion.
Canada is experiencing deep division, the world is deeply divided on many fronts. But if we hold to our faith, and continue to strive to love our neighbour, knowing we do not do that alone, the green blade will rise.
Thanks be to God.
Special Music: David Rogers
WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD
Offering:
We are grateful for the many ways people choose to serve and give at Trinity United Church. Our ministry is only possible thanks to your gifts of money, time and service. If you would like to make a financial contribution, please send a check to the church office, or click on the “Donate Now” button on our website.
Holy One,
you plant the seeds;
you provide soil, sun and rain;
you direct the growth.
Thank you.
Bless our journey;
bless our offerings, of money, worship and service;
that our gifts might be seeds in rich soil,
to become your kingdom.
In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
Prayers of the People:
And we continue with prayer:
Mighty and tender God,
hear us as we pray,
for you bring release to the captives
and rest to the weary,
and you know the way of suffering
in Jesus Christ, our Saviour.
We pray:
for the church throughout the world in its life and ministries…
for the nations as they strive for peace and justice…
for all who suffer: the sick, the sorrowful, the lonely, the oppressed…
for peaceful relationships among friends, among strangers…
Tender and mighty God,
In your loving purpose
answer our prayers and fulfil our hopes.
In all the things for which we pray,
give us the grace and wisdom to accept your will,
for the sake of Jesus Christ.*
*Voices United, p913
And now we turn to you as a child turns to her mother seeking affirmation and comfort, singing a paraphrase of the words Jesus taught us…
Disciples’ Prayer: “Heavenly Father, Heavenly Mother” CLICK HERE
WE GO FORTH
Hymn: “Christ Is Alive” VU 158
Sending Forth
Postlude
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Trinity United Church