“Call of God”
ST ANDREW’S CHURCH
February 6th 2022
LIGHTING OF THE CHRIST CANDLE
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Thank you Rev. Shirley Cochrane for leading our worship today, we do pray that you will be blessed and equipped by the Spirit of God for the week to come.
- As we begin a new month we remind you that February's Loonie Offering will be going to the "Coldest Night of The Year" fund raiser. Please check out the "Recent Posts" to the right of your screen to find out more about this worthy cause.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Let us sing and pray in God’s presence.
Praise be to God!
For God has created the world and called it good.
Praise be to God!
In Christ, God has redeemed the world and defeated the powers of death.
Praise be to God!
The Holy Spirit is at work in the world, calling us to follow
All praise and glory to God, Holy One and Holy Three!
HYMN 299 Holy, holy, holy
Holy, holy, holy Lord God almighty
Early in the morning my song shall rise to thee
Holy. holy, holy Merciful and mighty
God in three persons, blessed Trinity
Holy, holy, holy All the saints adore Thee
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea
All the cherubim and seraphim are falling down before Thee
Which wert and art and evermore shalt be
Holy, holy, holy Though the darkness hide Thee
Though the eyes of sinful man Thy glory may not see
Lord, only Thou art holy and there is none beside Thee
Perfect in power, in love and purity
Holy, holy, holy Lord God almighty
All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea
Holy, holy, holy Merciful and mighty
You are God in three persons, blessed Trinity
Prayer of Adoration and Confession
God ever creating, ever loving, ever leading: your presence is peace when we are frantic; your Word is truth when we face deception; your Spirit offers freedom when we are paralyzed by fear. You give purpose in confusing times; You call for justice when the world settles for inequality. For all that you are, all that you have been, and all that you will be, we worship you as the Source of Life, the Promise of Redemption, and the Spirit of Love in Action,One God, now and always.
UNISON PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Merciful God,
you call us to fullness of life but we confess our shortcomings.
We have wandered from your ways and wasted your gifts;
we have ignored your grace at work among us,
and focused on loss and complaint.
We have been suspicious of the motives of others,
too quick to judge and too slow to forgive.
Give us the courage to see clearly who and what we are.
With your forgiveness, cleanse us from all our faults and failings,
and inspire us to walk a new way. In Jesus name AMEN
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
God is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is God’s love; as far as the east is from the west, so far has God removed our sins from us. Rejoice that God has forgiven you and opens a new future this day.
THE PEACE
HYMN 592 I the Lord of sea and sky
I the Lord of sea and sky
I have heard my people cry
All who dwell in dark and sin
My hand will save
I who made the stars of night
I will make their darkness bright
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?
REFRAIN
Here I am Lord,
Is it I Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night
I will go Lord,
If you lead me,
I will hold your people in my heart
I, the Lord of snow and rain
I have borne my people's pain
I have wept for love of them
They turn away
I will break their hearts of stone
Give them hearts for love alone
I will speak my words to them
Whom shall I send?
REFRAIN
I, the Lord of wind and flame
I will tend the poor and lame
I will set a feast for them
My hand will save
Finest bread I will provide
'Til their hearts be satisfied
I will give my life to them
Whom shall I send?
REFRAIN
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Isaiah 6.1- 8
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Psalm 138
I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
before the “gods” I will sing your praise.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple
and will praise your name
for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
that it surpasses your fame.
3 When I called, you answered me;
you greatly emboldened me.
4 May all the kings of the earth praise you, Lord,
when they hear what you have decreed.
5 May they sing of the ways of the Lord,
for the glory of the Lord is great.
6 Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;
though lofty, he sees them from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes;
with your right hand you save me.
8 The Lord will vindicate me;
your love, Lord, endures forever—
do not abandon the works of your hands.
Luke 5.1-11
5 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,[a] the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
SERMON
God of light and life, We turn to your Word for guidance and inspiration week after week. Send your Holy Spirit to move in and among us this day as we listen to the Scriptures read and interpreted. Help us to hear your challenge and your promise, and to respond with our commitment to follow Jesus, your Living Word. Amen.
Call stories. The Bible is full of them. Those who are called for many different reasons, and to many different places by God Almighty respond in a lot of different ways . Today’s readings brings us two “ Call of God “ stories
While worshipping in the temple one day, Isaiah sees an extraordinary vision of God sitting on a throne. Terrified, Isaiah believes his life is about to end for humans are just not suppose to see God in person. An angel flies to his rescue and with a glowing coal, touches his mouth and cleans Isiah of all his guilt. Then when God asks “ Who will be my messenger?” Isaiah without any hesitation , answers Here am I Send me.
Our second text is a “Call of Jesus” story. Every time I read about the huge crowds who gather to listen to his teaching , and crowd around to ask for healing, I wonder just how would so many throng to where he is if he is simply to bearer of doom and gloom. This text does not provide the substance of Jesus’s teaching but the narrative underscores Jesus’s authority and popularity as teacher, I picture Jesus smiling and from time to time even laughing. I think the folks are drawn to Jesus because Jesus radiates a contagious joy !
Today Luke tells us the crowd continues to seek him out and to prevail on him to stay with them, even as he seeks out a “deserted place” . At the water’s edge, the crowd has Jesus trapped against the lake. There is nowhere for him to go but into the water. He steps inside a nearby boat and resumes his teaching off shore.
After he has finished instruction, Jesus shifts the conversation to focus on Simon and his nets, Ah, Simon... I can picture this exchange very clearly. Jesus tells him to do something, Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch. Simon’s terse response is we’ve already tried that and it didn’t work!
In Simon’s defense, fishing is his realm of expertise; Jesus, after all, is the son of a carpenter, not of a fisherman. I’m sure Simon thought Jesus sounded like a wise teacher of the word of God, but why would Simon take fishing advice from him? Nothing of what Simon knows about his trade suggests doing the same thing again is going to yield a different result. Still Jesus opens Simon’s eyes to wonder and possibility.
Simon’s reply acknowledges the reality of limits and scarcity, but also his willingness to listen and try again.
Despite his skepticism, Simon agrees to let down the nets once more, and they come up full to bursting. The plentiful fish are a sign, a miracle that leads Simon Peter to call Jesus “Lord.” But notice that the fish are not the endgame. These fishermen don’t suddenly get economic prosperity and an easy life. The fish are the match that lights the fuse for discipleship. The abundant catch ignites amazement, the amazement leads to recognition, and recognition leads to an explosive commitment: Simon Peter, James, and John “leave everything and followed him.”
Jesus, after providing the gift of plenty and even excess, tells the disciples that they are being called. In some ways, this call is similar to their present work; in others, it is different. The image of fishing is still used, but now it involves people. The climax of the story is the call, not the abundance. In their new role, the disciples will gather the people with the message from and about Jesus. They will follow him while leading and serving others.
They have the best day of work they’ve ever had, and yet they abandon it all to follow Jesus. Their wonder spurs them to leave the thing they know how to do behind, and to take up a life they know nothing about.
Now both these stories illustrate an immediate and positive response. Not all who are called by God behave in such a manner. Moses and Jeremiah for example, are two who argue with God when asked to be part of God’ earthly team.
Some never listen , Others simply ignore God’s Call. I believe God has a mission for all his children. Sometimes its difficult to define that mission. Perhaps sometimes a person without even being aware of their calling performs it to the immense satisfaction of our Lord .
My father was an elder in my home congregation. Two months after he died, the minister asked me to become an Elder. I was in my late twenties . NO way ! I felt he just wanted to have the blank left by my father’ s death filled. Ten years later, I was ordained as an Elder. I did lots within the congregation, presbytery and Synod for several years . Every once in a while , someone would suggest I go into ministry. I did not believe this to be my path and totally ignored their message.
Then one summer Sunday when I was conducting the worship service, we had a visiting clergy fellow from Ontario . At teatime after the Service he and his wife were sitting with me. He too asked why I wasn’t an ordained minister. I replied with my usual stock answer “ That’s not what God wants me to be” as if I know the mind of God !
Calmly he looked me straight in the eye “You are wrong. You are being called “ Lightbulb ! I was shaken to the core .
Later that day , my husband said “ That guy is right you know. “ So my journey began . I had to take two years of college to prove I was academically fit before the Vancouver School of Theology would accept me. But in my 40’s by this time I didn’t need a full university degree.
November 2nd, 1998 church elders and gathered clergy laid their hands on me as I said my ordination vows. It had taken a lot of denial and years for me to listen, accept and start to fulfil my Calling. In the end God won.
God knows where he wants each of us to be. Clergy, prophecy eldership are not the only Call of God . God calls each of us to be his hands, feet and voice in the world in all the work we do . The themes in these texts around call , trust, discipleship, abundance, discouragement, risk, and persistence are always relevant but have particular resonance during this challenging pandemic time.
In summary, Jesus’ mentioning of the “deep water” implies that there may be unexplored areas of potential beyond our perceived limits of resources, knowledge, and energy. A large catch of fish represents stability and care, support, and having enough. It is a physical manifestation of having one’s needs met. With so many facing food insecurity and a long winter still to come, the image of enough food, of provision and plenty, is compelling.
We can also note the common themes between Isaiah’s situation and ours. If Isaiah thought he lived among a people of unclean lips, we live with cyberbullying, hate speech, name-calling, microaggressions, profane chanting, and promulgation of conspiracy theories. Since much of the language happens online, we might call ourselves people of unclean lips and fingers.
Scripture and the church confirm both the transcendence and immanence of God. The church needs both traits. In worship, the church encounters God in both comforting and challenging ways. Worship deals with ultimate, cosmic, infinite things. Worship can console, empower, provide perspective, and engender hope. In worship we enter God’s time and space. Many people have commented that the contemporary church does not fully appreciate the dangerous side of worship.
One hears frequently the assertion that the church can “change the world” by its efforts. A meme on social media cites the late Archbishop Tutu talking about how small acts of goodness and kindness will change the world. Yet God does not necessarily call us to change the world. Just the part that is within our reach Nevertheless, the passage calls the church to faithfulness, to integrity, to endurance, to trust in God
The paths that are offered to us promise to shape us, build our character, change our world view, If we are presented with a challenge that will change us , we will be eager for the journey. AMEN
HYMN 634 Will you come and follow me
Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown; will you let my name be known;
will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?
Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name
? Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?
Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean, and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?
Will you love the “you” you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you’ve found to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?
Lord, your summons echoes true when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same. In your company
I’ll go where your love and footsteps show.
Thus I’ll move and live and grow in you and you in me.
OFFERING
Today we honour the work of Presbyterian World Service and Development. Its partnerships and service take our gifts into places of deep need around the world and in our own country. With God’s blessing, our offering truly makes a difference, touching lives with God’s love and mercy in Jesus’ name.
DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him all creatures here below
Praise him above ye heavenly host.
Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost
OFFERTORY PRAYER
God of surprising generosity, Jesus encouraged his disciples to keep fishing when they thought their nets were empty. Encourage us to keep giving even when needs seem overwhelming and resources scarce. We entrust our gifts to you with the faith you can surprise us and others through all they can accomplish in Jesus’ name. Amen
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Almighty God we give to you all glory , honour and praise. We have gathered this morning to seek and worship you thanking you for all the blessings you have poured out upon us. God of grace and compassion, we bring before you the widening circles of our lives.
Lord Jesus Christ, we celebrate the life of your church, the international community of believers whose worship and service strengthen our faith and challenge us to live what we believe. We remember before you the Presbyterian World Service & Development, In the midst of sudden and overwhelming crises which cry out for response throughout the world ,you work through this agency to act swiftly with mercy and hope. We give you thanks for all that is being done in Haiti, Afghanistan and other places, and for the long term commitment shown to those in deepest need. We give thanks for the programs and partners the church supports through PWS&D - its staff , committees, and its global partners that are empowering vulnerable communities, giving thanks for their vision, courage and compassion.
Sovereign Lord as Queen Elizabeth today enters her 70th year as monarch, we pray for your blessings to be upon her.
Spirit of healing and hope, we remember before you the many communities and individuals experiencing ongoing conflict and violence, widespread drought or severe flooding, crowded quarters in refugee compounds, a yearning for education and a struggle for freedom.
We join our prayers with those of desperate people everywhere, trusting in your gifts of courage and resilience to grapple with these steep challenges. In a world of so much abundance, inspire generosity and hope among those who give and those who receive.
We lift up those closest and dearest to us and name them before you with affection and gratitude: Thank you that your love reaches into the very depths of their needs and gives them strength for their journeys.
We lift to you thanks….
.those who are in need of healing …..
Holy and loving God, We are in awe of your goodness. We know in our hearts the tug of our common humanity, as well as the boldness of your Spirit to respond to those who suffer and make a difference wherever we can. Father God, thank You that each and every day we have many opportunities to say "Yes" to You when it comes to obeying whatever it is You are asking us to do for You and Your kingdom. May we each have hearts of faith and obedience to promptly and sincerely answer "Yes" to Your call.
We offer these prayers and the unspoken prayers of our hearts in the name of Jesus Christ, who taught us to say together:
THE LORD’S PRAYER
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. Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
HYMN 626 Lord of all power
- Lord of all power, I give you my will,
in joyful obedience your tasks to fulfil.
Your bondage is freedom, your service is song,
and, held in your keeping, my weakness is strong.2. Lord of all wisdom, I give you my mind,
rich truth that surpasses our knowledge to find.
What eye has not seen and what ear has not heard
is taught by your Spirit and shines from your word.3. Lord of all bounty, I give you my heart;
I praise and adore you for all you impart:
your love to inspire me, your counsel to guide,
your presence to cheer me, whatever betide.4. Lord of all being, I give you my all.
If e'er I disown you, I stumble and fall,
but, sworn in glad service your word to obey,
I walk in your freedom to the end of the way.
BENEDICTION
May our God who shakes heaven and earth , whom death cannot contain, call us, disturb us, heal us and bless us with the power ot go forth and proclaim the gospel . May his grace with the love of Jesus and the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit surround you today and always
CLOSING SONG