Suggested Prayers for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany (RCL Proper 4C --- 3 February 2019)

Proper Prayers for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany (RCL Proper 4C)

Jeremiah 1.4-10; Psalm 71.1-6; 1 Corinthians 13.1-13; Luke 4.21-30

Collect of the Day

Living God, in Christ you make all things new.  Transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace, and in the renewal of our lives make known your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one god, now and for ever.  Amen. [1]

or

Almighty and ever-living God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope and love; and so thatwe may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.  [2]

or

Provoking God, calling us through the face of the Other:  free our fickle hearts from our need to divide and exclude both the foreign and the misfit; lead us through the storms of rage to a clear and new beginning; through Jesus Christ, whom hatred cannot touch.  Amen. [3]

or

Loving God, who has formed us and known us from our mother's womb, may we discern your call to us, so that we may recognize your call to others.  In the name of him who calls us from our homes to the ends of the earth.  Amen.  [3]

or

Prophetic God, strengthen and encourage us to hear those who speak your uncomfortable truths and who challenge our dearest prejudices, so that we may know and heed prophets of our age; through Jesus, the son of Joseph.  Amen.  [3]

or

God of salvation, in your Prophet, Jesus the Christ, you announce freedom and summon us to conversion.  As we marvel at the grace and power of your word, enlighten us to see the beauty of the gospel and strength us to embrace its demands.  Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.  Amen.  [4]

or

O God of all the prophets, you knew us and chose us in the womb.  Fill us with faith that speaks your word, hope that does not disappoint, and love that bears all things for your sake, until that day when we shall know you fully, even as we are known by you who lives and reigns with the Word and the Spirit, God for ever and ever.  Amen.  [6 alt.]

Prayer over the Gifts

God of steadfast love, may our offering this day, by the power of your Holy Spirit, renew us for your service. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord.   Amen.  [1]

or

Holy God, gracious and merciful, you bring forth food from the earth and nourish your whole creation.  Turn our hearts toward those who hunger in any way, so that all may know your care; and prepare us now to feast on the bread of life, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.  [3]

or

God of all creation, all you have made is good, and your love endures forever.  You bring forth bread from the earth and fruit from the vine.  Nourish us with these gifts, so that we might for the world signs of your gracious presence in Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Amen.  [3]

or

Blessed are you, O God, maker of all things.  Through your goodness  you have blessed us with these gifts:  our selves, our time and our possessions.  Use us, and what we have gathered, in feeding the world with your love, through the one who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen. [3]

or

God of mercy and grace, the eyes of all wait upon you, and you open your hand in blessing.  Fill us with good things at your table, so that we may come to the help of all in need, through Jesus Christ, our redeemer and Lord.  Amen. [3]

or

Merciful God, as grains of wheat scattered upon the hills were gathered together to become one bread, so let your church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom, for yours is the glory through Jesus Christ, now and for ever.  Amen. [3]

Proper Preface of the Lord’s Day

Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of heaven and earth; you are the source of light and life for all your creation, you made us in your own image, and call us to new life in Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Therefore we praise you, joining our voices to proclaim the glory of your name.  [1]

or

Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of heaven and earth; we give you thanks and praise through Jesus Christ our Lord, who on this first day of the week overcame death and the grave, and by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life. In our unending joy we echo on earth the song of the angels in heaven as we raise our voices to proclaim the glory of your name.  [1]

or

Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of heaven and earth; by water and the Holy Spirit you have made us a holy people in Jesus Christ our Lord; you renew that mystery in bread and wine and nourish us, to show forth your glory in all the world.  Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the holy people who have served you in every age, we raise our voices to proclaim the glory of your name.  [1]

Prayer after Communion

Source of all goodness, in this eucharist we are nourished by the bread of heaven and invigorated with new wine. May these gifts renew our lives, so thatwe may show your glory to all the world, in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord.  Amen.  [1]

or

We give you thanks, almighty God, that you have refreshed us through the healing power of this gift of life.  In your mercy, strengthen us through this gift, in faith toward you and in fervent love toward one another; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  [3]

or

O God, we give you thanks that you have set before us this feast, the body and blood of your Son.  By your Spirit strengthen us to serve all in need and to give ourselves away as bread for the hungry, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  [3]

or

God of abundance, with this bread of life and cup of salvation you have united us with Christ, making us one with all your people.  Now send us forth in the power of your Spirit, so that we may proclaim your redeeming love to the world and continue forever in the risen life of Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.  [3]

or

Gracious God, in this meal you have drawn us to your heart, and nourished us at your table with food and drink, the body and blood of Christ.  Now send us forth to be your people in the world, and to proclaim your truth this day and evermore, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen. [3]

or

O God, our life, our strength, our food, we give you thanks for sustaining us with the body and blood of your Son.  By your Holy Spirit, enliven us to be his body in the world, so that more and more we will you praise and serve your earth and its many peoples, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.  [3]

or

or

O God, you spoke your word and revealed your good news in Jesus the Christ.  Fill all creation with that word again, so that by proclaiming your joyful promises to all nations and singing of your glorious hope to all peoples, we may become one living body, through Jesus Christ who with you and the Holy Spirit live and reign, God for ever and ever.  Amen.  [6 alt.]

or

Holy God, you gather the whole universe into your radiant presence and continually reveal your Son as our Saviour. Bring healing to all wounds, make whole all that is broken, speak truth to all illusion and shed light in every darkness, so that all creation will see your glory and know your Christ, in whose name we pray.  Amen.  [6 alt.]

Sources

[1]       The Book of Alternative Services 1985

[2]       Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006

[3]       Trial Use Collects for Years A, B & C and Seasonal Prayers over the Gifts and after Communion 2016

[4]       Opening Prayers:  Collects in Contemporary Language 1997, 1999, 2001

[5]       Prayers for an Inclusive Church 2009

[6]       Revised Common Lectionary Prayers 2002

N.B.  When a word or phrase appears is italicized in a liturgical text, it is an alteration made by the Ven. Richard Geoffrey Leggett to the original text.

Today in Your Hearing: Reflections on Luke 4.14-30 (RCL Epiphany 3C, 27 January 2019)

Today in Your Hearing

Reflections on Luke 4.14-30

RCL Epiphany 3C

27 January 2019

Holy Trinity Cathedral

New Westminster BC

Click here to listen to the Sermon as preached at the 10.00 Eucharist on Sunday.

Luke 4.14-21

                  ^4.14Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country.  ¹⁵He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

                  ¹⁶When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom.  He stood up to read, ¹⁷and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him.  He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:  ¹⁸“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, ¹⁹to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”

                  ²⁰And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down.  The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.  ²¹Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”  ²²All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.  They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?”  ²³He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’  And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’ ”  ²⁴And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown.  ²⁵But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; ²⁶yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon.  ²⁷There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”  ²⁸When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage.  ²⁹They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff.  ³⁰But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.

            In 1738 a young Anglican priest by the name of John Wesley returned home to England after a disappointing experience as a missionary in the American colonies.  It would be fair to say that his confidence was at an all-time low and he had begun to question his vocation and his future as a priest.  While he was in London, Wesley was encouraged by friends to attend worship with the Moravian Brethren, a movement within Lutheranism which had a chapel in London serving the German-speaking community of residents and visitors.  On the evening of the 24^thof May 1738, Wesley recorded his ‘Aldersgate experience’.

"In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther's Preface to the Epistle to the Romans.  About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed.  I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation, and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death."

This was the pivotal moment of revelation and conversion that transformed the disheartened Wesley into the man we now know as the founder of the Methodist movement.

            At an early point in his public ministry Jesus travelled to Nazareth, the town in which he had been raised.  He entered the synagogue and was invited to read the appointed reading from the prophets.  “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,” Jesus read, “because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” After sitting down, Jesus said to the assembly, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”[1]

            Most of the people in the synagogue that day were amazed, not necessarily because they believed him, but because he was a local boy.  How often had they heard him read the appointed lesson while he was growing up?  For that matter, how often had they heard that same text?  Perhaps they had grown deaf and no longer expected the prophetic text to be fulfilled.  It was, after all, the lectionary text for the day, nothing more.

            My own ‘Aldersgate experience’ of revelation and conversion occurred to me in the summer of 1995.  I was in Ottawa attending the General Synod and, at the last moment, was asked to preach and preside in a three-point parish that I was to visit on Sunday.  I should tell that the General Synod of 1995 was one of the first General Synods to engage in serious and difficult debate about the place of gay and lesbian disciples of Christ in the life of the Anglican Church of Canada.  It was a stressful time and, in the midst of the debates and discussions, I was trying to prepare a sermon for that coming Sunday which just happened to be Pentecost.

            What I learned during that time of debate, discussion and preparation was the power of just reading the Scriptures out loud and letting the words settle into my heart and mind.  Like Wesley my heart was strangely warmed and God’s word was broken open like a fragrant loaf of freshly baked bread.  It was a revelation that changed my perception of what God was doing and is doing in the church and in the world.  When I spoke of that revelation on Sunday and during Synod, I lost friends and, in some circles, my ‘good’ reputation.  But I have no regrets.

            When the reader proclaims the texts appointed for the day, it is tempting to forget that he or she is speaking God’s Word to us.  Like the people in the synagogue in Nazareth, we have heard all of this before; the words can roll off the surface of our minds and hearts like rain rolling off the roof of a building.  Yet, we never know when there is someone sitting next to us, in front of us, behind us --- dare I say, in us --- who need to hear the Word of God again --- for the first time. 

            To proclaim the words of the scriptures is to release the power of the Word of God into our midst.  The readers and the preacher stand before us, small in stature, a known quantity, familiar figures.  Within their grasp lies the power to free the Word from the texts that sometimes imprisons it, so that the heart of some one sitting near to us may be “strangely warmed” and God’s new creation begins again to work its transformation of our loneliness, our despair, our fear.

            It has been the Anglican way to use a lectionary to determine the readings of the day or to provide appropriate readings for various occasions.  We tend to restrict the freedom of the presider or preacher to decide on the scriptural texts that will be set before the people. In choosing a lectionary approach Anglicans make clear that the reading of the scriptures is too important to be left in the hands of an individual.  The scriptures belong to the community and it is the community’s responsibility, using various agents and agencies, to determine the texts to be laid before us and broken open for our nurture and formation.

            For this reason Anglicans have been loathe to omit a sermon or a homily or some reflection on the text or texts read on a given occasion.  There are many Christians in the world today who know what the Bible says.  There are fewer who have reflected upon and be trained to comment on what the Bible means.  All of us intuitively recognize the importance of context in human communication. Often we will respond to a statement or questions by asking, “What do you mean by that?”  Likewise, the Scriptures have a theological, historical, social, cultural, and literary context that influences what is meant by what is said.  It is to the preacher that the responsibility falls to help us move from the surface of the text into the depths of its meaning.

            All of this has but one end:  giving the Spirt the opportunity to reveal and to convert those who hear the word of God. We are here to listen attentively to the voices of Scripture.  Those voices may lead me as the preacher in a particular direction, while those same voices may lead you to explore different avenues.  The words that may leave my heart cool may well be the words that leave your heart ‘strangely warmed’.  A word or phrase may embed itself in your heart and mind, causing you to ponder what God is asking you to become and to do.  

            There is a well-known collect that bears remembering today.  “Eternal God, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning, grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever.  Amen.”

            Read.  Mark. Learn.  Inwardly digest these words.  Today they have been fulfilled in your hearing.

---

[1]Cf. Luke 4.16-21.

Proper Prayers for the Third Sunday after Epiphany Year C (27 January 2019)

Proper Prayers for the Third Sunday after Epiphany (Year C)

Nehemiah 8.1-3, 5-6, 8-10; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 12.12-31a; Luke 4.14-21

Collect of the Day

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. [1]

or

Blessed Lord God, you have caused the holy scriptures to be written for the nourishment of your people.  Grant that we may hear them, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them, so that, comforted by your promises, we may embrace and forever hold fast to the hope of eternal life, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. [2]

or

God of all mercy, your Son proclaimed good news to the poor, release to the captives, and freedom to the oppressed:  anoint us with your Holy Spirit, so that all people may be free to praise you in Christ our Lord.  Amen.  [3]

or

God of freedom, make us impatient to greet the time fulfilled, the poor lifted up, the oppressed set free and your love made manifest in Jesus Christ, the Anointed Servant. Amen.  [3]

or

Lord God, whose compassion embraces all peoples, whose law is wisdom, freedom and joy for the poor, fulfil in our midst your promise of favour, so thatwe may receive the gospel of salvation with faith and, anointed by the Spirit, freely proclaim it.  Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.  Amen.  [4 alt.]

or

In you, O Lord our God, we find our joy, for through your law and your prophets you formed a people in mercy and freedom, in justice and righteousness. Pour your Spirit on us today, so thatwe who are Christ’s body may bear the good news of your ancient promises to all who seek you.  We ask this in the name of Christ and in the power of the Spirit.  Amen. [6 alt.]

Prayer over the Gifts

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.  [1]

or

Holy God, gracious and merciful, you bring forth food from the earth and nourish your whole creation.  Turn our hearts toward those who hunger in any way, so that all may know your care; and prepare us now to feast on the bread of life, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.  [3]

or

God of all creation, all you have made is good, and your love endures forever.  You bring forth bread from the earth and fruit from the vine.  Nourish us with these gifts, so that we might for the world signs of your gracious presence in Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.  [3]

or

Blessed are you, O God, maker of all things.  Through your goodness  you have blessed us with these gifts:  our selves, our time and our possessions.  Use us, and what we have gathered, in feeding the world with your love, through the one who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen. [3]

or

God of mercy and grace, the eyes of all wait upon you, and you open your hand in blessing.  Fill us with good things at your table, so that we may come to the help of all in need, through Jesus Christ, our redeemer and Lord.  Amen.  [3]

or

Merciful God, as grains of wheat scattered upon the hills were gathered together to become one bread, so let your church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom, for yours is the glory through Jesus Christ, now and for ever.  Amen.  [3]

Proper Preface of the Lord’s Day

Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of heaven and earth; you are the source of light and life for all your creation, you made us in your own image, and call us to new life in Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Therefore we praise you, joining our voices to proclaim the glory of your name.  [1]

or

Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of heaven and earth; we give you thanks and praise through Jesus Christ our Lord, who on this first day of the week overcame death and the grave, and by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life.  In our unending joy we echo on earth the song of the angels in heaven as we raise our voices to proclaim the glory of your name.  [1]

or

Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of heaven and earth; by water and the Holy Spirit you have made us a holy people in Jesus Christ our Lord; you renew that mystery in bread and wine and nourish us, to show forth your glory in all the world. Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the holy people who have served you in every age, we raise our voices to proclaim the glory of your name.  [1]

Prayer after Communion

Gracious God, our hands have taken holy things; our lives have been nourished by the body of your Son.  May we who have eaten at this holy table be strengthened for service in your world. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord.  Amen.  [1]

or

We give you thanks, almighty God, that you have refreshed us through the healing power of this gift of life.  In your mercy, strengthen us through this gift, in faith toward you and in fervent love toward one another; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. [3]

or

O God, we give you thanks that you have set before us this feast, the body and blood of your Son.  By your Spirit strengthen us to serve all in need and to give ourselves away as bread for the hungry, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  [3]

or

God of abundance, with this bread of life and cup of salvation you have united us with Christ, making us one with all your people.  Now send us forth in the power of your Spirit, so that we may proclaim your redeeming love to the world and continue forever in the risen life of Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.  [3]

or

Gracious God, in this meal you have drawn us to your heart, and nourished us at your table with food and drink, the body and blood of Christ.  Now send us forth to be your people in the world, and to proclaim your truth this day and evermore, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.  [3]

or

O God, our life, our strength, our food, we give you thanks for sustaining us with the body and blood of your Son.  By your Holy Spirit, enliven us to be his body in the world, so that more and more we will you praise and serve your earth and its many peoples, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.  [3]

or

or

O God, you spoke your word and revealed your good news in Jesus the Christ.  Fill all creation with that word again, so that by proclaiming your joyful promises to all nations and singing of your glorious hope to all peoples, we may become one living body, through Jesus Christ who with you and the Holy Spirit live and reign, God for ever and ever.  Amen. [6 alt.]

or

Holy God, you gather the whole universe into your radiant presence and continually reveal your Son as our Saviour.  Bring healing to all wounds, make whole all that is broken, speak truth to all illusion and shed light in every darkness, so that all creation will see your glory and know your Christ, in whose name we pray.  Amen.  [6 alt.]

Sources

[1]       The Book of Alternative Services1985

[2]       Evangelical Lutheran Worship2006

[3]       Trial Use Collects for Years A, B & C and Seasonal Prayers over the Gifts and after Communion2016

[4]       Opening Prayers:  Collects in Contemporary Language1997, 1999, 2001

[5]       Prayers for an Inclusive Church2009

[6]       Revised Common Lectionary Prayers2002

N.B.  When a word or phrase appears is italicized in a liturgical text, it is an alteration made by the Ven. Richard Geoffrey Leggett to the original text.

Come to the Feast: Reflections on John 2.1-11 (The 2nd Sunday after Epiphany Year C, 20 January 2019)

Come to the Feast

Reflections on John 2.1-11

The Second Sunday after Epiphany (Year C)

20 January 2019

Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral

New Westminster BC

Click here to listen to the Sermon as preached at the 10.00 Eucharist on the 20th.

John 2.1-11

                  ^2.1On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there^. 2Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.  ³When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”  ⁴And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me?  My hour has not yet come.”  ⁵His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”  ⁶Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.  ⁷Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.”  And they filled them up to the brim^.  8He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.”  So they took it.  ⁹When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom ¹⁰and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk.  But you have kept the good wine until now.”  ¹¹Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

            To the northwest of Denver lies the small town of Berthoud.  Forty years ago the town was surrounded by agricultural land and small ranches.  As the cities of the Front Range grew and transportation routes improved, more and more folks moved to the smaller towns of the Front Range to enjoy the sense of community and the lower cost of living.  The older two-lane roads gave way to four-lane highways making it easier to drive to the larger urban centres to the north, to the east and to the south.

            In the summer of 1977, however, Berthoud was definitely not a place where one would expect to find a first-class restaurant.  But there was one, located in a building that someone driving past might suspect was what my dad called ‘a greasy spoon café’, on the west side of the two-lane highway used mainly by truck drivers and farm vehicles.

            To enter the front door was to cross the Atlantic and to walk into a proper French eating establishment.  Every evening there were two sittings for dinner with a fixed menu of two entrées accompanied by three or four additional courses.  There was no possibility of just dropping in for dinner; reservations were required.  People drove from considerable distances along the Front Range to enjoy the cuisine. For a few hours and for less cost than flying from Denver to Paris one could be somewhere other than a dusty small town in northern Colorado.  The food and the wine were what one read about in the fancier metropolitan culinary magazines.  I only ate one meal there forty years ago and I have never forgotten the experience. It was more than magical.  It was a revelation of what a meal could be.

            Let’s travel back in time two thousand years to the village of Cana in Galilee.  It was not a major centre, just another backwater collection of houses in a fertile agricultural area to the west of the Sea of Galilee.  Its value lie primarily in the food produced around it. Any one who was going somewhere else probably would not have registered any significant memory of passing through the place.  There was no distinguished synagogue, no learned line of rabbis, no political importance.

            But it was in Cana that Jesus performed what the Evangelist John calls ‘the first of his signs . . . and revealed his glory’.  Not in a larger town with a more diverse audience.  Not in Jerusalem or some other centre of power. Just plain old Cana.  Even the crisis that leads to this sign is a familiar one:  the wedding guests have drunk their hosts out of house and home.  Now that they are a bit ‘jolly’, let us say, the possibility of rowdiness is lurking on the horizon and Mary recognizes an approaching social disaster.  So large quantities of ordinary water are transformed into the best vintage of wine available and this small town wedding will soon become the source of legend. For a brief moment in human history the messianic feast where poor and rich, men and women, Jew and Gentile will share in God’s promises makes itself present.  In a dusty small town of no particular importance God’s extraordinary future makes an appearance.

            Come back with me to the present.  Every day somewhere on our planet that first sign accomplished at Cana in Galilee makes another appearance when the disciples of Jesus gather around the table.  When we proclaim the Word, when we offer our intercessions, petitions and thanksgivings, when we bless and share the bread and wine, the ordinary becomes extraordinary. We become signs of that promised new world that all humanity longs not only to see but to inhabit.  The water of our daily lives is transformed by the Spirit into the wine of the future --- even if only for a moment.  Some of us are like the servants who know from whence this wine of the future has come.  Others are as surprised at the steward to discover that something great has happened here.

            What a moment this can be.  Strangers can become friends.  People coming from various paths of life discover a community that provides depth and meaning to a life that can often seem shallow and purposeless.  God’s future, the goal towards which all of creation is straining, becomes visible and we realize that we are not pawns moved by an unseen hand but rather co-workers with the Holy One in making this future a gradually dawning reality.  

            Here we are in a wonderful cathedral surrounded by tall buildings.  Each day many of our neighbours walk by with no idea of what is happening here.  They bustle by on their way to the Columbia Station or on their way home after a long day of work.  Occasionally they hear the bell and it may evoke some thought of what we are doing and who we are.  Some may come through our doors for some public meeting or a concert.  An even braver few will come to worship at Christmas and Easter.  And like the folks driving on the highway by that restaurant in Berthoud or those passing by the wedding feast at Cana in Galilee, they do not know the extraordinary things going on within these walls.

·     Here we hold the life of the world in our hands and offer it to God.

·     Here we look at evil squarely with clear eyes and dare to become agents of God’s goodness.

·     Here we tell the story of God’s love made known in Jesus of Nazareth and made known daily in the life of his disciples.

·     Here we serve all persons because we see in the face of every human being the face of Christ.

·     Here we strive for justice and peace so that all God’s children can be free.

·     Here we remember that we are stewards of the precious gift of creation not its possessors.

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            Whether we are in a small town in Galilee or in northern Colorado, whether we worship in a venerable cathedral or a room in someone’s home, God’s promises for us and for all of creation are fulfilled.  No matter where we find ourselves, we can catch a glimpse of God’s future and taste the banquet of new life.  The good news is that no one needs a reservation, just a yearning and a thirst for the new wine that fills the soul with more than just a passing warmth but abundant life in the here and now.  Come and drink for the best wine awaits us.

Proper Prayers for the Second Sunday after Epiphany Year C (RCL Proper 2C, 20 January 2019)

Proper Prayers for the Second Sunday after Epiphany (Year C)

Isaiah 62.1-5; Psalm 36.5-10; 1 Corinthians 12.1-11; John 2.1-11

Collect of the Day

Almighty God, your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ is the light of the world.  May your people, illumined by your word and sacraments, shine with the radiance of his glory, so thathe may be known, worshipped and obeyed to the ends of the earth; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.  [1]

or

Lord God, source of every blessing, you showed forth your glory and led many to faith by the works of your Son, who brought gladness and salvation to his people. Transform us by the Spirit of his love, so thatwe may find our life together in him, Jesus Christ, our Saviourand Lord.  Amen.  [2]

or

O God of steadfast love, at the wedding in Cana your Son Jesus turned water into wine, delighting all who were there.  Transform our hearts by your Spirit, so that we may show forth the light of your love as one body in Christ.  Amen.  [3]

or

Lord of the wedding feast, take our hearts of stone and flood them with new wine, so that we may savour the daily miracles that reveal your Son in our midst, Jesus the Christ.  Amen.  [3]

or

God of wonders, at Cana in Galilee you revealed your glory in Jesus Christ and summoned all humanity to life in him.  Show to your people gathered on this day your transforming power and give us a foretaste of the wine you keep for the age to come.  We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.  Amen.  [4]

Prayer over the Gifts

Living God, you have revealed your Son as the Messiah.  May we hear his word and follow it, and live as children of light. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord.   Amen.  [1]

or

Holy God, gracious and merciful, you bring forth food from the earth and nourish your whole creation.  Turn our hearts toward those who hunger in any way, so that all may know your care; and prepare us now to feast on the bread of life, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.  [3]

or

God of all creation, all you have made is good, and your love endures forever.  You bring forth bread from the earth and fruit from the vine.  Nourish us with these gifts, so that we might for the world signs of your gracious presence in Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.  [3]

or

Blessed are you, O God, maker of all things.  Through your goodness  you have blessed us with these gifts:  our selves, our time and our possessions.  Use us, and what we have gathered, in feeding the world with your love, through the one who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen. [3]

or

God of mercy and grace, the eyes of all wait upon you, and you open your hand in blessing.  Fill us with good things at your table, so that we may come to the help of all in need, through Jesus Christ, our redeemer and Lord.  Amen.  [3]

or

Merciful God, as grains of wheat scattered upon the hills were gathered together to become one bread, so let your church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom, for yours is the glory through Jesus Christ, now and for ever.  Amen.  [3]

Proper Preface of the Lord’s Day

Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of heaven and earth; you are the source of light and life for all your creation, you made us in your own image, and call us to new life in Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Therefore we praise you, joining our voices to proclaim the glory of your name.  [1]

or

Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of heaven and earth; we give you thanks and praise through Jesus Christ our Lord, who on this first day of the week overcame death and the grave, and by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life.  In our unending joy we echo on earth the song of the angels in heaven as we raise our voices to proclaim the glory of your name.  [1]

or

Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of heaven and earth; by water and the Holy Spirit you have made us a holy people in Jesus Christ our Lord; you renew that mystery in bread and wine and nourish us, to show forth your glory in all the world. Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the holy people who have served you in every age, we raise our voices to proclaim the glory of your name.  [1]

Prayer after Communion

God of glory, you nourish us with bread from heaven.  Fill us with your Holy Spirit, so that through us your light may shine in all the world.  We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.  [1]

or

We give you thanks, almighty God, that you have refreshed us through the healing power of this gift of life.  In your mercy, strengthen us through this gift, in faith toward you and in fervent love toward one another; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. [3]

or

O God, we give you thanks that you have set before us this feast, the body and blood of your Son.  By your Spirit strengthen us to serve all in need and to give ourselves away as bread for the hungry, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  [3]

or

God of abundance, with this bread of life and cup of salvation you have united us with Christ, making us one with all your people.  Now send us forth in the power of your Spirit, so that we may proclaim your redeeming love to the world and continue forever in the risen life of Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.  [3]

or

Gracious God, in this meal you have drawn us to your heart, and nourished us at your table with food and drink, the body and blood of Christ.  Now send us forth to be your people in the world, and to proclaim your truth this day and evermore, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.  [3]

or

O God, our life, our strength, our food, we give you thanks for sustaining us with the body and blood of your Son.  By your Holy Spirit, enliven us to be his body in the world, so that more and more we will you praise and serve your earth and its many peoples, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen.  [3]

or

or

O God, you spoke your word and revealed your good news in Jesus the Christ.  Fill all creation with that word again, so that by proclaiming your joyful promises to all nations and singing of your glorious hope to all peoples, we may become one living body, through Jesus Christ who with you and the Holy Spirit live and reign, God for ever and ever.  Amen. [6 alt.]

or

Holy God, you gather the whole universe into your radiant presence and continually reveal your Son as our Saviour.  Bring healing to all wounds, make whole all that is broken, speak truth to all illusion and shed light in every darkness, so that all creation will see your glory and know your Christ, in whose name we pray.  Amen.  [6 alt.]

Sources

[1]       The Book of Alternative Services 1985

[2]       Evangelical Lutheran Worship 2006

[3]       Trial Use Collects for Years A, B & C and Seasonal Prayers over the Gifts and after Communion 2016

[4]       Opening Prayers:  Collects in Contemporary Language 1997, 1999, 2001

[5]       Prayers for an Inclusive Church 2009

[6]       Revised Common Lectionary Prayers 2002

N.B.  When a word or phrase appears is italicized in a liturgical text, it is an alteration made by the Ven. Richard Geoffrey Leggett to the original text.