Sunday Gathering - February 6

Trinity United Church
February 06, 2022
5th Sunday after Epiphany
Worship

“Connection not Perfection”

February 6, 2022

Worship Leader: Rev David Cathcart
Music Leader: David Rogers
Scripture Reader: Harvey Loucks
Lead Singer: Harvey Loucks
Zoom Hosts: Judy Johnson and Syd Sawyer

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:

In a vision, Isaiah saw God sitting on a throne and seraphs worshiping around him:
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts!
On a lake shore, Peter watched as Jesus taught the people who had gathered, and they gave thanks:
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Let us also listen the words of our God, sing praises and worship God’s holy name.
Let us respond with joyfulness and praise.

Holy One, your glory sings throughout all creation
We hear it in the wind across the ocean,
We see it in the sparkling morning,
We feel it in the warmth of a loved one’s caress.

Cleanse our hearts and lips 
as you cleansed the heart and lips 
of Isaiah with a burning coal, 
that we might worthily sing your praise 
and proclaim your good news.
Through Jesus Christ our Master and Friend, we pray.
Amen.

Hymn: “Take My Life and Let it Be” VU 506

Reconciliation Meditation

I invite you to make yourself as comfortable as you can, letting your eyes rest, either closed or half lidded and bring your attention to your breathing for a minute. You don’t need to control your breath, just be aware of it. Let your body relax and feel heavy on the pew, trusting the pew to hold your weight. Imagine God’s steadfast love, perhaps as a warm light all around you. Breathe in that light and let it fill you. Let the warm light of God’s steadfast love fill you from your toes and feet, up your calves into your knees and thighs. Let it fill your core, up your chest and out your shoulders and arms, hands, and fingers. Feel the warmth of the light come up your neck and fill your face, your nose, cheeks, lips, forehead, ears, and the top of your head. Imagine yourself completely immersed in God’s steadfast love.

I will read a few words from scripture then we will sit in God’s steadfast love for several minutes. If you feel your thoughts getting distracted, repeat the words of scripture silently to yourself and return your attention to God’s steadfast love.

Isaiah 6:8 “Here I am…”

[90 sec silence]

May we always respond to God’s call with, “Here I am.” Thanks be to God.

WE HEAR THE WORD OF GOD

The Story: 
“Isaiah Becomes a Prophet,” Ralph Milton Lectionary Story Bible Year C, p59

Psalm 138 VU 860 

Reading: 

Luke 5:1-11

5Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ 5Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ 6When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. 7So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ 9For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; 10and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’ 11When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

Hear what the spirit is saying to the church. Thanks be to God!

Hymn: “How Firm a Foundation” VU 660    CLICK HERE

Message: Rev David

God of Epiphany,
God of sudden change,
God of calling and purpose,
be with us as we reflect on your sacred word.

Open our eyes,
open our ears,
open our hearts
to receive your abundance,
your empowerment,
and your command.

In the name of the one who calls us all, we pray,
Amen.

Wikipedia defines epiphany as a feeling "of a sudden and striking realization. Generally the term is used to describe a scientific breakthrough or a religious or philosophical discovery..."

Specifically, in our Christian tradition, Epiphany, with a capitol "E" is when Christ is revealed to the Magi, followed by the season after epiphany. But "epiphany" with a little "e" refers to every instance in which God reveals God's self to human beings. So each of the call stories that we hear of in the season after epiphany is itself an epiphany: God appeared to Jeremiah last week, God appears to Isaiah this week, and God appears to the disciples through Jesus. The season of epiphany ends with Transfiguration Sunday, the big epiphany on the mountain top.

For our purposes in the Christian tradition, an epiphany describes that kind of moment when God is revealed to us in such a way that everything that came before is different from what will come after. Epiphany changes us. We cannot go back to the old way of being. And we probably don't want to.

I expect most of us have experienced an epiphany at one point or another. Sometimes we might only recognize the experience in hind sight.

I remember in University, in my mid twenties. I was starting to apply for PhD programs in Scotland, Wales, and Nova Scotia. I got a phone call that my cousin had been killed in a car accident and suddenly a PhD in Philosophy lost all its appeal, eventually, I ended up in Seminary.

I remember walking a Labyrinth at Bethlehem Retreat Centre outside Nanaimo and I suddenly realized I didn't have a choice about being gay, I was gay, and God wanted me out of the closet. And I could not return to the closet. I had to start telling people who I was.

I remember lying on the floor of St Andrew's Church in Fort Langley doing a guided meditation with a Youth and Young adult group. Before the meditation I was wrestling with whether or not I might try hanging out at the Vancouver School of Theology. After the meditation, there was simply no question, I could not NOT check out VST for a year or two.

I remember sitting under Opa, a great Douglas fir on Bowen Island, praying about my ministry and suddenly it became really clear, it was time for me to end my first pastoral relationship.

Just a few months ago when the unmarked graves of 215 children were affirmed in Kelowna. I knew I could never again assume that other people would take care of the work of reconciliation, I needed to learn what my part in reconciliation could be.

I'm hoping that by sharing some of my experiences of epiphanies, I'm evoking in you memories of your own "Aha!" moments when your life changed.

In Luke's Gospel today, we hear about Simon Peter's experience.

Simon had been working hard all night and caught nothing. He and his partners were cleaning their nets when Jesus arrived. They'd heard about Jesus and were glad to hear him speak for themselves. Jesus asks Simon to take him out in the boat so he can address the crowd that has gathered. Then Jesus ask Simon to put out again and put down his nets. Simon points out that they'd worked all night and caught nothing, but he acknowledges Jesus as Master and says he'll do as Jesus says. And the catch is so great the nets start to break and Simon has to call the other out in their boats to help pull in the catch.

And everything Changes for Simon.

Simon Peter throws himself to his knees, repenting, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!"

And Jesus says, "Don't be afraid, from now on you will be catching people."

And they left everything and followed Jesus.

If God only appeared to people and changed their lives back in Biblical times, then we are wasting our time as a church.

The church is the church because we proclaim that God is still revealing Godself to us now and changing our lives.

I would love for each of you to remember in finite detail when you have experienced the closeness of God, a closeness that has changed you.

Remember that it is possible.

I gave some rather dramatic examples, but I could give some smaller ones when I've had a realization that has brought me peace in a time of anxiety, or assurance in a time of uncertainty.

Epiphanies come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes an epiphany is a small change of heart. I was afraid and now I'm comforted.

I wonder about when we've experienced God and fallen on our knees realizing that we really need to change. For me one of those was last summer when the 215 unmarked graves were affirmed. I knew I had to do something differently.

I wonder about when we've set out for deep waters?

One of the scholars I read this week observed that Peter's Epiphany didn't come when he was well rested after a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast, but at the end of a grueling night of back breaking work. And Peter trusts Jesus enough to set out again for deeper waters.

I wonder what we have been called to leave so that we can respond to the call. Peter, James and John leave their nets and boats, their livelihood to follow. What have we had to give up? Grandchildren's sporting events on Sunday mornings? An extra coffee each week at Waves so we can increase our offering, or make a special donation?

The last observation I'll make is that Scripture tells us that epiphanies don't just happen for individuals, but for entire communities. All the Israelites saw Mount Sanai flashing when Moses received the commandments. There was a crowd in the upper room when Jesus appeared to Thomas. Pentecost was witnessed by strangers who speak different languages from different parts of the world.

When has Trinity experienced epiphany as a community? Are we even open to such an idea? That the Holy Spirit could so reveal it self to us in a time and place that we are radically changed, willing to live our communal life completely differently?

It is actually a precept of the United Church. We do not send delegates to meeting to vote as we tell them to vote. We believe that the Spirit moves in the meeting and that our individual decisions shouldn't be made until the vote actually takes place. In 1988, we sent our delegates to the General Council meeting in Victoria expecting the vote to go against letting Gay and Lesbian people be ordained. But the spirit moved in the meeting. There was an epiphany and the vote went otherwise, changing not just the United Church of Canada but the global church forever and ever.

May we trust that epiphany happens.
May we trust that the call to serve comes.
May we trust enough to put out again, even when we are tired.
And may we trust that abundance follows calling.
Amen.

 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, as Isaiah cried out, “here I am,” 
and as Simon, Andrew and James 
followed Jesus away from the lakeshore, 
so we offer ourselves to you now.

We give thanks for your abundant grace 
that blesses us each day 
by calling us out of the shadows and darkness of our lives 
and into the light of your glorious day.
May our humble gifts bring hope and light 
to your church and to your world.  
In the name of the child 
revealed to us in Bethlehem, we pray.  Amen.

Prayers of the People:

And we continue with prayer:
Holy One,
You are the beginning and the end,
All that is, is in your hand.
And yet you meet us where we live 
and invite us to be part of your great purpose.
May we be your willing servants.

We pray for the church, its many ministries, 
staff and volunteers, 
those we serve for all who work 
to bring others a word and action of compassion. 
May we be your willing servants, 
modeling healthy relationships and faithful stewardship.

We pray for a world torn by violence, 
careless stewardship, hostility, and greed.
May we be your willing servants, 
seeking justice, kindness and humility.

We pray for all who suffer from war, 
natural disaster, climate collapse, and the pandemic.
May we be your willing servants, 
by caring for the whole of your creation.

We pray for those who are oppressed 
because of the colour of their skin, 
their gender identity, 
for whom they love, 
for their ability, mental illness, 
poverty, or addiction.
May we be willing servants 
by serving the least of these.

God of majesty and glory, 
through Christ, you summon us 
into your compassion for all creation.
Renew in us your call and release us from all fear, 
that we may testify in words and deeds 
to your steadfast love for all.
We pray for the sake of Christ.

Disciples’ Prayer: “Heavenly Father, Heavenly Mother” CLICK HERE

 

WE GO FORTH

 

Hymn: “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” VU 651   CLICK HERE

 

Sending Forth

Postlude