The Story for the
Second Sunday in Epiphany
January 17, 2021

prepared by the Rev’d Adam Brown

John 1:43-51

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

⁴³ The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” ⁴⁴ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. ⁴⁵ Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” ⁴⁶ Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” ⁴⁷ When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” ⁴⁸ Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” ⁴⁹ Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” ⁵⁰ Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” ⁵¹ And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you,^[m] you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

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Something to Do

Epiphany Tree

If you’re like me, you may be procrastinating and still have your Christmas Tree up in your living room. If you do, make a decoration inspired by this week’s readings and hang it on the tree. If you’ve already gone ahead and thrown it out or put it away, make a decoration anyway and find somewhere else to hang it for the week.

Under the Tree

Take a walk sometime this week and stand under a tree. Where do you see Jesus? What is he saying to you?

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Something to Wonder

“Come and See”

We often associate the invitation of “come and see” to Jesus, but in this passage it’s Philip who who invites Nathanael. How have you heard the call of others to “come and see”? What about the saints? Do any stand out to you?

Gathering Places

Fig trees are often the symbol of people coming together and congregating for community or study. As we are in another lockdown, how have you or others found innovative ways to still maintain a sense of community?

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Something to Learn

The Immovable Ladder

The phrase, “…you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” calls to mind the story of Jacob’s Ladder (Genesis 28:10-19) with the ladder being a symbol or a prophecy of Jesus. Another, more visible and infamous, ladder in our own times is the “Immovable Ladder” at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. A product of centuries of disagreements and division, both between the Church and the secular governments that come and go, and amongst Christians themselves, the ladder has remained a symbol of a desire for Christian ecumenism and unity for hundreds of years. In 1964 Pope Paul VI declared that the ladder would only be taken down when all Christians have finally reunited.

You can read more about the Immovable Ladder here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_Quo_(Jerusalem_and_Bethlehem)

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Something to Pray

Holy God, we do not always understand your word or your ways. 
Give us wisdom and imagination and courage as we learn and grow. 

The story this week has made me wonder about…
         (what questions are still on your heart?)
Receive my questions and help me hear your answers.

The story this week has filled me with…
         (how are you feeling?)
Accept my praise, heal my hurt, ease my worry.

The story this week has reminded me of…
         (are there situations or people you are thinking of?)
Be with all who are in need of you.

In Jesus’ name, we pray.
Amen.

The Story for the
Baptism of Jesus
January 10, 2021

prepared by the Rev’d Rhonda Waters

Mark 1:4-11

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” 

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Something to Do

Baptized with Water

The celebration of Jesus’ baptism is the perfect time to reflect on our own baptisms. If you have not been baptized, reflect on whether God is calling you to take this step of faith and don’t hesitate to contact Rhonda for a conversation.

If you have been baptized and/or you live with children who have been baptized, consider doing some or all of these things, perhaps at a meal or just before bed:

• Fill a bowl with water and use it to sign your forehead with a cross to remember that you have been marked as Christ’s own forever.
• Light a candle (maybe even your baptismal candle) to remember that you have been given the light of Christ to share with the world.
• Read the promises you made at your baptism and ask God to help you keep those commitments (find a copy here).

Baptism of Repentance

The most important symbol of baptism is the water – in fact, baptism requires at least a drop of water and should, ideally, have lots of it (a whole river, even!) Water is a powerful symbol of renewal . It restores us when we are thirsty. It cleanses us when we are dirty.

This week, add a prayer to every encounter you have with water. When you drink it, ask God to give you newness of life. When you wash with it, ask God to wash away anything that separates you from God. When you use it to nourish pets or plants, ask God to make you a channel for God’s love.

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Something to Wonder

Baptized with the Holy Spirit

The word baptize is the Greek word for dip or dunk – like a cookie into milk or a toe into a swimming pool or a tired body into a warm bath. John the baptizer was literally dunking people into the river, baptizing them with water, and he pointed to Jesus who would baptize with the Holy Spirit – dunking people into the Holy Spirit.

How do you feel / what do you think about the idea of being submerged in the Spirit? Is it similar or different from how you usually think of encounters with Spirit? Does is describe something you have experienced before? Something you would like to experience? Something you would rather avoid? Why?

You Are Beloved

You are beloved. Is this an easy thing or a hard thing for you to hear? To believe? Either way, it is true. You are beloved.

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Something to Learn

The Gospel according to Mark

The liturgical year begins in Advent and this liturgical year is a “Year B”, meaning with will be reading the Gospel according to Mark. Because of our special Advent series, however, we did not begin our year with Mark and so instead come to it for the first time in three years this Sunday.

Mark’s account is the first to be written down and is the shortest of the four Gospels. It moves with great urgency and an astonishing economy of language – which results in a frustrating lack of detail as well as a very compelling story.

The two short essays provide an excellent overview of the context, composition, and history of Mark’s account.
The Gospel of Mark: A story of secrecy and misunderstanding
The Gospel of Mark: The first attempt to tell the story

The Bible Project video provides a clear and engaging explanation of the structure and themes in the Gospel according to Mark.

And, if you have a couple of hours, I highly recommend letting actor David Suchet read the whole book out loud to you.

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Something to Pray

Holy God, we do not always understand your word or your ways. 
Give us wisdom and imagination and courage as we learn and grow. 

The story this week has made me wonder about…
         (what questions are still on your heart?)
Receive my questions and help me hear your answers.

The story this week has filled me with…
         (how are you feeling?)
Accept my praise, heal my hurt, ease my worry.

The story this week has reminded me of…
         (are there situations or people you are thinking of?)
Be with all who are in need of you.

In Jesus’ name, we pray.
Amen.

The Story for the
Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 20, 2020

prepared by the Rev’d Rhonda Waters

This Advent, we are not reading the usual lectionary readings. Instead, we have crafted an Advent series that tells the story of God’s saving work through the lens of four pairs or individuals from the Bible who reveal the
transformative power of hope in God.
On Sunday, we will hear these stories in a variety of ways – Bible readings, stories, poems, and songs.

The Story of Mary

On the fourth Sunday in Advent, we are going to hear from Mary. In fact, we are going to present our Christmas pageant so we are going to hear from Mary and Joseph and angels and shepherds and even Caesar Augustus. But, in preparation, you are invited to focus on Mary (who really is the star of the show – at least until the baby is born).

Read the Biblical story of Mary’s visit from the angel, her visit to Elizabeth, and the song she sings here: Luke 1:26-56

Read the story as developed in Rhonda’s sanctified imagination and shared as a progressive pageant over the 4 Sundays in Advent plus Christmas Eve last year here: Mary’s Story

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Something to Do

From Generation to Generation

Mary’s song, often called The Magnificat because that is the first word in its Latin translation, links her hope and her faith and her experience of God to her ancestors. She reaches all the way back to Abraham and Sarah – the people with whom we began our Advent journey.

What hope lives in you that has its roots in your ancestors – either the literal past generations of your biological family or the past generations of your chosen lineage? Tell someone a story about those ancestors.

Living Hope

We called this week “Living Hope” because Mary is quite literally bringing hope to birth. Celebrate living hope this week by rejoicing in the greenery of the season.

• If you haven’t yet put up a Christmas tree, consider putting it up but leaving it without decorations for a few days. If you have already put up your Christmas tree, bask in its beauty.
• Find other places to bring greenery into your home – wreaths or bows or garlands. Get a new houseplant or pay extra attention to the ones you already have.
• Go for a wintery walk and admire how much green there actually still is, even with the leaves gone for the winter.

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Something to Wonder

Mary

What is your relationship to Mary? Do you think of her mostly as a character in a story? Does she have a role in your faith? Do you mostly forget about her except at Christmas time? Does she make you uncomfortable?

However you answer the question, take some time to wonder about it. Why is that your response to Mary? Where did you learn it? What impact has it had on your faith?

If you are responsible for the faith formation of someone else, what relationship to Mary would you like to teach? Why? And how might you do that?

Living Hope

What hope are your nurturing?
What are you doing to help it grow?

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Something to Learn

Mary in Art

Mary is the subject of a great deal of art in all forms, spanning centuries. Take a look at these collections:

A beautiful array of timeless images — both classical and modern — to honor the Virgin Mary, the spiritual mother to us all. by

The Cult of the Virigin Mary in the Middle Ages: The Metropolitan Museum in New York City

Looking at Mary with modern mom eyes – for a good laugh but also a good point

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Something to Pray

Holy God, we do not always understand your word or your ways. 
Give us wisdom and imagination and courage as we learn and grow. 

The story this week has made me wonder about…
         (what questions are still on your heart?)
Receive my questions and help me hear your answers.

The story this week has filled me with…
         (how are you feeling?)
Accept my praise, heal my hurt, ease my worry.

The story this week has reminded me of…
         (are there situations or people you are thinking of?)
Be with all who are in need of you.

In Jesus’ name, we pray.
Amen.

The Story for the
Third Sunday of Advent
December 13, 2020

prepared by the Rev’d Rhonda Waters

This Advent, we are not reading the usual lectionary readings. Instead, we have crafted an Advent series that tells the story of God’s saving work through the lens of four pairs or individuals from the Bible who reveal the
transformative power of hope in God.
On Sunday, we will hear these stories in a variety of ways – Bible readings, stories, poems, and songs.

Isaiah 1:1-4,12-20 and Isaiah 40

On the third Sunday in Advent, we will hear two passages from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. The first passage comes from before Judah was occupied and the people sent into exile. The prophet speaks God’s judgement on the nation and calls them to return to righteousness. The second passage was written after the exile had taken place and seeks to assure the people that God has not abandoned them but will ultimately see them restored to their home.

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Something to Do

The Messiah

The salvation described in the Book of Isaiah has been understood by Christians throughout history as the coming of the Messiah in the person of Jesus (Jewish readers of the text obviously have different interpretations). As a result, the traditional Advent readings draw on Isaiah and many Advent hymns are crafted around the poetry of the book.

Most famously, the words for Part 1 of Handel’s Messiah are largely drawn from Isaiah. Make time for this beautiful piece of music this week.

• You can singalong with CAMMAC’s virtual Come Sing Messiah (with links to online scores).
• Check out the Toronto Symphony Orchestra‘s multi-media contemporary Canadian interpretation.
• Or simply find a recording, pour a drink of your choosing, and listen.

Patient Hope

We called this week “Patient Hope” because Isaiah is clear that the people have no choice but to wait, even if he is also clear that what they are waiting for is a very good thing.

Practice patience this week by waiting deliberately at every little opportunity. Standing in a line up? Boiling a pot of water? At a stoplight? Computer updating? Build your patience muscle every chance you get!

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Something to Wonder

You, plural

Isaiah – like the whole Bible – is not written to an individual or even a group of individuals but to a people. That people can be understood in different ways: the nation of Israel; the Body of Christ; the community of faith; the family of God; humanity itself. But the you is almost always plural.

Does keeping this idea at the front of your attention change how you read these passages from Isaiah? Who do you think God is addressing today with these very strong words? Are they listening? Where do you (singular) fit into all this?

Patient Hope

How does the idea of patient hope make you feel?
How does it fit (or not fit) with the call to justice?
What is your relationship to the idea of patience itself?
Would you have chosen a different phrase?

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Something to Learn

More on Isaiah

The Book of Isaiah was not, in fact, written by one prophet but rather is rooted in the writings of one prophet but continued by those who came after. The events covered in the book span over 100 years and it serves as history, political analysis, and theology – often in the form of poetry.

Wikipedia’s overview is, as always, good place to start.

Myjewishlearning.com has an excellent article on the person and history of Isaiah ben Amoz who wrote the first part of the book.

And The Bible Project’s videos explain why, as Christians, we see Jesus revealed so clearly in the Prophet’s words.

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Something to Pray

Holy God, we do not always understand your word or your ways. 
Give us wisdom and imagination and courage as we learn and grow. 

The story this week has made me wonder about…
         (what questions are still on your heart?)
Receive my questions and help me hear your answers.

The story this week has filled me with…
         (how are you feeling?)
Accept my praise, heal my hurt, ease my worry.

The story this week has reminded me of…
         (are there situations or people you are thinking of?)
Be with all who are in need of you.

In Jesus’ name, we pray.
Amen.