BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH
2nd SUNDAY OF CREATION TIME IN THE SEASON OF PENTECOST
FALL WORSHIP SERVICE
September 20, 2020
The video recording of this service can be found here
You can also dial-in by phone to listen to the audio recording at 613-820-8104
Gathering Music: Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen/All Night, All Day Mark Hayes
Welcome & Announcements
Good Morning! On behalf of Bells Corners United Church, I extend a warm welcome to you today and I greet you in the name of Jesus, our mentor and guide, and the very reason we gather together as a family of faith.
We begin this morning by acknowledging that we are gathered on the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabe First Nation. We pay respect to the elders, past and present and honour all indigenous people’s reverence of this land throughout the ages. May we live in peace and friendship to sustain the earth and all its people.
We have begun to open the sanctuary for a small number of people for the month of September as a trial to see how we can offer a gathering of a few while still following the health protocols to keep everyone safe. If you would like to attend, please go the website or call the church office to register by the Wednesday preceding the service. You will be asked to answer a health questionnaire and given the procedures that have been put in place. At the end of the month, we will look at both the interest of people to attend and the feasibility of following the necessary procedures to decide how we will continue going forward.
If you are unable to attend in person, there are several ways you can still participate in worship, through the YouTube video, the audio version or the text of the service, through the links provided on our webpage. You can also call 613-820-8104 to listen to the service on your telephone.
Wherever you are as you join us this morning – in your living room with your family, in your kitchen with a cup of coffee, or with the small group gathered in the sanctuary, know that you are welcome. We are glad that you are here and we hope that today’s service offers what you need as you head into the next week.
Here are a few announcements to highlight this week:
The Annual Memorial Cemetery Service will be held this afternoon Sunday, September 20, at 2pm. It will be held outdoors in the Bells Corners Union Cemetery and you are encouraged to bring a lawn chair and a bottle of water to ensure your comfort and hydration! You are also encouraged to wear a mask and observe social distancing protocols. You can find information about making donations to maintain the cemetery on our website or by speaking with Vernon Sulway.
David’s Flowers continue to be available for purchase by donation on Saturday mornings from 10:30 to 11:30, at the front of the church. The flowers will be displayed on tables outside the main entrance, and everyone is asked to bring donations by exact change or a prepared cheque, and follow the instructions from our volunteers. Thanks to the generous donors, more than $3000 has been raised to date and will be put toward the increased costs of providing online worship services and music licensing fees. And… exciting news! On Saturday, September 26, from 10am to 12 noon, Pickles, Preserves and Ruth’s famous buns will also be for sale! Pick up your flowers and a treat at the same time! We appreciate your support.
Every Wednesday evening at 8pm, we invite you to join your prayers with others from the comfort of your own home. Wherever you are, say a prayer for the world, for your community, the congregation, your family, and yourself. This week, we offer particular prayers for the Stephenson family as they mourn the passing of Doris Stephenson On Wednesday, and for Rev. Kim as she continues her journey to wellness.
If you haven’t ordered your Volume 2 of the book of Memories, now is the time! It is full of great stories and memories of the last 20 years in the life of BCUC’s church family. Please call the church office to reserve your print or digital copy and to arrange payment and pick-up.
The present health restrictions are preventing us from holding our traditional Christmas Bazaar this year but, never fear! Plans are underway for a BCUC Outdoor Market to be held on Saturday, October 17. We hope to have sales areas for baking, deli, crafts, sewing/knitting, gift baskets, and other items that can be sold safely. Christ Church Anglican will be holding a sale outside their church on the same day, so you can shop the street. Please contact Bob and Ellen Boynton if you can offer any help or suggestions. It sounds like a great new community event!
For those who are able to join us by Zoom, there will be a “Virtual Fellowship Time” every Sunday at 11:30 am. The link will be sent to you by email. If you have not yet received it, please call the office for more information during regular church office hours.
For more announcements, please check the church website.
Let us now gather our hearts and minds for worship…
Lighting of the Christ Candle Acolyte: Calliyanna Fowler
In these days when we are not all gathering
together in the church sanctuary,
When life is not the way
we wish it could be
and our church family
seems so far away,
It’s sometimes hard
to remember that Christ is still with us.
We light this candle to remind us
that, even when we can’t be together in body,
We can still be connected in love and in spirit-
And to remind us that Christ is still among us.
Call to Gather
Wait a second! I was here first!
I have been working here for hours! They just turned up.
Yet, the boss is going to pay us all the same!
What’s going on, how can this be fair?
We bring our questions of fairness into worship this morning.[1]
Prayer of Approach
If I asked you to tell me the stories of Jesus, what would you say?
Would you tell me…
“I don’t know them well enough!”
Would you tell me…
“Someone could do it much better!”
Or, would you tell me…
There once was a man who said such wonderful things and did such amazing things that people would ask him, ‘Who are you?’ And his name was Jesus.”
As stewards of the story, as walkers on Christ’s Way,
We are gifted, we are privileged, called to a responsibility to share.
So let us learn together,
Let us teach,
Let us come together to live the story!
Let us come together –
To worship God![2]
Hymn: “God We Praise You for the Morning” - Voices United #415
1. God, we praise you for the morning;
Hope springs forth from each new day,
New beginning, prayer and promise,
Joy in work and in play.
2. God, we praise you for creation,
Mountains, seas, and prairie land.
Waking souls find joy and healing
In your bountiful land.
3.God, we praise you for compassion,
All the loving that you show;
Human touching, tears, and laughter,
Help your children to grow.
4. God, we praise you for your Spirit,
Comforter and daily friend,
Restless searcher, gentle teacher,
Strength and courage you send.
5. God, we praise you for the Saviour,
Come that we may know your ways.
In his loving, dying, rising,
Christ is Lord of our days.
6. Hallelujah, hallelujah,
Hallelujah, hallelujah!
Hallelujah, hallelujah!
Christ is Lord of our days!
Words & Music © 1984 Jim and Jean Strathdee desert flower music
Song #59964 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved
Storytime for the Young at Heart Erin Berard
Put up your hand if you’ve ever said, “It’s not fair….”
Yep, I think I see everyone’s hand up…
Sometimes we say that when we see things that aren’t right – it’s not fair when someone is treated differently just because of the colour of their skin, or it’s not fair that not everyone in our community has enough food to eat.
But often when we whine, “it’s not fair…” it’s all about ourselves, isn’t it?
In today’s parable some people who were hired to work were complaining that things weren’t fair. Early one morning they had been hired to work in a vineyard. They were told how much they were going to get paid for the day’s work, and at the end of the day they got that money. Doesn’t seem to be a problem, right? What have they got to complain about? They got paid what they were supposed to.
You know what it was that bugged them? It turns out that more workers were hired that day after lunch, and others hired just before the end of the day, and THEY got paid the SAME amount as the people hired early in the morning! What do YOU think about that? Was it unfair to the early workers?
Everything seemed fair until they started to compare themselves to others. The first workers forgot to appreciate what they did receive (which was what they were supposed to) and just got jealous about what the other workers got. Rather than seeing how the vineyard owner was being generous, they focused on themselves and how they felt should be treated better than the others.
God loves us all equally. God happily and generously gives love to everyone no matter how much we’ve done for God. Think of how we are all blessed with the beautiful blue sky and the warm sun no matter how old we are, how rich we are, how many years we’ve been in school…
This story can help us remember to be glad when good things happen to others and be thankful God’s continued generosity.
I wonder… Can we try letting God and others around us give generously to others and appreciate what we have next time we feel like whining…?
Hymn: “Magic Penny”
Love is something, if you give it away,
give it away, give it away.
Love is something, if you give it away,
you end up having more!
It’s just like a magic penny,
Hold it tight and you won’t have any.
Lend it, spend it, you’ll have so many,
they’ll roll all over the floor!
Words & Music © Malvina Reynolds, Universal Music Publishing Group, All rights reserved
Prayer for Illumination Reader: Cathy Dowsett
God, sometimes the words we hear in scripture challenge us more than we like. There are times when all we want is to hear something life-affirming and easy. But then you bring us words that call us to be more, to do more, and to love more. Open us to the challenge of these words and strengthen our faith, for we ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.[3]
The Reading: Matthew 20:1-16 NRSV The Laborers in the Vineyard
20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; 4 and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. 5 When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. 6 And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ 9 When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. 10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. 11 And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 14 Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Hear what the Spirit is saying to all of us. Amen.
Sermon: “That’s Not Fair!”
“What’s it worth to you?”
Have you ever been asked that question, seriously or in jest?
I suppose the answer to such a question might depend on your perspective. If I am the person giving or selling something, I might be asking the intended recipient, “What would you be willing to pay for this?” or “What would you be willing to sacrifice for it?” The intent here would be to make a deal that would be worthwhile to me, that would benefit me in some way. The bigger the value in the eyes of the buyer, the bigger the profit to me!
If I am the person on the buying or receiving end, however, I am more likely hoping that I can obtain this item or service or whatever at a low cost to me. I hope to be getting a bargain, something of great value for the least amount of output.
The whole point of negotiating then, is to find the point where everybody feels like they have won, where everybody is happy with the outcome. Everybody gets a fair deal.
But it doesn’t always work that way, does it? What one person sees as fair is not always the same for others. Who gets to decide in the end? When we are far apart on our thinking about fairness, things can get pretty tense – even nasty. Fairness is a tricky concept. No one likes to feel that they have been taken advantage of.
This parable from the book of Matthew addresses that issue in an interesting way. It comes on the heels of the story of the wealthy young man who asked Jesus what he needed to do to have eternal life. I suppose Jesus could have asked him, “What’s it worth to you?” but, instead, he gives him a price that he knows will be a challenge; he tells the young man to sell everything he owns, give his money to the poor, and come follow him. The result is that the young man goes away, grieving… I guess eternal life wasn’t worth giving up his earthly possessions…
I think Jesus knew that this would be a challenge the young man couldn’t accept. He knows that the more comfort, and possessions, and wealth that a person accumulates, the harder it is to sacrifice it. It’s human nature. This young man was a good person – devout, kept all the commandments, wanted to do good deeds that would please God… He was willing to do anything – as long as it didn’t impact his life in a big way. Jesus shakes his head, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
The disciples were curious! They had given up everything – their livelihood, their families, their homes – and followed Jesus. Surely, they will get huge rewards! “We’ve done all that and we’ve been with you from the beginning! What will we get, Jesus?”
And this is when Jesus tells the story we heard today.
So, let’s take that same question – “What’s it worth to you?” – and see how it fits with the parable he chose to follow this experience…
A landowner needs people to work in his vineyards, so, as was the custom of the day, he heads to the market square to find some folks who are looking for work. He hires them, offering the usual daily pay. They happily agree to the terms and head to the vineyard. At this point, everyone is happy. It seems like a fair deal. The landowner gets his workers and the workers get a full day’s work and compensation.
What’s it worth to the landowner? He gets a group of workers for 12 hours, so it’s worth paying each of them the expected daily wage.
What’s it worth to the workers? They get a full day’s work. They don’t have to come back to the market later, hoping to fill in a few more hours. They can go home at the end of the day feeling successful. They accomplish exactly what they had hoped for when they arrived at the marketplace that morning. It’s worth spending 12 hours doing outside labour.
At several points later in the day, the landowner goes back to the marketplace to hire more workers. We aren’t told why this is necessary. Perhaps there is more work to be done than he originally thought. Maybe the early workers are getting tired and progress is slowing down so he needs some “fresh horses”. Maybe there is some different work that needs to be done and he needs different people to take on these new projects without taking the others off what they are doing… For whatever reason, he hires people early in the morning, again at nine o’clock, then repeats the process at noon, three o’clock, and five.
What is all this back and forth to town worth to the landowner? He gets fresh workers throughout the day, those he hires are eager to get some work, even if it is just for a few hours, more gets accomplished in his vineyard. It’s worth it!
What is it worth to the new hires? Instead of spending the whole day standing in the marketplace and going home empty-handed, they get some employment and feel that they have contributed to supporting their families. It may not be a full day’s work, but it might make the difference between the family going hungry or having at least something to eat tonight. It’s worth putting in the effort, even for a few hours.
So far, everyone is happy! Everyone feels they have gotten a fair deal. But at the end of the day, all that changes…
The landowner instructs the manager to line the workers up to be paid, and he is specific about paying the last workers to arrive, first. Instead of paying them a pro-rated amount for the number of hours they worked, he pays them a full day’s wage! And this continues on down the line… everyone gets an equal share, no matter if they have been there for twelve hours or two.
The first to be paid must be ecstatic! They had been waiting all day in the market, hoping for even a little work, losing hope of having anything to show for their time. They were given the possibility of making a few pennies so they wouldn’t be going home empty-handed and in shame but now they are going home with full pockets. It was worth all that standing in the square and getting more and more dejected as time went on.
I imagine that most of those who came later in the day would be pretty pleased to go home with a full day’s pay. It was beyond their expectations.
The ones who were hired at dawn, however, didn’t feel the same way at all… “That’s not fair!”
Even though they received exactly what they had agreed upon, even though it seemed worth it to work twelve long hours to go home with a full day’s wages in their pockets, suddenly the fact that others got the same reward for what seems like a lot less effort, makes them angry. They feel they deserve more than those other guys, that the landowner should have considered their contribution worth more than everyone else’s.
Now, the landowner could have easily prevented this problem by paying the early workers first and sending them on their way. After all, if they didn’t see what the others received, they would most likely have gone home happy with a full day’s wage for a full day’s work. It would have been worth it… but that’s not what happened. He specifically told the manager to do pay the workers from the last to arrive, to the first.
So, for some reason, everyone’s contribution to the day’s work was worth full compensation. It didn’t matter what time they arrived, the work they accomplished, at the end of the day, was all seen as valuable in the landowner’s eyes. Each person’s part was seen as just as important, just as worthy as every one else’s. Each person deserved to go home satisfied with their accomplishments and with enough money in their pockets to meet their needs.
The gospel writer doesn’t tell us how the first ones paid reacted – but we can be pretty sure they didn’t grumble. I imagine they were already grateful to get even a partial day’s work, so this would have been a welcome surprise. What a generous man this landowner was! What a caring person to send them home with not only enough money to feed their families, but with their dignity intact. They wouldn’t be feeling that they were less than the others, or worth less than anyone else. They had made a contribution, perhaps smaller than some, but perhaps all they were capable of that day.
The ones who had worked all day, however, were the ones who complained, the ones who were there from the start… the ones who were picked first for the job. That makes me think… why were they picked first and not the others who ended up standing around for hours? It makes sense to me that they would be the more able-bodied ones, the ones who looked like they could handle a full day’s work, the ones who were probably picked first every day… the ones who were always able to provide for their needs and would, therefore be in better shape physically, mentally and emotionally. They may not have had full time occupations and they may have struggled to get by… but it seems to me that they would have enjoyed some privileges that the others might be lacking for many reasons other than laziness. These others, remember, were not standing in the marketplace begging for handouts. They were willing to work but were passed over for some reason – a disability? Age? Some other reason that might limit their time or their capacity to take on a full day’s work?
So, what was the problem here? It seems that the landowner didn’t follow the norms of the day. True to Jesus’ pattern of taking something we think we understand and then turning it upside down, this man didn’t seem to base the worth of each man’s work on the length of the day or any form of merit, his decision came from a place of grace. No worker received less than he was entitled to… no one went home without the means to support himself and his family… every one of them contributed something meaningful … every person went home with their dignity intact and their needs met. One added bonus is that I bet those who were paid more than they expected would be looking forward to working for this man again. I bet those workers who came last, who had been standing idle all day because no one had hired them, were probably the ones who held back most days, thinking they would be passed over anyway for those healthy, able-bodied men who seemed to get the best work every day. Perhaps this experience will have given them the confidence to put their hands up tomorrow…
The money to pay everyone equally wasn’t coming out of the early workers’ pockets. They weren’t paid less than the fair wage of the times. So, why did they begrudge the others of the means to meet their needs? Why should it matter to them that the landowner was generous?
“That’s not fair!” they shouted…
The story tells us that they were expecting to be paid more., not that they wanted the others to get less…
Would it be fair to give those with enough even more than they were entitled to for the work they did and leave the others struggling to put food on the table?
Would it be fair to raise the comfortable higher when they haven’t done any more than expected and leave the others in poverty – increasing the gap between the haves and the have-nots?
I don’t think the early workers were necessarily being greedy…Perhaps they just didn’t think it through. They were basing their complaint on the premise that payment should be on a sliding scale according to time and ability and so, it follows at first glance that if someone else is being paid the same for something they saw as less, then they should be paid even more than was normal for the work they did – that somehow what they had done was now worth more than it was before.
The idea of a Basic Income Guarantee is a hot topic these days. It’s not a new idea. There have been many studies and even pilot projects put in place over the last decade. Lots of scholars have weighed in – economists, social justice workers, and even theologians. The Moderator of the United Church of Canada has issued a letter in support of the concept. Members of our own congregation have hosted an online presentation explaining what it is – and what it isn’t – and posted information on our church website. (I encourage you to check it out) Everyone seems to have an opinion, it seems, and the discussions between those for it and those opposed can get pretty heated at times. One thing I have noticed though is that the two sides are not always talking about the same thing.
Some people think that it’s not fair that they have to work, while others get paid to stay home. Some people think that it will cost us less to make sure people’s basic needs are being met than it costs us now to keep people on welfare. Some people think it will encourage people to take advantage of the system. Some believe it will give more people a leg up so they won’t always need to depend on outside support. Some people aren’t really sure what it’s all about. Some people think it’s just not fair.
I guess, just like in the parable, it depends on your perspective… and your understanding of the whole issue.
Is Jesus really asking us to sell all we own and live in poverty as he challenged the rich young man? … or is he asking us to replace our thirst for more, and more, with a sharing of resources to help others out of the cycle of poverty?
What’s it worth to you?
Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer
God of us all,
We give thanks that you see us all as worthy of your love and grace.
Help us to avoid judging others worth using worldly measures
And help us see the value in each one we meet.
There are so many in this world who are suffering.
We pray for all those who hunger for food – in their bodies or in their souls.
We pray that they will be filled.
We pray for those who suffer injustice, oppression, and discrimination
That they may be lifted.
We pray for all those dealing with grief, sorrow, and loss.
That they may be comforted.
We pray for our families, our friend, and our neighbours, near and far,
That they may be strengthened by your love.
We offer up to you all the blessings and concerns that we share aloud or hold silently in our hearts,
Knowing that you hear each one.
We ask all this as we continue in these familiar words together:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kin-dom come, thy will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kin-dom, the power and the glory,
Forever and ever,
Amen.
Invitation to Offer
I now invite you to offer your gifts of time, talents and resources as expressions of your gratitude to God’s blessings. If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offering and donations, you can drop them in the slot by the kitchen door of the church or mail them to BCUC. You can also send in your support through e-transfer. Thank you for your continued love and support to BCUC.
Offertory Prayer
These symbols of the sweat of our brow,
we present to you, O God,
as an act of trust:
Trust that they will contribute
to your mission in the world,
Trust that we will become
instruments of your will,
Trust that you will bless the giving and the givers. Amen[4]
Sending Forth
As a community of compassion, reborn in God’s image,
go out into the world to both spread and point out
the goodness of God’s love and grace
that is present in the world around you,
in the coming week.
Do so knowing you are both loved and [5]blessed by God,
This day and forevermore. Amen.
Hymn: “I Saw the Rich Ones” More Voices #127
1. I saw the rich ones I saw what they gave
The widow who offered two pennies she’d saved
And I saw she was smiling, I knew she was glad
And I wondered because she gave all that she had.
Refrain:
But with God the world is turned upside down
The poor are embraced and the lost they are found.
Let’s work for a world where all people are free
Where it’s good to feel good about God loving you and me.
2. I saw Zacheus, a sinner they said
But to his house I saw Jesus go to break bread
And I knew something special had happened that day
When Zacheus gave half of his riches away.
3. The men in the vineyards were grumbling one day
I knew they weren’t happy with what they’d been paid
For the ones who came later were paid just the same
As the ones who greeted the dawn when they came.
Words & Music © 2000 Pat Mayberry, arr: © 2006 Marg Stubbington
Song #127280 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214.
All rights reserved
Departing: In the Chapel De Severac
Zoom Fellowship hosted by Lorrie at 11:30 am. Link has been emailed. See you there!
[1] Sandy Ferguson, Gathering Pentecost 2, 2020, p33. Used with permission.
[2] Richard Bott, Gathering Pentecost 2, 2018, p29. Used with permission.
[3] Susan Ivany, Gathering, Pentecost 2 2017, p37. Used with permission.
[4] Gord Dunbar, Gathering Pentecost 2, 2014, p35. Used with permission.
[5] Allan Warren, Gathering Pentecost 2, 2014, p36. Used with permission.