BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

2nd SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY

January 17, 2021

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: Saviour Like a Shepherd Lead Us – Synth/piano: Abe

Words and Music: Arr © Mark Hayes
Song # Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Welcome & Announcements Rev. Kim Vidal

Good day everyone! On behalf of BCUC, I welcome and greet you on this 2nd Sunday after Epiphany as we reflect on the story of Jesus calling Philip and Nathanael to follow him.

Due to the provincial lockdown, we will not be offering in-person worship service until further notice but we will continue to offer worship service in a number of ways. Check our website at bcuc.org, for our worship service in audio, video and text formats along with the weekly announcements, online meetings, events and other updates. You can also listen to the service via telephone by dialing 613-820-8104. Please continue to reach out by connecting with each other through emails, phone calls and prayers.

Join us for a spontaneous Prayer Circle every Wednesday at 8 pm. Wherever you are, say a prayer for the world, your community including the congregation, your family, and yourself.

And for those of you who are able to join us via Zoom, there will be zoom fellowship every Sunday at 11: 00 am. Link has been emailed to you or call the office for more information.

For all other announcements, please check your email or the church website.

Friends, let us take a moment to reflect the meaning of Epiphany: to discover what “aha” moments are revealed to us as we follow Jesus, God’s gift of light. Let us now gather in worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle Acolytes: David Stafford & Barbara Bole

As we light this Christ Candle,
may God refresh our perception
that we may discover God’s manifestation in Christ.
May epiphany be not just a word
but a gasp of wonder at the promise revealed.
(Cheryl Stenson, Gathering, ACE 2020-21)

Call to Gather (Richard Bott, Gathering, ACE 2020-21) Rev. Lorrie Lowes

As individuals, as a group, as a community of faith –
are gather in this place.
To listen. To communicate.
To worship. To pray.
To be with God.
Because we know –
It is out of God’s authority, it is out of God’s love,
that we live. Alleluia!

Prayer of Approach: (Gord Dunbar, Gathering, ACE 2020-21) Rev. Kim Vidal

Every time we answer your call, O God,
we meet you again as if for the first time.
Each moment is a revelation.
Each meeting leads to our hearts opening wider to you and to others.
Each encounter shines light onto the strength of relationships
fostered while following Jesus the Christ –
the one who invites and equips,
the one who is companion and guide,
the one who is Giver and Gift. Amen.

Hymn: I Am the Light of the World – Voices United #87 Guitar: Heidi

Refrain:
I am the light of the world!
You people come and follow me!
If you follow and love
you’ll learn the mystery
of what you were meant to do and be.

When the song of the angels is stilled,
when the star in the sky is gone,
when the kings and the shepherds
have found their way home,
the work of Christmas is begun. R

To find the lost and lonely one,
to heal the broken soul with love,
to feed the hungry children
with warmth and good food,
to feel the earth below, the sky above! R.

To free the prisoner from all chains,
to make the powerful care,
to rebuild the nations with strength of good will,
to see God’s children everywhere! R

To bring hope to every task you do,
to dance at a baby’s new birth,
to make music in an old person’s heart,
and sing to the colours of the earth! R

Storytime Rev. Lorrie Lowes

I have a book here by Judith Viorst called “Alexander, Who’s Not (Do you hear me? I mean it!) Going to Move”. I will just read you the first few pages…

Boy, Alexander has his mind made up! His parents and his brothers try to make him see the good things about moving to a new place, but he is not going to change his mind. He doesn’t want to hear what they have to say and has all sorts of plans for how he can stay right where he is…

Have you ever tried to change someone’s mind? It can be really difficult! Often when someone has an opinion about something or a personal view, they don’t even want to hear what you have to say. Even when you know they are missing some important information, you can’t make someone listen to you if they already have their mind made up. That can be really frustrating!

Or… have you ever been like Alexander, refusing to listen when someone tries to make you change your mind?

I wonder what it is that makes it hard for us to change our thinking? For Alexander, he is happy with his life and comfortable in his home. Change must seem kind of scary to him...For some people, it might be that they heard something from someone they trust and so they think that if they change their mind, they are betraying that trust. It’s hard to think that someone you have trusted might have been wrong… Or sometimes we might worry that changing our mind means that we are weak or that people will think we are dumb. Whatever it is, we know that changing your mind can be difficult sometimes.

But, if we never change our minds about things, we never learn anything new and we stop growing in both knowledge and wisdom. I used to tell my math students that making a mistake and starting over is not a bad thing, it just means you’ve changed your thinking based on new information or more thought. Changing your thinking shows me that you are really paying attention to what you already know and to new ideas – and that’s a good thing!

In our Bible story today, we will hear about a man, Nathanael, who thinks Jesus couldn’t be anything special because he came from the small backwater town of Nazareth. He has made a judgement about Jesus without even meeting him! What I like about Nathanael though, is that he is willing to admit that his thinking was wrong and he is open to learning more.

These days we are hearing a lot of different opinions about things like the lockdown measures for the pandemic and about the government officials who are making these rules. We are hearing about differences of opinion in the United States that have led to violence and breaking up of families. It’s hard to know, sometimes, what to believe and it can be downright scary. It makes adults worry and I think that makes kids worry too… The important thing to remember, is that you need to keep your ears and your mind open as you hear the thoughts of others. You need to find your own ways of figuring out what makes the most sense and which people have expertise and knowledge to back up their thinking. If you are confused or upset about what’s happening these days, make sure you ask questions and have discussions with people whose thinking you can trust and with experts. Share your thinking and listen to what others think too.

As a Christian, one of the experts I turn to is Jesus. What would Jesus say about what is happening in our world today? What understanding will help us show our love for our neighbours? What can we do in this situation to make the world closer to God’s dream for it? These are questions we’ve heard before and I think they are a really good place to start. Let’s be like Nathanael, with open minds and hearts. I believe that will help us though these tricky times.

Hymn: You Are Holy - More Voices #45 TeGrotenhuis family

1. You are holy, you show us the way. (4X)

Refrain:
You show us, you show us, you show us the way. (4X)

2. You are freedom, you show us the way (4X) R

3 You are justice, you show us the way (4X) R

Words and Music: © traditional song, South Africa
Song Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination Reader: Angela Starchuk

Weave your Word into our lives, O God until they are part of the very fabric of our being, shaping our choices and our everyday living. Amen.

The Reading: John 1: 43-51 (NRSV)

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, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

Hear what the Spirit is saying to all of us! Thanks be to God!

Sermon: “Whose Voice?” Rev. Kim Vidal

How many of you enjoy being cynical or being skeptic or doubtful, on occasion? Well, I do – from time to time. When the weather is a messy mix of freezing rain and snow just like in these past few days - can anything good come out from this nasty weather? When I hear horrible news about riots and protests or acts of terror or deadly accidents - can anything good come out from these tragic stories? When positive-tested cases of COVID-19 continue to surge that affect all of us – can anything good come out from this seemingly hopeless pandemic? Or if a political candidate I did not vote for won the election- can anything good come out from the leadership of this winning candidate? Nathanael asked a similar question in today’s gospel story: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth? There are times when we judge people from the place of their origin or where they live. If someone comes from a small unknown town, we easily assume that that someone has every potential to fail. We simply associate the word success to people who were born or were raised from well-known cities.

We live in a time defined by cynicism. Our era delights in discovering scandals, ulterior motives, and the secret double lives of famous people. And there’s nothing better than a scandal involving a politician or a celebrity or even a religious leader. Nathanael had plenty of reasons to be cynical himself when his friend Philip said that he had found the Messiah. First century Palestine was filled with all kinds of wannabe heroes, self-proclaimed prophets, going around claiming that they were the long-awaited Messiah, who would liberate the Jewish people from the Roman rulers. Sometimes these fake messiahs would organize revolts and rebellious protests that were quickly and brutally repressed by the Roman soldiers. Not only did Nathanael had second thoughts on this particular Messiah that Philip is talking about– but this Messiah is also someone from a small, infamous place called Nazareth.

Obviously in those days, Nazareth wasn’t a good place to put on your resume as your place of origin. In fact, if there was any social media back then, you wouldn’t acknowledge that you were from Nazareth. Nazareth was a like a no where’s land. It didn’t feature any wonders of the world. It wasn’t the seat of any power and no great families connected with it. It was a simple laid-back town with no great schools, no sports arena or a temple like that of Jerusalem. There was nothing exciting about Nazareth. Jesus came from Nazareth. Located in the region of Galilee, it was a particularly mischievous hotbed for radicals such as Judas of Galilee who led an armed uprising against the same Roman census that forced Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem. Judas also founded the Zealots, a militant Jewish sect whose revolt years later would result in the complete destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Nathanael had reasonable cause to question what good could possibly come out of Nazareth. Would this Jesus, son of Joseph be another fake messiah? Would he try to start something that would get Philip and Nathanael in trouble with the Roman authorities or even get killed? What good certainly could come out of Nazareth?

Philip knows his friend Nathanael by heart. He should have figured that Nathanael would scoff, or make fun of him, or ignore him all together. But Philip goes and tells his friend anyway about this cool guy, Jesus. This news was too good not to share, especially when Andrew and his brother Simon were over the moon about this guy. Surely, Philip needs to share this exciting news with a good friend like Nathanael. And I think what's even cooler is Philip's reaction to Nathanael's dismissive remark. Philip didn’t retort back, or get defensive, or walk away hurt or angry, vowing never to share anything with Nathanael again. Instead, Philip just took Nathanael’s remarks in stride and answers with more excitement - “Come and see”.

“Come and see”. Three words that would change Nathanael’s life. Three words that would shatter Nathanael’s cynical nature. Come and see. Such simple, open, and inviting words. Words, that sum up not only the heart of the Gospel of John but the whole Jesus movement. For this, according to John, the Evangelist, is the only fit response to having witnessed the grace and mercy of God taking shape among us, when we follow the ways of Jesus. Come and see the One whose voice may change one’s mindset and perspective. Come and see. These are the words we are invited to say to others who are truly seeking meaning from life.

When your child grabs your hand and says, “Come and see, Mommy, Daddy, look what I found!” it puts an end to whatever doubtful thoughts you might have had in your head. I think this is one of the reasons why Jesus says that we have to receive the kingdom of God like children, because we cannot enter God’s reality unless we allow ourselves to be overtaken by the innocent delight to grab our friends by the hand and tell them to come and see what God is doing in the world.

So Nathanael lets his friend Philip grabs him by the hand and took him to meet Jesus. I love the way that Jesus greets Nathanael. He could have said, “What’s happening in your little head, brother? I hear you’ve been saying stuff about my hometown!” But Jesus says instead, “Here is a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” For Jesus to call someone a “true Israelite” was a tremendous compliment. For him to say that Nathanael was someone “without deceit” is a positive spin on Nathanael’s cynicism. Jesus knows that Nathanael speaks openly and honestly from his heart. He appreciates Nathanael’s way of questioning and doubting without pretense or malice. Despite the stereotypical setbacks of Nazareth origin, Jesus has insight and perception of the best family, geography, status, wealth or education cannot give. Jesus has this innate ability to know people, their nature, their motivation and their desires. That is what drew him to Nathanael as Jesus saw him under the fig tree.

We have a fig tree in our church courtyard planted by Nicole and Gerry about 4 years ago. This fig tree is pretty small compared to the fig tree mentioned in our reading. A shorty like me can’t even squat under it. Standing or sitting under your own fig tree is a symbol of comfort and blessing in the language of the Hebrew Scripture. Again and again the prophets used the fig tree image to evoke feelings of longing for peace and comfort. To be under your fig tree was to come home and have arrived safe. Nathanael was standing in that safe space. He had this longing for peace and comfort. He was anticipating in that moment that someone like Jesus can see right through him. There are gaps in this story that were not accounted for by the gospel writer. I’m sure Philip must have explained who Jesus is in full lengths in order to convince Nathanael. Similarly, Jesus and Nathanael might have had a heart-to-heart talk about religion and theology or even the politics of the day that had Nathanael’s ears ringing in awe and his mind in wonder. When Nathanael finally came to his senses, after he have heard Jesus’ voice and realized who he was talking to, Nathanael professed his profound confession of faith: “Rabbi Jesus - you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel! You surpass any emperor like Augustus or any ruler like Herod. You are the beacon of love and compassion!”

Jesus pats Nathanael on his back: “Nate, my brother, are you saying this because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? That’s nothing! you will see greater things than these. You will see the heavens open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” Some scholars interpret this verse as alluding to Jacob’s dream of a ladder full of angels ascending and descending on each step. But these words also capture something beautiful about the way that our eyes and mind can be opened when we allow ourselves to listen to Jesus’ voice and be converted from our own cynicism into a living faith. We too can see the heavens open when we look at the world in wonder and be transformed through the eyes of faith.

Nathanael is a second-hand disciple. Jesus didn’t call him - Philip did. If Jesus had called him, he probably wouldn’t have come. But that’s ok, too. Because that’s how many of us got into the Christian faith. We were skeptics and cynics first or just checking Christianity out as a favour to a friend or just to please our parents or to look for concrete proofs about the existence of God. Until we came and saw for ourselves and listened to Jesus’ voice through the inspired witnesses of faith – until we realized that Jesus’ way of radical love and hospitality, his agenda of inclusivity and justice, are the very values that we need in making a difference, then and only then are we able to profess our own faith experience. And talking about following the steps of Jesus, it would be difficult to see God’s angels all around us if we continuously hold on to cynicism. All that we’ll ever see when we look around are moments of negativity and pessimism: hopelessness in the midst of this pandemic, bickering and finger-wagging, gloom and doom of life or the stinky smell of unwashed floors. When we hear an invitation to come and see Jesus and accepts the invitation no matter what state of cynicism or questioning we are in, the Light of God comes when we are willing to be broken open to new possibilities.

Jesus doesn’t let Philip and Nathanael down. Philip accepted Jesus’ invitation to follow him and invited Nathanael to “come and see” --- soon the disciples tasted water turning into wine, watched in wonder as Jesus clears the temple, were disturbed when Jesus asked water from a Samaritan woman; listened with amazement when Jesus said to Nicodemus that the spirit of God blows wherever it wills. The disciples stumbled onto a new way of life they have never imagined. A gracious invitation is extended - one that comes with a promise.
Seek and you will find.
Knock and the door will be opened to you.
Ask and you will receive.
Come to me and I will give you rest.
“Come and see.”

Jesus’ voice is loud and clear. Come and see.

Will you listen and follow? Amen.

Note: Thanks to the members of the BCUC Lectionary Group for their insights, reflections and interpretation of the story.

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer Rev. Lorrie Lowes

God of Wisdom, we seek your presence today in this time of turmoil and strife.

After almost a year of restrictions and fears about Covid-19, we are tired and frustrated and worried about the future. Help us in our struggles to balance our concerns about physical health, mental and emotional well-being, and economic responsibilities both personal and global with the call to love our neighbour and to keep them from harm.

Help us to find patience and hope in the rollout of the vaccine.

Help us express gratitude for the blessings that still surround us.

We pray for all those who are suffering illness, injury, or loss in this time when we can’t reach out with a hug or a helping hand. We pray for all the medical workers who are being asked to go above and beyond to care for us. We pray for all who are facing financial difficulties due to the restrictions, difficulties that affect life today and that have far-reaching consequences even as we look to a future without the pandemic.

We pray for all the essential workers in grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, and all the businesses that keep our world functioning.

We pray for those in the world facing this pandemic in the midst of war, natural disasters, and political unrest. We pray for our neighbours in the United States, for a peaceful transition of power and new resolve to find a way forward in harmony.

“Teach us
to set aside our prejudiced judgements,
to forego our narrow assumptions,
to unlock ourselves for new perspectives and new life.
Help us
to come and see,
to listen and learn,
to open ourselves to epiphany…

In these days
of polarities and pandemic pivoting,
of climate change and conflicts,
of tensions and turf wars,
we pray for our world.
May the heavens open.
May justice and compassion descend with the angels.
May our prayers for equity and peace ascend.
May hope and love abound for your kin-dom come.”[1]

All these things we ask as we repeat together this ancient prayer

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 Rev. Kim Vidal

We have seen the light of the world. We have been called to follow that light.
Like the Magi who brought gifts to the infant Jesus, let us bring our gifts to show our gratitude to God and bring the light to all the dark places in our community and our world.

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

We hear your call upon our hearts, O God,
and we respond with our gifts as tokens and pledges of our gratitude.
May they be used to further your mission of love in the world. Amen.

Sending Forth Rev. Lorrie Lowes

As we leave this time of worship, may we go with ears open to hear the wisdom of others, even when it comes from unlikely places, minds open to discern the truth, even when it seems to conflict with our beliefs, and hearts open to recognize the voice of God speaking to us in the people and events of our earthly lives; and as we go into this week let us remember that the God we long to find is also seeking to be with us. Amen.

Hymn: Will You Come and Follow Me? – Voices United #567 TeGrotenhuis family

Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown, will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?

Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?

Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?

Will you love the "you" you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you've found to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?

Christ, your summons echoes true when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.
In Your company I'll go where your love and footsteps show.
Thus I'll move and live and grow in you and you in me.

Departing Music: Rise Up Shepherd and Follow – Synth/piano: Abe

Join us for Zoom Fellowship at 11:00 am

[1] excerpts from a “Prayer for January 17, 2021” by Ted Dodd for DOTAC (Diaconate of the Americas and the Caribbean.

Sunday Worship Service - January 17, 2021