Worship on the Lord’s Day
Pentecost 11 10:00 am 13 August 2023
Online & Onsite (Mixed Presence) Gathering as a Worshipping Community
Led by the Rev Brad Childs
Music director: Binu Kapadia Vocalist: Linda Farrah-Basford
Elder: Heather Tansem
We gather to worship God
Music prelude
Greeting
L: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
P: and also with you.
Lighting of the Christ candle
Welcome and announcements
Silent preparation for worship
Call to Worship
L: Come, you who thirst for grace.
P: Come, you who hunger for justice.
L: Come, you who are a stranger in a strange land.
P: Come, you who are like a child at home.
L: Come, for Christ welcomes you to this time and place.
P: We have come to worship God.
L: Then let us worship well.
Opening praise: This is amazing grace
Prayers of approach and confession
Surprising and mysterious God, you come to us when we least expect it, calling us out of our routines and plans, inviting us to follow Christ into new opportunities.
We praise you for the many ways you come to us.
In moments of fear, you speak with words of reassurance.
In moments of doubt, you reach out your hand to hold.
In moments of turmoil, you bring calm to the storm.
You are faithful to us through everything life can bring.
And so we place our trust in you this day and every day, and honour you as our Redeemer and Saviour, in the name of Christ, our Lord and friend.
Merciful and patient God, we confess that we still experience fear and doubt, even though you reach out to us with saving grace.
You call us to live with courage and perseverance, yet we can give up too easily and opt for the safer route.
You encourage us to be bold in our struggles for justice, yet we remain silent in the face of unfairness.
Forgive us all the times we let you down.
Renew our lives through your mercy and grace. Amen
Response: I will trust in the Lord
Assurance of God’s grace
Rest assured, God offers forgiveness and saving grace to everyone. Accept these gifts for yourselves and offer forgiveness to others in the name of Christ our Lord.
We listen for the voice of God
Children’s time
Response: Open our eyes, Lord (445)
Story
I have a story about identical twins. Even though they looked like each other and sounded like each other, they were the exact opposites when it comes to personalities. One of them was always excited and happy about everything. And one of them was upset and annoyed by everything.
They sounded alike, but they never seemed to talk alike. One, always assumed it was good. The other always assumed everything was bad.
So one Christmas. Their parents decided that they were going to test this out just a little bit. They went out and they bought a bag of hay – a huge bag of hay. They put the bag of hay in a box and they wrapped it up beautifully and put a bow on the top.
And then they went out and they bought brand new shiny bicycle. They wrapped up the box with the bicycle in it and put a bow on top. And then they waited till Christmas morning. They were going to give the hay to the happy kid that liked everything and the bicycle to the boy who always thought everything was bad.
Christmas morning arrived and the two boys went running down the stairs hoping to find presents.
The pessimist opened his box and found the bicycle.
The other twin opened his box and there was the, bag of hay. And immediately he started running around outside, shouting “Yay, yay!”
The twin who got the bicycle, meantime, was gumbling. “Why’d you give me a bike? It’s winter and I can’t even ride it. This was a terrible idea. I’ll probably fall. What kind of parents are you?
So there it was – One kid running around the backyard screaming, yay, I have hay! And the other kid saying, what’s this bicycle for?
And then all of the sudden the boy who gat the hay comes inside smiling saying thank you, thank you for my big bag of hay. The parents said – “Why are you so excited about the hay?”
The boy sayid – “Well, with this much, hey, there’s got to be a horse around here somewhere.”
So, our attitude makes a difference in life. It doesn’t change everything, but it changes a lot.
At your home or at school, when you walk into a room, and you don’t know anyone else.
When you go to a new school, and you’ve never met anybody.
Things are a little difficult. You can complain about things, or you can try and find the good side in things.
Philippians says: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice.” Your attitude matters.
Okay, we’re going to say a prayer, giving God our thanks and then we’re going to say the Lord’s Prayer together.
Prayer
Our Lord, we thank you for all the wonderful things we have and take for granted. We ask you to give us a positive attitude in life.
The Lord’s Prayer (535)
Transition music
Song: Precious Lord, take my hand (675)
Today’s Message
Scripture reading: Matthew 14:22-33
Response: Behold the Lamb of God
Message: “Walking on the waters”
From a very young age, Sunday School children hear about the time that Jesus and Peter walked on water. The teachers tell the kids that if Peter just had a little more faith in Jesus that he could have strolled across the sea just like he was walking on the sidewalk.
In my lifetime I have heard this story a hundred times. From the pulpit it was always a repeat of the Sunday school lesson or it was about Peters Zeal for God: from Sermons titled, “Risk or Reward” or “sink or swim” or “you too can walk on water”.
But no matter what, I could never really understand the story. Something about it always seemed to me a bit off. And while I willingly acknowledge a bit of pilfering from Pastor Rob Bell, here, I admit that it’s a bit anthropocentric and so perhaps a little too focused on us rather than God – I’m going to take a different angle.
When first I began my studies in Seminary I leaned about the ways the ancient Hebrews viewed water. I had an old professor who was keen on repeating the phrase “Remember people, Jews and water don’t mix.” Now that sounds funny I know but… You see, water is often used in the bible to represent evil. And it makes since. In the creation story God pushes back the chaos of water and sets its boundaries. In this sense the creation stories are not just about “Look we have land and water” as much as they are about whose more powerful Good or Evil / God or nature. Floods too were a common killer in the ancient deserts. Fresh water was hard to come by. In the bible, small; rare bodies of fresh water are a blessing but anything larger than a well was generally something to be feared.
Biblical scholars teach us that by telling a story about Jesus walking on water this demonstrated a defeat over the Leviathan said to roam those waters (the beast of the deep that represented Satan and all evil in the world).
For the original audience the idea of a man walking on water wasn’t just an amazing miracle. It also defined Jesus as God. It showed that he had the same kind of power God demonstrated in creation (power over evil and chaos). I agree with that interpretation… the story of Jesus walking on water really is a kind of preview into what Jesus will do on the cross. It claims that natural order bows to Him and not the other way around. But still something in this story just never seemed to mesh for me. See, I get why Jesus would walk on water but… why on earth would Peter ever get out of the boat? What arrogance, what audacity. Peter is super brash. If you have read the New Testament and you have been paying attention you know this guy is pretty full of himself. That’s almost certainly part the reason Jesus nicknames him Peter (his real name is Kefas). But still, this is huge! Why did Peter think he just could do whatever Jesus can do?
What made Peter think he could do what Jesus did? You know, Jesus didn’t initiate this event. Go back and read over these verses. Peter said, “Lord if it’s you then tell me to walk out to you on the water.” Peter just assumed that he could do whatever Jesus did! Why?
That has always bothered me… it’s almost as crazy as the story about Jesus calling the disciples in the first place where they just meet some strange guy who says “Follow me” and they “dropped their nets and followed him”. That makes NO since!
At least it seemed crazy to me and it didn’t make since… until about six years ago when I heard this quote from the ancient Hebrew writing called the Mishna (it’s a blessing), “May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi”.
See at the time the Rabbi would walk out front and the Taludim (the disciples OR STUDENTS) would follow behind the Rabbi. And as the sand kicked up from the Rabbi’s sandals, the disciples following closely behind would get coated in the Rabbi’s dust. At a time when disciples followed their rabbi around wherever he went, this blessing meant, “May you be just like your teacher”.
What made things ever more clear for me though is that odd story of Jesus calling the disciples. You see Education for the Hebrew people was huge in Jesus’ day. In a few months I’ll be talking about Jesus’ quote about “take my yoke” and we will really get into this. But we need to touch on this now. So, for the Jews there were three schools of learning: The first school (like grade school) was called The Bet Safar, the (sort of high school) was called the Bet Talmud, and the (sort of university/seminary) was called the Bet Midrash.
Usually around the age of 5 but up to 10 the best possible religious students would be chosen by their Rabbi to be a part of the Bet Safar. This is a time when most people were illiterate. But -These kids (in the strictest of schools) would have to memorize the Torah – (the first 5 books of the Bible – Genesis through Deuteronomy (right down to the inflection and tone the Rabbi used when reading it). This was the norm for the educated Jews.
Though only the best and the brightest would be chosen to study with a Rabbi it was the goal of most devout Jews. But it was also just the beginning.
If you were the best of the best you could study the in Bet Safar school…
… and if you were the best of the Bet Safar you might go to your rabbi and ask to become his disciple (talmudim).
And if you were the best of the best that he had seen in years he might ask you to attend the next level of education. This is the Bet Talmud.
In this school you memorize the entire Old Testament.
You also had to have this done by the age of 14.
But that’s also not the end.
Out of this even more elite group would come another. If you were the best of the best of the bet Talmud that the rabbi had seen in years, then he might ask you to attend his next level of education. This was called the Bet Midrash. In this school you would study competing views of the scriptures you had memorized and then daily debate between whole encyclopedias’ of written commentary on each individual text called the Midrash (lengthy written commentaries on the texts).
And if you were in the Bet Midrash – You were the best of the best of the best of the best. And if you were the best of these, you might feel good enough to go and ask your Rabbi a question. You might ask him if could become his “Disciple”.
Now for each level of schooling the Rabbi would answer this (disciple) question in one of two ways.
If you were not the best he had ever seen, he would say to you “ply thy trade” meaning – your education is done. Go join your father’s trade.
However, if you were deemed worthy the Rabbi might say to you one final time… “Come and follow me; be my disciple and take my yoke upon you.”
For a first century Hebrew, to take the Rabbi’s yoke was the greatest honor that one could have and it meant that you wished to be just like your Rabbi. It meant that you wished to do exactly what the Rabbi did; that you would continue his “yoke” (His Traditions) long after he passed and you would eventually become a Rrabbi yourself just like your master and train your own Talmudim, exactly as you had been.
And that brings us to the texts in Matthew about the calling of Jesus’ first disciples: As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers; Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. And the Bible says “They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fisherman.”
What were they???????????
Fisherman………. Well why were they fisherman?
The reason is simple. They were fishermen because they had been told to “ply thy trade”. They were fisherman because they didn’t make the cut!
A Rabbi had told them they weren’t the best of the best, and said them “ply your trade”. In fact, the Bible makes this point really clear. Although the idea is somewhat lost on us today this point was crystal clear to first century readers. And the New Testament authors pound this point home again and again. In fact, in his gospel Luke notes people’s amazement and bewilderment with Jesus’ choice of disciples.
I want to read something to you now from Acts chapter 4:1-7; 13
1 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. 4 But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.
5 The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them-”
Now there they are Peter and John standing before the highest Rabbinic orders of the day at the center of Rabbinic teaching (the absolute best of the best) and after Peter and John have faced them and they have answered their questions. And after all of this Luke goes on to record this… He writes “13 “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished, and they took note that these men had been with the teacher (Rabbi) – Jesus of Nazareth.”
You see, the people were shocked! They were shocked! because Peter and John are not supposed to be there. They are not the best of the best. They are the rejects, the cast always, the guys that failed the test. They were fishermen. They were plying their trade!
But Jesus said “Come, follow me,” and so although it seems crazy to us – “at once they left their nets and followed him.”
You see what Peter did that day on the beach (and what he did later in getting out of that boat) was exactly what he should have done. He wasn’t the best of the best. But Jesus chose him anyway just like he chose you and me. He called Peter his disciple and told him to take up his yoke. He told him to act just like he acted; to do exactly what he did. When Peter gets out of that boat he does it, not just because he’s brave or brash or crazy, or stupid but because he was chosen to emulate his Rabbi.
He was chosen to do exactly what Jesus did. But… like it would be for most of us, that’s a hard pill to swallow.
It’s hard to accept a gift like that. And Peter knew he didn’t really deserve to be there – he wasn’t worth. He was not the best of the best. He was just a fisherman.
And that’s the thing about this story. That’s why this carzy story makes since!
This story is not about Peter losing faith in Jesus like most of us have been told.
There is nothing in the text of this story to suggest that Peter ever doubted Jesus at all… Nothing! If Peter doubted Jesus, then why would he call out to Jesus for help when he started to sink?
See, this was never a story about Peter losing faith in Jesus.
This is a story about Peter losing faith in himself.
Peter was ready to act like the best of the best. But in his heart, he knew that he was not. He doubted himself and that is why he began to sink.
But Jesus was there to pick him up.
Because despite the fact that Peter didn’t believe in himself, Jesus still believed in Peter. That’s why he called him off that beach. That’s why when Peter asked if he could come to him Jesus called him out of that boat.
So who are we?
We have not attended Bet Safar.
We have not attended Bet Talmud
We have not attended Bet Midrash.
Like Peter, we were not chosen because we are the best of the best.
And like Peter it is hard to believe that we’ve been called to be exactly like our Rabbi.
But that doesn’t matter to Jesus.
Because even when we don’t believe in ourselves – he still believes in us.
And that is why this crazy story actually makes perfect since to me now.
May you… May you… believe in God. But may you also come to see that God believes in you. May you have faith in Jesus. But may you also come to see that Jesus has faith in you.
And may walk closely to him. May you be “covered in the dust of your Rabbi.” Amen
Song: One more step along the world I go (641 – vss. 1, 3, 4)
We respond to serve God
Reflection on giving: Dayspring is empowered to carry out our mission of worship, service, and care by generously given volunteer time, talent, and treasure. Many thanks to all who give so generously!
Prayer of gratitude and for others and ourselves
Astonishing God, you can always surprise us.
You come to us in unforeseen circumstances and in unexpected people.
We give you thanks for help offered by a stranger,
kindness in an anxious moment,
good news that changed expected outcomes,
relief in the midst of ongoing crises
and signs of hope when things seemed bleak.
Keep silence for 15 seconds
We pray for all who face upheaval and uncertainty, whatever the cause.
Fill our hearts with compassion and understanding for the fearful.
Steadying God,
Reach out to us in the storms of life.
God of peace, you reassure us.
You remind us not to be afraid when troubles arise.
We pray for those who struggle with illness or grief, anxiety or depression.
We remember those who feel worthless or ashamed, whatever the reason.
May they know your peace and strength.
Equip us to reach out in every way we can to embody your love in our words and actions.
Steadying God,
Reach out to us in the storms of life.
God of hope, you challenge us.
You come to us in the midst of the world’s troubles and invite us to stand for truth and work for justice.
We pray for all those people crying out for fair treatment, working against racism and discrimination, telling painful stories of their lives.
Open our hearts with understanding and motivate us to act for change.
We pray for those who resist the stories of injustice and defend inequality.
Open their minds to the truths they deny, and show them new possibilities for relationships that bridge divides.
Send your Spirit to work in our communities to create mutual respect and new ways to live as neighbours.
Steadying God,
Reach out to us in the storms of life.
Faithful God, we place our trust in you and your purposes.
Answer our prayers according to your wisdom and will, Amen
Song: Who’s goin’ to tell the story (761)
Sending out with God’s blessing
Whether the week ahead brings storms or calm for you, take heart. God is with us. Do not be afraid.
And may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, now and always. And may you forever be covered in the dust of your Rabbi. Amen.
Response: Amen, we praise your name, O God
Music postlude
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Numbers in brackets after a song/hymn indicate that it is from the 1997 Book of Praise of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Those and other songs are being used in accordance with the specifications of Dayspring’s licensing with One Licence (3095377) and CLC (A735555).
The Rev. Brad Childs retains the copyright (© 2023) on all original material in this service. As far as Brad Childs is aware, all of the material that has not been attributed to others is his own creation or is in the public domain. Unacknowledged use of copyrighted material is unintentional and will be corrected immediately upon notification being received.