Reuben's Theme: "What a difference!"
(Forth Sunday of Epiphany) - EVENSONG 1830hrs. at Saint George's - Cullercoats.
Sunday, 27th. January 2002 Anno Domini.
Morning Mass: 1Kings: 17.8-16 Ps: 36.5-10 1Corinthians: 1.18-31 John: 2.1-11
Evensong: Psalm: 34. Genesis: 28.10-22 Philemon 1-16

Morning Mass:

FIRST READING 1 Kings 17.8-16
A reading from the first book of Kings.
8 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah, saying,
9 'Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.'
10 So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, 'Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink.'
11 As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, 'Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.'
12 But she said, 'As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.'
13 Elijah said to her, 'Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son.
14 For thus says the LORD the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the LORD sends rain on the earth.'
15 She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days.
16 The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah.

PSALM Psalm 36.5-10
R R With you is the well of life [and in your light we see light].
5 Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, and your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the strong mountains, your justice like the great deep; you save both human and beast, O Lord. R R
7 How priceless is your love, O God! your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast upon the abundance of your house; you give them drink from the river of your delights. R R
9 For with you is the well of life, and in your light we see light.
10 Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you, and your favour to those who are true of heart. R R

SECOND READING 1 Corinthians 1.18-31
A reading from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians.
18 The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written, 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.'
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe.
22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom,
23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25 For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.
26 Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.
27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;
28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are,
29 so that no one might boast in the presence of God.
30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
31 in order that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.'

GOSPEL John 2.1-11
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.
3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, 'They have no wine.'
4 And Jesus said to her, 'Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.'
5 His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever he tells you.'
6 Now standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.
7 Jesus said to them, 'Fill the jars with water.' And they filled them up to the brim.
8 He said to them, 'Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.' So they took it.
9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him,
10 'Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.'
11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Evensong:

Psalm 34: 1-10 [11 - end] (RSV)

1 ¶ A Psalm of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away. I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and be glad.
3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!
4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
8 O taste and see that the LORD is good! Happy is the man who takes refuge in him!
9 O fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no want!
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
[ 11 ¶ Come, O sons, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 What man is there who desires life, and covets many days, that he may enjoy good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, and his ears toward their cry.
16 The face of the LORD is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
17 When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the LORD delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked; and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.]

Genesis 28: 10-22 (RSV)

10 ¶ Jacob left Beersheba, and went toward Haran.
11* And he came to a certain place, and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep.
12* And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!
13* And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, "I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your descendants;
14* and your descendants shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and by you and your descendants shall all the families of the earth bless themselves.
15* Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done that of which I have spoken to you."
16* ¶ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place; and I did not know it."
17* And he was afraid, and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."
18* So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone which he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.
19* He called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of the city was Luz at the first.
20* Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear,
21 so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God,
22* and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house; and of all that thou givest me I will give the tenth to thee."

Philemon 1 - 16 (RSV)

1* ¶ Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker
2* and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4* I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers,
5* because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and all the saints,
6* and I pray that the sharing of your faith may promote the knowledge of all the good that is ours in Christ.
7* For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.
8* ¶ Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required,
9* yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you--I, Paul, an ambassador and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus--
10* I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment.
11* (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.)
12* I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart.
13* I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel;
14* but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own free will.
15* Perhaps this is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back for ever,
16* no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

Reuben's Sermon:

Reuben's Theme: "What a difference!"

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

In our first reading tonight, Jacob, rejected and so alone, is travelling from Beersheeba to Haran. He reaches a place, 60 miles into his journey and about 12 miles north of Jerusalem, and only decides to stop there because it is getting dark.
There's no other reason to stay there, it's not a nice place.
In this desolate place, and using a large stone as a pillow, Jacob settles down, as best he can, to get some sleep.
In his uneasy sleep, Jacob receives a vision from God, in the form of a dream.
Jacob sees a ladder (or stairway) reaching from this desolate spot where he sleeps, up to heaven, with angels going up and down.
At this time of immeasurable loneliness...
God stands beside Jacob.
God repeats, to this uncompromising man, the promise made to Abraham and Isaac.
God promises to be with Jacob and protect him, wherever he goes.
God promises Jacob his safe return.
God gives Jacob a pep-talk!
When he wakes Jacob realises that God is with him, even in the most terrible places.
The ladder (or stairway) reveals to him that even in that desolate spot, God is there.
The angels going up and down show that, even there, communication with God is not only possible, but desirable.
"How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."
A place of communication with the Lord God.
A place to speak to God.
A place to listen to God.
A place to be close to God.
Interestingly, Jesus uses a similar picture to describe Himself.
Jesus, our tangible contact with God.
In his words to Nathanael he says "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man."
So this place was not what it seemed, God was there!
Tonight we also heard part of a private letter, from Paul to Philemon.
Listening to it being read was almost like eavesdropping.
Philemon was one of Paul's converts, and a good friend.
Philemon was a man of good standing.
A group of Christians regularly met at his home at Colossae.
One of his slaves Onesimus, had stolen some money and run away to Rome, where he could easily escape detection.
There, he somehow came into contact with the imprisoned apostle, Paul, and through him became a Christian.
Paul loved this young man like a son, but he was a slave and Philemon's legal property.
It was hard for Paul and hard for Onesimus (who was liable to terrible punishment for what he had done) but he had to go back and make amends.
Paul would not keep him without Philemon's willing consent.
So he wrote this letter, for Onesimus to take with him.
And Tychicus went with him for company (and moral support), taking the latest news and a letter from Paul to the Colossian Church (Colossians 4: 7-9).
Paul's intention, in writing, was to ask Philemon to be lenient.
A very different Onesimus from the one who ran away, was now returning.
It is not clear whether Paul has any thought of Onesimus being set free from his slavery.
But the ideas expressed in tonight's reading are radical enough to have far-reaching effects.
You have to remember that slavery was such an integral part of the social structure at that time, that to preach freedom would have been tantamount to revolution.
Paul's aim was not to engage in political campaigning, but preach the Gospel, capable of transforming human life from within.
Returning, with this letter to Philemon, Onesimus is not just a slave now, but a fellow Christian.
And Paul wants Philemon to welcome him as such.
He could have insisted. He had the authority - and Philemon was deeply indebted to him.
But instead, his letter is loving and tactful, considerate and full of warm praise.
Paul knows this man.
Paul knows his faith and his Christian love.
There is no need to make demands.
Philemon will do as he asks - and more.


So in our first reading, we have a place that turned out to be so different from what it seemed to be.
What seemed to be a desolate, Godforsaken place turns out to be "..none other than the house of God... and ...the gate of heaven."
Onesimus, a thief and a runaway, becomes a Christian.
As Paul says, "Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me." Onesimus turns out to be a good and loving Christian. Like a son to Paul.
So, here we are on the evening of the last Sunday in the ancient festival of Christmas.
What have these two readings got to offer us for the year to come?
A place that was desolate and terrible...
...is homely and a place of God.
A person that was wicked and untrustworthy...
...is a good and loyal Christian.
As this new year lies open before us and we prepare to venture forward into new situations, new commitments and new friendships.
As this new year lies open before us, what message do our two readings tonight have for us, as we travel life's complicated road, with all our hopes and fears.
As this new year lies open before us, with God by our side, our journey could be wonderful.
We must not look on how things are...
...but how they could be.
We must not dwell on any bad in what we see...
...but seek out and nurture the good.
We must not look on a divided world at war with itself...
...we must unite it, through Jesus Christ.
There! That should keep us all busy (and out of trouble) until next Christmas.
Our homework for this year is:
Where there is hatred, we must sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is discord, vision.
Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light. Where there is sadness, joy.

That is our homework for this year.
But remember.... ....Let's be careful out there!

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

© Reuben Condie January 2002
©Bible texts: Morning Mass - NRSV and Evensong - RSV