The Church of St. John the Divine

The 5th Sunday after Epiphany                         February 7, 2021

As people of God, we celebrate Christ in the heart of Victoria through joyful worship,
building inclusive community, and putting faith into action.

St. John’s acknowledges these ancestral lands of the Lekwungen speaking people.

We are an inclusive and affirming parish; the sacraments of the church (baptism, communion, and marriage) are available to all people on equal terms. Christ welcomes you, and so do we.

 

 

Welcome to the Parish Church of St. John the Divine, Victoria. We are a community of faith in the Anglican Tradition, seeking to live lives of faith, hope and love as part of this community of Downtown Victoria. We are on a journey of learning to be a welcoming, inviting, inclusive and serving community which is open to all.

Our worship reflects our rootedness in the Anglican tradition, whilst drawing on liturgies that reflect the long history and heritage of our Christian faith. Please join in as you feel able, and enjoy the words, music and opportunity for prayer and to be a part of our community.

 

Worship in a time of COVID-19 : In these times when we must be careful in any gathering we have, appropriate protocols are in place. For the time being due to the instructions from the Provincial Health Officer we will be meeting virtually on Zoom. Please check our website on how to attend: https://www.stjohnthedivine.bc.ca/ or contact admin@stjohnthedivine.bc.ca

 

We will continue to livestream the weekly service of Evensong.

 

We continue to share daily prayer online with a link on our website daily. 

 

Contacting Us: We are all learning ways to build community "at a distance." We are checking phone messages and answering emails. The main email for contact is: admin@stjohnthedivine.bc.ca. If you wish to receive prayer for yourself or for another, there will be members of our Healing Prayer group who will offer their prayers. Please contact: the church office at the above email address.

 

You are very welcome here. We don’t always get it right; please let us know when we do, and when we don’t. Please stay and be a part of our family, for however long you would like.


 

10:00 am Parish Eucharist

The congregation is invited to join in the responses and prayers marked in bold print.

Presider: The Reverend Bill Tarter                              Sermon: The Reverend Patrick Sibley

Reader: Mark Hanson                                                   Intercessor: Sarah Kell

Gospel: The Reverend Patrick Sibley                           Streaming Technician: Karen Coverett

 

 

The Gathering of the Community

Prelude

Welcome to all who are gathering online.

                   The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.

         All:     And also with you.

                   Almighty God,

         All:     to you all hearts are open, all desires known,
and from you no secrets are hidden.
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Church Family Prayer

                   Loving God,

         All:      you have called us to be your family and to celebrate our life together in worship. We pray now, for all members of our family as we gather in our church buildings, our homes, and online. Through your spirit keep us united in love. Bless each of us with your beloved friendship. Teach us, gracious God, how to be your church in these times. Help us to know that we are your people, that we are your Family, always. Amen.


Gloria (CP 702)

                          Refrain
        Glory to God in the highest,
        and peace to your people on earth.

                   Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
        Refrain

                   Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.
        Refrain

                   For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
        Refrain

                                         Music: Mass of Hope, Beckett Gerald Senchur (1946- ). © 1992 G.I.A. Publications, Inc.
                                                                                All rights reserved.  Reprinted under Onelicense.net #A-719605.

 

The Collect of the Day

Silence is kept.

                        Everlasting God,
you give strength to the weak and power to the faint.
Make us agents of your healing and wholeness,
so that your good news may be made known
to the ends of your creation,
through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.

         All:     Amen.                                                                     Evangelic Lutheran Worship (2006) alt.


 

 

The Proclamation of the Word

                   Let us listen for the Word of God in Holy Scripture.

         All:     Amen.

The First Reading                                                                                       Isaiah 40:21-31

Have you not known? Have you not heard?
   Has it not been told you from the beginning?
   Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
   and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
   and spreads them like a tent to live in;
who brings princes to naught,
   and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.

Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
   scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows upon them, and they wither,
   and the tempest carries them off like stubble.

To whom then will you compare me,
   or who is my equal? says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high and see:
   Who created these?
He who brings out their host and numbers them,
   calling them all by name;
because he is great in strength,
   mighty in power, not one is missing.

Why do you say, O Jacob,
   and speak, O Israel,
‘My way is hidden from the Lord,
   and my right is disregarded by my God’?
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
   the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
   his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
   and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint and be weary,
   and the young will fall exhausted;

but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
   they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
   they shall walk and not faint.

                   Hear what the Spirit is saying.

         All:    Thanks be to God.

Psalm                                                                                                              147:1-12, 21c

Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to our God! how pleasant it is to
honour him with praise!

The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel.

He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds.

He counts the number of the stars and calls them all by their names.

Great is our Lord and mighty in power; there is no limit to his wisdom.

The Lord lifts up the lowly but casts the wicked to the ground.

Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God upon the harp.

He covers the heavens with clouds and prepares rain for the earth;

He makes grass to grow upon the mountains and green plants to serve mankind.

He provides food for flocks and herds and for the young ravens when they cry.

He is not impressed by the might of a horse, he has no pleasure in the strength
of a man;

But the Lord has pleasure in those who fear him, in those who await his
gracious favour. Hallelujah!



The Gospel (Mark 1:29-39)

   Cantor:    Alleluia. Christ was revealed in flesh, proclaimed among the nations and believed in throughout the world. Alleluia.

                        God is with you.

         All:    And also with you.

                   Here the Good news of Jesus Christ according to Mark.

         All:    Glory to you, O Christ.

As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, ‘Everyone is searching for you.’ He answered, ‘Let us go on to the neighbouring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.’ And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

The Gospel of Christ.

         All:     Praise to you, O Christ.

 

Sermon

Following the address there will be a pause for silence.

 

Affirmation of Faith

                   With the whole church,

         All:    we affirm that we are made in God’s image,
befriended by Christ, empowered by the Spirit.

                   With people everywhere,

         All:    we affirm God’s goodness at the heart of humanity
planted more deeply than all that is wrong.

                   With all creation,

         All:    we celebrate the miracle and wonder of life;
the unfolding purposes of God,
forever at work in ourselves and the world.

                                                                                                                 Iona Abbey Worship Book

Prayers of the People

Please note that those who have asked for our prayers are listed at the end of the leaflet.

 

The Peace

                   The peace of Christ be with you.

         All:     And also with you.

All may offer their neighbour a sign of peace.

 

The Celebration of the Eucharist

Hymn during the Offertory (CP 393) - St. Denio

           1.     Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes;
most blessèd, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.

           2.     Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
thy justice like mountains high soaring above
thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

           3.     To all life thou givest, to both great and small;
in all life thou livest, the true life of all;
we blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
and wither and perish, but nought changeth thee.

           4.     Great Source of all glory and wisdom and light,
thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
all laud we would render: O help us to see
‘tis only the splendour of light hideth thee.

                       

The Prayer over the Gifts

In the name of all of us gathered, near and far, we present these our gifts to God.  Let us pray:

                   Blessed are you, O God, maker of all things.
Through your goodness
you have blessed us with these gifts:
our selves, our time and our possessions.
Use us, and what we have gathered
in feeding the world with your love,
through the one who gave himself for us,
Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.

         All:     Amen.                                                                   Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006) alt.


 

 

As we prepare to celebrate this Eucharist, we remember that we are the people of God. Near or far we are gathered together by the love of Christ. We remember that we are incorporated into the body of Christ. We join together in this celebration of our union in Christ.

 

                   Let us pray.

                   Thanks be to you,

         All:    Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits you have given us, and all that you have borne for us. In our sharing in this Eucharist, in Church or at home, we ask you to come spiritually into our hearts. O most merciful redeemer, friend and brother, may we know you more clearly, love you more dearly and follow you more nearly, day by day. Amen.

 

The Great Thanksgiving                                   Liturgy of the Islands and Inlets – Prayer C

                   God is here.

         All:    The Spirit is with us.

                   Lift up your hearts and minds.

         All:    We lift them to God.

                   Let us give thanks to God the Creator.

         All:    It is right to give our thanks and praise.

                   It is indeed right that we should praise you,
God of love, our source and our fulfilment,
for you create all things and in you we live and move and have our being.
Your wonder is manifest in land and sea and sky.
You made us in your image.
And even though we turn from you,
again and again you call us to yourself,
and in every age, promise liberation.

                   As a mother gathers her children,
you embraced a people as your own,
to nuture them in the way of compassionate love.
You sent Jesus among us,
incarnate of the Holy Spirit and born of Mary.
Jesus revealed your love for all Creation,
and showed us the way of reconciliation.

                   Having lived among us – Jesus suffered the cross,
Died,
And in rising again
became the firstborn of the renewed family.
And so as we gather around your table,
With saints of every age and your beloved creation we raise our voices and sing:

 

Sanctus (CP 735)

                   Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might.
Holy, holy, holy Lord
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full,
full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest,
hosanna in the highest.

                   Blessèd is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest,
hosanna in the highest.

                   To you be glory, almighty God,
because on the night before he died,
Jesus took bread,
when he had given thanks,
he broke it, gave it to his disciples, and said:
Take, eat, this is my body
which is given for you; do this to remember me.

                   After supper he took the cup;
when he had given thanks,
he gave it to them and said:
Drink this all of you,
This is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you;
do this to remember me.
Great is the mystery of faith.

       All:     Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

                   Recalling Christ’s death and resurrection,
we ask you to accept this, our sacrifice of praise.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here,
and on these gifts of bread and wine
that we may be fed with the body and blood of your Son.
When all of creation groans, unite us in Christ and give us your hope
that we might be strengthened to do your work,
as your body in the world.
Through Christ our Redeemer, in the power of the Spirit,
all praise and glory be yours, Almighty God, now and forever.

         All:     Amen.

 

The Disciple’s Prayer                                                                                                       

                   As Christ taught his friends, and longing for the new life of God’s reign,
let us pray:

         All:     Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done,    on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,    
now and forever. Amen.

 

The Breaking of the Bread

                   We break this bread
to share in the body of Christ.

         All:     We, being many, are one body,
for we all share in the one bread.

 

The Communion

                   The gifts of God for the people of God.

         All:     Thanks be to God.

Hymn during communion (CP 344)                              Moscow Lasst uns erfreuen

           1.     From all that dwell below the skies
let the Creator’s praise arise:
       alleluia, alleluia!
Let the Redeemer’s name be sung
through every land, in every tongue:
       alleluia, alleluia!

           2.     Eternal are thy mercies, Lord:
eternal truth attends thy Word;
       alleluia, alleluia!
Thy praise shall sound from shore to shore
till suns shall rise and set no more:
       alleluia, alleluia!

                                                                                             Text: Ps. 117; para. Isaac Watts (1674-1748).

 

Following the Communion there will be a pause for silence.


 

 

The Commissioning of the Community

                   One body are we.

         All:    For, though we are in many places, we spiritually share one bread.

Prayer after Communion

                   Gracious God,
in this meal you have drawn us to your heart,
and nourished us at your table with food and drink,
the body and blood of Christ.
Now send us forth to be your people in the world,
and to proclaim your truth this day and evermore,
through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.

         All:     Amen.                                                                  Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006) alt. 

 

Blessing

 

Dismissal

                        Let us go in peace to love and serve our living God.

         All:    Thanks be to God. Amen.

Postlude 

Please stay and join us for our Zoom Coffee Hour.

 

 

See the source image

 

Readings for February 14th – The Transfiguration of the Lord

Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 As part of an 'Apocalyptic vision' - the prophet talks of seeing the fullness of humanity being revealed in a fully 'human one' who will show all people the way in which God judges - not as a distant, negative, figure, but as one who is intimately involved in human life and society. 

Psalm 99 One of the "enthronement psalms" that would have been used at festivals to declared God as king, this psalm is a hymn in praise of God's holy and righteous rule. 

2 Peter 1:16-19 The writer reminds us that the life of faith is not bound up in clever argument - but in God's relationship with human beings, as shown especially in the life of Jesus Christ who is the revelation of God's love for all people. 

Luke 9:28-36 On a mountaintop, Jesus' appearance is transfigured, and God's voice identifies him as the Son of God. 

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

EVENSONG

Every Sunday – sung by a small ensemble of Choral Scholars

Evensong is a contemplative, musical and prayerful liturgy, ideally suited to the end of the week and the close of day, and to this current time when we have been asked to avoid congregational singing, but still long for the depth and beauty of a choral liturgy.

 

Evensong will be livestreamed on the church Facebook page and available via the website www.stjohnthedivine.bc.ca

 

****************************************************************

 

The following people have asked for our prayers.
Please keep them in your heart and mind as you go through your week.

 

·        Hagos, Tsigay & family

·        Anne

·        Harriet

·        Philip & Lisa

·        Rhoda

·        Carolyn

·        Nicholas

·        Patrick

·        Derek

·        Linda

·        Helen

·        Anthony

·        David & Pat

·        Gary

·        Lorraine

·        Richard

·        Merle

·        Marion

·        Blanche

·        Cathy

·        Jessie

·        John

·        John

·        Bill

 

R.I.P.

·        Captain Sir Tom Moore

·        Olga Reid

·        Usha Singh

 

 

The Anglican Church of St. John the Divine

 

Stewards

People’s Warden:  Joan Huzar

Associate Warden:  Lorraine Gates
Envelope Secretary:  Jim Harlick

Rector’s Warden: Michael King

Associate Warden: Karen Coverett

Treasurer:  David Buckman

Parish Council
Susan Bansgrove, Carol Denton, Marguerite Heppell,
Penny Holt, Erin Kelly

Synod Delegates

Karen Coverett, Joel Hefty, Bill Huzar, Joan Huzar

Staff Supporting the Ministry of St. John’s

Rector:  The Ven. Alastair McCollum
Associate Priest:  The Rev’d Canon Kevin Arndt
Associate Priest: The Rev’d Bill Tarter

Deacon:  The Rev’d Patrick Sibley

Curate: Stephanie Wood

Director of Music:  David Stratkauskas
Family Ministry Coordinator:  Ruth MacIntosh
Parish Administrator:  Carol-Ann Zenger

Vocational Intern: Dr. John Thatamanil

Honorary Assistants

The Rev’d Derek Dunwoody / The Rev’d Canon Andrew Gates
The Rev’d Jane Reid

1611 Quadra Street, Victoria, BC  V8W  2L5       Tel. 250-383-7169 / Fax 250-381-3573

pastoral@stjohnthedivine.bc.ca or for urgent calls only, use 250-516-9565

www.stjohnthedivine.bc.ca    facebook.com/St.JohnVicBC

twitter.com/StJohnVicBC     e-mail:  admin@stjohnthedivine.bc.ca