McPhail Baptist Church

April 26th, 2020

Our hearts and our prayers are united with the people of Nova Scotia. In addition to the COVID-19 struggle that has affected us all, they have had to deal with devastating violence.

RISE AGAIN  

The Rankin Family

When the waves roll on over the waters

And the ocean cries

We look to our sons and daughters

To explain our lives

As if a child could tell us why

That as sure as the sunrise

As sure as the sea

As sure as the wind in the trees

We rise again in the faces

Of our children

We rise again in the voices of our song

We rise again in the waves out on the ocean

And then we rise again

When the light goes dark with the forces of creation

Across a stormy sky.

That as sure as the sunrise

As sure as the sea

As sure as the wind in the trees

We rise again in the faces

Of our children

We rise again in the voices of our song

We rise again in the waves out on the ocean

And then we rise again 

"Praise to the Lord, the Almighty"

Sue Sparks

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to his temple draw near;
Join me in glad adoration!

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before him!
Let the Amen sound from his people again:
Gladly forever adore him.

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Scripture text: Luke 24:13-35

13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.

17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

19 “What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”

25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

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Meditation: Going Farther 

Rev. Ernie Cox

"The Holy City" 

Terri-Ann Wint and Ernie Cox 

We’re grateful to Terri-Ann for singing the Holy City for us 

in what is still the Easter season. It was something of a technological

feat, in that I recorded the piano part at home and sent it to Terri. 

She listened to it on earphones while video recording the song into her iPhone. 

She sent the video file to me. I sent the audio file and the video file

to Jordan who synced the audio and video together. He then sent it back to me,

I sent it to Steve, and you are enjoying listening to it now! 

The marvel of technology!  

Ernie. 

By What Authority?
Rev. Steve Zink

"The human spirit is the lamp of the Lord, searching every inmost part” 

(Prov 20:27)

Where does the authority for religious statements come from? Quite common in the religious world is the belief that the authority is rooted in the source where the statements are found. This authority differs group to group: the Bible taken as a whole; just the “red letters” of the Bible (the sayings of Jesus); the decrees of the Pope; the Book of Mormon; a charismatic leader or “prophet.” Whatever source is viewed as authoritative, the statements that come from it are treated as unquestionable. This approach has lead to unthinkable evils, such as when “pious” souls conducted witchcraft trials or detonated themselves in public squares, convinced such directions had holy sanction. Even if it doesn’t take such a dark turn, at the very least this approach ends up compelling people to contort themselves into “believing” the unbelievable.

Over the years I have interacted with young people entering university, who felt tremendous anxiety over being loyal to their religious commitments while in an unsympathetic school environment. They agonized over how to defend the “authoritative” ideas that were laid upon them. Their anxiety would often stem from pressure to hold ideas such as a literal Adam and Eve in the course of history, the “abomination” of gay marriage, or a fiery damnation of souls in the coming future. They would often feel great embarrassment over these ideas, which indicated that their higher judgment knew better than their commitments.

It is disastrous to our mental and spiritual health to surrender or suppress the personal intuition for truth. Our power to weigh and judge, to reflect and discern, is given to us for no other purpose than to throw a light upon our path. It is the essential key in revelation. Our text makes this point emphatically; "The human spirit is the lamp of the Lord, searching every inmost part.” The divine authority has not been lodged in an external object or personality or institution; the divine authority has been planted in our own spirits. Like an art expert, you have the capacity to “spot a fake” and to know the “real deal.” This is why Jesus said, when some had turned to him hoping for infallible advice on a pedestrian problem, "Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?” (Lk 12:57).

Theodore Parker, in a sermon delivered in 1841, said the following: “It seems difficult to conceive any reason, why moral and religious truths should rest for their support on the personal authority of their revealer, any more than the truths of science on that of him who makes them known first or most clearly. It is hard to see why the great truths of Christianity rest on the personal authority of Jesus, more than the axioms of geometry rest on the personal authority of Euclid, or Archimedes. The authority of Jesus, as of all teachers, one would naturally think, must rest on the truth of his words, and not their truth on his authority.” The authority for religious statements is not rooted in external authorities but in the worth of the statement itself. Like music or visual art, it is personal matter, a matter of individual discovery, each person discerning the merits of spiritual statements, stories, or symbols for themselves. 

This realization relieves us of three great burdens. Firstly, we are relieved of the obligation to hold convictions at odds with our better judgment. We no longer need to pretend belief in things we don’t, in the honesty of our hearts, find compelling.  

Secondly, we are relieved from any obligation to be concerned with the “authenticity” of sayings. There are many who believe that great damage has been done by historical-critical research of the Bible. “We don’t know the historical Jesus actually said this,” people complain. But why would that matter? If a statement was ludicrous or reprehensible it wouldn’t be worth revering and repeating even if we knew for a fact the historical Jesus said it. Similarly, if we found a statement beautiful, wise, and liberating, it would be worth revering and repeating, even if we knew for a fact Luke made it up and pretended Jesus said it. 

Thirdly and finally, we are relieved from any obligation to defend the contents of faith. I don’t need to defend a sunrise. It will get on just fine without my help. I don’t need to write a book of “apologetics” for Bach. The effect of the music is more than able to recommend itself. Similarly, the Parable of the Prodigal Son doesn’t need my help. It will continue to survive the ages on its own steam, by its own obvious value and beauty. Nothing worthy to believe requires a defence. That which is permanent will prove its permanence in history, so long as there are people who recognize their inherent power and obligation to discern, as long as they make use of the great fact that “the human spirit is the lamp of the LORD.” 

Favourite Hymns 

Ernie and Lynda Cox 

Come, Christians, Join To Sing

Come, Christians, join to sing, Alleluia! Amen!

Loud praise to Christ our King; Alleluia! Amen!

Let all, with heart and voice, before his throne rejoice;

Praise is his gracious choice: Alleluia! Amen!

Come, lift your hearts on high, Alleluia! Amen!

Let praises fill the sky; Alleluia! Amen!

He is our Guide and Friend; to us he’ll condescend;

His love shall never end: Alleluia! Amen!

To God Be The Glory

To God be the glory, great things he hath done, 

So loved he the world that he gave us his Son,

Who yielded his life an atonement for sin,

And opened the life-gate that all may go in.

Refrain

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear his voice!

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice!

O Come to the Father through Jesus the Son, 

And give Him the glory, great things he hath done. 

Great things he hath taught us, great thing he hath done,

And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;

But purer, and higher and greater will be,

Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

The Bond of Love

We are one in the bond of love; we are one in the bond of love.

We have joined our spirit with the Spirit of God;

We are one in the bond of love. 

Let us sing now, everyone; let us feel God’s love begun.

Let us join our hands that the world will know,

We are one in the bond of love. 

Coping with the Corona Crisis

(A series of responses from our McPhail congregants)

Kathrine Hawley-Hunt

1. All of us are confined to our homes. How are you spending your time? 

Watching tv..especially some older programs being recirculated. Playing with my phone..trying to understand how to use it more effectively .. while hoping not to  delete something essential that I can't recover. Trying to do some chair yoga, following instructions from an app. Writing emails. Listening to music.. Ernie, Richard Maddock, accompanist for The Treblemakers Choir, and some that I stumble upon on Facebook. On the phone with my 4 children one at a time although these last couple of weeks my daughter Daphne set up some Zoom sessions when at least 3 of us were involved. Some reading..I have macular degeneration which makes reading a bit frustrating. I have a Bible app from the Bible Gateway which allows me to choose the version and adjust the display to suit my needs. Psst. I have been using it in church for responsive readings.

2. How are you staying connected?

Phone and Zoom calls with family. Facebook groups. For example, Eastern Townships Roots. I was born and grew up in Sutton, QC. so I find a lot of memories in the posted pictures and comments plus I have connected with some people I knew in earlier years. Another group is Canadian Baptist Women, which has been holding its annual sessions virtually this week.

3. Some people have stopped following the Coronavirus news, suffering from an overload of information, much of it not encouraging. How are you handling all the news?

Trying not to binge watch or listen too much,  although I sometimes turn on the radio just to have some vocal noise in the background.Last Sunday and Monday I had withdrawn from news for most of those days only to suddenly discover the Nova Scotia situation.. My son, Lloyd, and grandson, Sam, their wives and 2 great-grandchildren live in Halifax, so this was naturally a concern.

4. Have you been able to find a silver lining in the current situation?

I live alone in a senior’s residence. I am continually grateful for the dedication, resourcefulness, teamwork and care from the staff. Along with other innovations, the shuttle bus driver who took us to stores and banks has become our shopper . We phone the desk and ask for an order form which is delivered to our door. When it is ready a staff person picks it up. The bus driver does the shopping and delivers the order to our door. 

There are many things to thank God for; home, food, the sun, flowers beginning to show their faces, family, friends, my life. A good basis for popcorn prayer.

5. What things do you especially miss?

When my 4 kids were young they had German Measles, one at a time, each of them going the full 21 days before the next. During that time I wasn’t able to get out to church, and there have been very few times when I was not able to get to church. And so, I miss going to church, and I miss getting together with family. I miss walking through the corridors here in the residence and greeing people. I miss going to the dining room for supper or to the library for coffee hour and chatting with whoever happens to be there.  Our meals are now delivered to our door by masked staff. The latest directive is not to leave our room for any reason. Garbage is to be put in the hall outside our door. It feels a little like being back in grade school and raising your hand to leave the room. 

"Fairest Lord Jesus"

Sue Sparks

Benediction 

Ernie and Lynda Cox 

May the grace of Christ our Saviour, 

And the Father’s boundless love,

With the Holy Spirit’s favour, 

Rest upon us from above.  Amen. 

Did you know you can mail in your regular financial contributions to McPhail? Faith communities, along with cultural institutions and many businesses have had to close temporarily. Nevertheless, normal operational expenses continue as usual. In the light of this, do please consider continuing your support of McPhail by mailing your offering to: 249 Bronson Ave, Ottawa, ON. K1R 6H6