Sent with Joy

Posted on July 6, 2025July 6, 2025 by John

Worship on the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
10:00 am July 06, 2025
Minister: Rev. Brad Childs Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Vivian Houg Elder: Heather Tansem Reader: Corrie Magdalene

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

Brad: I start vacation tomorrow. Maddie, Cohen and I are going to Regina, through Fargo and to Omaha to stay with my mother. We then drive down to Kansas to see my great-aunt Louise and probably my cousin Lindsey, and to stay with my brother Chad (yes, kids think it’s funny, but we are named just like the meme of dumb frat boys, Brad and Chad). Then we are going to Branson, Missouri, to America’s PG-rated, family-friendly version of Las Vegas. We’re going to go to the Dolly Parton Theatre, the largest beach front property (rivers and lakes) in all of North America (larger beach than all of California and Florida combined) and to a place where they throw fresh-baked rolls at you, the home of Cabela’s and where they put country-gravy on everything available at every restaurant. Branson is heaven for poor or frugal Christians from the Midwest and the South.

While I’m away, pastoral care emergencies will be shared between John Dowds and Padre Ken McCrae. Worship will be led the next two Sundays by Lynn Vaughn, followed by Shirley Simpson and Rom. I want to say that I feel incredibly blessed to be able to leave things in the hands of people from our own congregation, and I thank all of them for being available.

Preparation for worship

Call to worship:
L: Come, all who are thirsting for hope and renewal.
P: We gather to worship the One who gives life and sustains us.
L: Lift up your hearts to the Lord, who is gracious and merciful.
P: We open ourselves to God’s presence among us.
L: Let us praise the name of the Lord, whose love endures forever.
P: Thanks be to God, now and always. Come, let us worship with joy and gratitude! Amen

Opening praise: I surrender all

Prayers of approach and confession

Heavenly Father, Source of all life and whisper of our souls, You crafted a world filled with beauty and provision—enough for all to thrive and find joy.

Your heart was revealed perfectly in Jesus—a love that seeks to tear down walls, to build bridges where there are divides, and to meet us messy and real.

You are not distant but present in our daily lives—walking with us through triumphs and heartbreaks, guiding us by Your Spirit into wisdom amid chaos.

God, meet us now in this moment. Be truly with us. Speak what we need to hear—words of comfort, challenge, and hope.

Remind us, Emmanuel—God with us—that we are never alone.

We honor You—the Creator who dreamed us, the Redeemer who pulls us from the depths, and the Sustainer who holds us through all.

Loving God, You call us to be Your hands and feet—agents of love, builders of peace, voices for justice.

Yet, we confess how often we fall short. We create division instead of unity. We prioritize comfort over courage. We ignore the needs around us, scrolling past the suffering, turning away from injustice, clinging to our own agendas.

Forgive us, Lord. Forgive our apathy, our silence, our blindness.

Open our eyes to the brokenness in the world and stir in us the resolve to act with compassion.

Help us follow Jesus—serving eagerly, listening sincerely, risking boldly to make a difference.

Grant us courage to challenge injustice, to uplift the marginalized, and to work tirelessly for a world where everyone is valued and loved.

May your Spirit lead us beyond ourselves, toward your endless love and justice. Amen.

Response: I waited, I waited on you Lord

Assurance of God’s forgiveness

The Apostle Paul declared that from now on, we regard no one from a human point of view. If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation. Everything old has passed away and everything has become new! Thanks be to God that by God’s mercy, we can all make a new start!

We listen for the voice of God

Song: We have this ministry (590)

Scripture reading: Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Response: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

Message: Sent with Joy

“The health of the church is directly related to its evangelistic activity.” — David Platt: “The church that does not evangelize is like a body —lifeless and irrelevant. Evangelism is the heartbeat of the church; without it, the church ceases to breathe.” – Unknown

I believe that to be true with every fiber of my being. But at the same time, I’m not very good at it. According to a recent study by the Barna Group, less than half of practicing Christians feel equipped to share their faith effectively. So, what’s holding us back? Well for one, I think in my lifetime, I’ve seen evangelism done so poorly by so many. As G.K. Chesterton said, ‘The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.’ Sometimes, I think we’ve made it too weird to even try. But why? I don’t have to go out door-knocking or hand out bible tracts or threaten people with eternal damnation. I can do it better than that as long as I keep in mind that effective evangelism is rooted in love, humility, respect, patience, and sensitivity and in modelling Christ’s love as we share His truth.”

Luke uniquely records the story of Jesus sending out messengers ahead of Him to prepare the way. Many people think there were only twelve of Jesus’ disciples. Still, a much larger crowd followed Him, with the twelve forming His inner circle—alongside Peter, James, and John—who were closest to Him in both relationship and mission. In fact, hundreds of people were drawn to Jesus, eager to hear and see His work. Following Jesus’ rejection by the people of Nazareth and Samaria, Jesus appointed either 70 or 72, depending upon your bible translation (it’s one of those few weird places where the majority text has one thing and the oldest copies have something else). In the end, it doesn’t actually matter at all because of what the number means. Anyway, Jesus appoints 70 disciples to go ahead of him to the towns and villages he would later enter, to see if people were receptive and if it would be worthwhile for him to spend his time there. And that sounds a little harsh but honestly, why go to a town that is going to try to kill you if the next one over is begging for you to visit? You know, it’s almost like Jesus was doing a little advance market research.

Jesus’s instructions to His 70 disciples were practical: stay in one home per town, appreciating the hospitality offered, and avoid seeking better accommodations elsewhere. He emphasized the importance of accepting care graciously and focusing on the mission, rather than material comforts. His command to eat what is provided tells us to be content and to embrace simplicity in our dependence on God’s provision.

Jesus chose the twelve to symbolize the twelve tribes of Israel, emphasizing the historic and spiritual significance of their mission. The seventy, similarly, reflect the biblical pattern of leadership established by Moses, who appointed seventy elders to share in guiding God’s people. At the time, 70 was the number of known nations, meaning they were intended to speak to every part of the world. The point here is much the same. These disciples are intended to go to every nation. And when Jesus said, “Do not greet anyone on the road,” again it sounds a tad harsh but as the Jewish New Testament translated note, this isn’t about pleasantries. Instead, he was encouraging His followers to prioritize their mission—avoiding distractions and idle chatter—so that the message might be proclaimed boldly and clearly. “Ultimately, what matters most is not how people receive us, but that we faithfully proclaim the truth of God’s kingdom. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t force him to be baptized. And frankly, if you can force a horse to be baptized, you’re probably doing something wrong.

In Luke 10:2, Jesus speaks of the harvest as a metaphor for the spiritual work of reaching people with the gospel. The imagery of a harvest suggests that many are eager and prepared to hear the message of God’s Kingdom. Just as farmers see ripe fields ready for gathering, Jesus indicates that there are countless individuals whose hearts are open and receptive to God’s truth. Opportunities to share the Gospel are abundant, which means evangelism should be easy because we aren’t supposed to waste our time trying to preach to people who don’t want to hear. If someone doesn’t want to talk about faith with you, then don’t. It’s that simple. But you don’t know until you do. A Lifeway Research study found that a significant percentage of unchurched people are open to having a conversation about faith, but few Christians ever initiate those conversations, resulting in a lack of opportunities for them to happen. But the idea that people don’t want to talk about faith is actually not accurate. They do. They just want to be able to share their views too, without feeling attacked or preached at. It seems the harvest is ready, but we’re not sending enough good workers to gather it. If you are talking to people you love and they love you – you can share, just as long as you also listen. In fact, almost nothing in life is more personal or intimate or caring than sharing faith… when done in love. And that’s the key.

In the passage, Jesus is more concerned with not having enough people to send out, not that there won’t be people who want to hear. His pressing concern is that “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few.” I can’t help but wonder, if every Christian in the world shared their faith story with just one person this year, what impact would that have? I think I’ve been a part of that problem before. I’ve been afraid of being seen as that pushy person shaming people into faith. If that’s the case, it’s an excuse. I’m not a pushy person, and talking about faith isn’t going to magically make me into one. And if you aren’t a pushy person you won’t be pushy either. You’ll do fine.

Despite the readiness of many hearts, there is a shortage of workers to bring in the harvest. Every Christian is called to be willing. The task cannot be accomplished by a few but requires the active involvement of the entire church. There is no unemployment in Christian Mission. Of course, to be fair, there’s also no dental plan, so maybe that’s why more people aren’t applying. But research indicates that younger generations are more drawn to authenticity and vulnerability than polished presentations when it comes to discussions about faith.

The Baptist Seminary located on 23rd Avenue and 116th is named for British Missionary Hudson Taylor (who ironically stated in his memoir that he didn’t particularly like Baptist theology). Taylor once wrote, “The Great Commission is not an option to consider; it is a command to be obeyed.” I mean… he’s correct, but it also shouldn’t be a chore. The good news here is that sharing faith doesn’t mean beating people over the head with a Bible or arguing your kids into faith; it’s about demonstrating something worth emulating and sharing News that’s actually Good and helpful. But God isn’t calling any of us to do the kinds of things that give us a bad name among those seeking a place of worship and reflection, such as leaving fake five-dollar bills with a ticket to heaven on the back for a tip – that’s a real thing by the way – as if stiffing someone on a tip is going to make them receptive to the Four Spiritual Laws

Jesus emphasizes the importance of prayer, urging His followers to pray earnestly for more workers to be sent out into the harvest. Prayer is vital because only through His strength can we effectively share the Gospel with others. It’s his harvest, and no evangelist has ever “saved” anybody. That’s Jesus’ job. But notice, too, we aren’t supposed to do it alone. Jesus chooses 35 groups of 2. While it’s tempting to think that we have a mission as individuals, and yes, we do, perhaps it’s usually better to believe that “we” as a community have a mission and to recognize that we accomplish our mission better when we do it together. And no, I’m not talking about going door to door in white shirts and black ties, 2 by 2. It doesn’t have to be that scary or awkward.

There are as many ways to evangelism as there are people. We can start by praying regularly for opportunities to share our faith with people we know who are hurting. Remember, we’re supposed to be sharing Good News. Did your faith help you get through a tough time, the loss of a loved one, a broken relationship or a moment of despair? That’s news worth sharing. Building relationships through acts of kindness and genuine presence is at the heart of effective ministry. Studies show that genuine friendships are a stronger indicator of someone exploring faith than attending church services. I am convinced that simply being kind is a form of evangelism. Supporting local outreach and missions, volunteering at church programs, and offering our time and talents are all tangible ways to participate. Ultimately, by being prayerful, intentional, and open to God’s leading, we can help gather the abundant harvest.

In Luke 10:3, Jesus sends out His disciples with the words, “Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.” Ministry and sharing the Gospel are not always easy or completely safe endeavours. As someone once said, ‘Going out to evangelize can sometimes feel like being a vegan at a barbecue. The path of following Christ can involve opposition, rejection, and even danger (though I think this part is more true for people in North Korea than in Canada).

Despite the hazards, Jesus encourages His followers to rely on God’s protection and provision. When He sends them out, He promises that He will be with them, giving them strength and courage. We can step out boldly, trusting that God’s hand is guiding and safeguarding us through every obstacle and opposition. True ministry requires a dependence on God. That’s why TV evangelists asking for money and hitting people with bibles tend to make us all look bad. They aren’t trying to bring Good News to people that need it, they’re usually just building up their own brand and their own bank accounts.

Throughout history, many Christians have overcome significant challenges in ministry—whether facing persecution, personal doubts, or logistical barriers—by trusting in God’s promises and relying on His strength.

In practical terms, this passage encourages us today to confront our fears and to take courageous steps in our faith. Whether that’s sharing our journey, volunteering for outreach programs, or simply showing kindness to someone in need, we can trust that God equips us to face any challenge. If we truly hold the Good News in our hands, most people won’t slap it away.

In Luke 10:4, Jesus instructs His disciples, “Carry no purse, no bag, and no sandals, and greet no one on the way.” By telling the 70 not to bring extra provisions or comforts, Jesus emphasizes that their focus should be solely on the mission ahead. When we let go of unnecessary distractions—whether material possessions, worries about possessions, or busyness—we create space to serve more effectively. Serving Christ is not about accumulating comfort or convenience but about surrendering our dependence on material things and focusing on the spiritual priority of loving others. Simplifying our lives allows us to be more available, more present, and more flexible for God’s purposes. When we loosen our grip on material things, we often find greater freedom to follow God’s leading, serve others, and prioritize eternal treasures over temporary comforts.

In Luke 10:5-7, Jesus instructs His disciples to enter each house with the words, “Peace to this house.” When we approach others with kindness and genuine goodwill, we set a positive tone that opens hearts and creates an atmosphere conducive to connection. Bringing peace into a home or a situation demonstrates a humble desire to serve with love, and it invites God’s presence into the exchange. The act of hospitality—receiving what is offered, whether food, a place to stay, or simply kindness—is a vital part of building relationships. Hospitality fosters a space of trust and openness, which is essential for forming meaningful connections. When we accept offers of hospitality graciously, we acknowledge the worth of the person offering it and show respect for their generosity.

There are as many ways to evangelism as there are people… What if the most effective form of evangelism wasn’t a program, a sermon, or a tract, but simply being a good neighbour? It’s what Lynn does with Dud’s, how Linda answers the phone, Pat and Bonnie decorate this space, and how members of Session make plans, and how the Board handles tasks, and how Adrian considers the whole, how the Media team shows up early and on and on. There are too many evangelists in this place to mention. The people behind our church sign are amazing evangelists! Move over John Stott and Billy Graham… Dayspring knows what to do.

It’s how I see you already living. And if you feel like you can do more that heh… Good on you.

We can start by praying regularly for opportunities to share our faith with people we know who are hurting. Building relationships through acts of kindness and genuine presence is at the heart of effective ministry. Sometimes the best evangelism is just mowing our neighbour’s lawn or asking someone how they are doing. I am convinced that simply being kind is a form of evangelism. Have you met Tandi? She makes me want to be a Christian and I already am one!

Often, it is not grand gestures but small, consistent acts—such as listening attentively, showing compassion, or simply sharing a meal—that pave the way for lasting impact. These acts open doors for more significant spiritual conversations and allow others to see Christ’s love in everyday life.

In Luke 10:9, the 70 are given a message to preach: “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” Remember the Kingdom of God isn’t just heaven. The message isn’t just about streets paved with gold. It’s about the perfection of heaven, where justice reigns, poverty is ended, and pain no longer exists, all being brought to earth. “Thy Kingdom come, on earth, as it is in Heaven”. It’s about the here and the now. God’s reign is not a distant future hope but is actively present among us through Jesus’s ministry and the lives of His followers – we participate in bringing the Kingdom here on earth.

Jesus’s ministry—His acts of healing, forgiving, and restoring—show that God’s kingdom is a realm where brokenness is made whole. When we participate in sharing the Gospel, we are part of bringing that same wholeness to others. Whether through physical healing, emotional restoration, or spiritual renewal, God’s kingdom is characterized by a process of ongoing healing and transformation that brings benefit to individuals and communities.

Today, I invite you to consider how you can get involved in God’s mission. Whether through prayer, sharing your faith, supporting outreach, or simply demonstrating Christ’s love in everyday acts, each one of us has a part to play in bringing His kingdom near. Let us commit to being active, intentional participants in this divine work, knowing that our efforts are vital and have a profound impact.

Perhaps the best way to begin is to pray and ask God to reveal to us who needs the Good News. And then after that, to ask ourselves what Good News we have to share. And maybe, just maybe, deciding to do one good thing for someone we know who is hurt, just once per week this month, is the best version of evangelism the world has ever known. Whatever you do, don’t do it alone. Share your plans with someone. Ask them for prayer support. And go out knowing that if everyone here at Dayspring is doing the same thing. Then, just like the 70 Jesus sent out, we have 35 groups of two sharing the gospel now, just as Jesus first did; ready to meet hearts in need of something we might actually be able to offer. Amen.

Song: Sing a new song unto the Lord (422

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayers of the people

God, Creator of all life, we come to you today with thankful hearts for your world—full of wonder and beauty—but also with deep need. We pray for all people, from many nations, cultures, and faiths, knowing that division can feel strong. Help us see what unites us and honor the good in our differences, knowing we all belong to you.

Loving God, you give us wisdom and truth. In a world where many are in positions of power, help us recognize that some use their influence for good, others for harm. Give us courage to speak out against injustice and falsehood, and help us trust your guidance. Shine your light into our own hearts—show us our weaknesses and biases—and teach us to follow Jesus, our guide.

Merciful Lord, our world often feels filled with hatred and violence that hurt innocent people. We feel powerless at times, but our hearts hurt for those caught in war, for those who have lost loved ones, and for those suffering trauma. We pray for refugees fleeing their homes just to survive. Open our hearts to welcome and protect those in need—those who stay and those who flee.

You see what’s inside us, Lord—our struggles, pain, and sorrow. We lift up those who are sick, grieving, anxious, or hopeless. Comfort those who mourn and strengthen those facing hardship.

Holy Spirit, fill us with your grace to live out our faith—showing love to our family and friends, to neighbors and strangers alike. Guide our steps, help us trust you in every moment, and live with compassion.

We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Sacrament of Holy Communion

Invitation

Come, all who believe in Jesus Christ, and partake in the Lord’s Supper. This is a time to remember his love poured out for us—his body broken and his blood shed for the forgiveness of sins.

Come with open hearts and grateful spirits, and join in this sacred meal, symbol of his grace, hope, and new life. Let us draw near to Jesus, the bread of life, and the cup of salvation, and be refreshed by his presence and promises.

Song: I come with joy (530: vss 1-4)

The Apostles’ Creed 539
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth,

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Communion Prayer

Gracious and loving God, we thank you for your endless love and grace poured out into the world through Jesus Christ. You are the Creator of all, the source of life and hope, and we come before you with humble hearts. As we gather around this table, we remember your faithfulness and your desire for us to be in relationship with you. May this meal be a visible sign of your mercy, calling us to live in love and unity as your children.

Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer, you willingly gave yourself for us—your body broken, your blood shed—to reconcile us to the Father and to one another. We remember your sacrifice, your obedience, and your eternal love that reaches out to us. In this bread and cup, we see the promise of new life, hope, and forgiveness secured by your sacrifice. Help us to receive your gift with reverence and gratitude, and to live as your faithful followers, sharing your love in every word and deed.

Holy Spirit, divine comforter and guide, breathe your presence into these simple elements. Open our eyes and hearts to recognize your work among us—transforming bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. Strengthen us by your power, that we may be renewed and empowered to love as Jesus loved. Fill us with your peace and unity, binding us together as one body, and send us out to be your hands and feet in the world—bearing your hope, justice, and tender care to all, especially those in need. Amen.

The Words of Institution

On the night he was betrayed, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

In the same way, after supper, he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to his disciples saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. As often as you drink it, do this in remembrance of me.”

Sharing of the Bread and Wine

Song: One bread, one body (540)

Prayer after Communion

Gracious God, we thank You for this sacred meal, for the gift of Your presence among us and within us. As we have shared in the bread and cup, may Your love take root in our hearts and grow.

Fill us with the Spirit of Christ, that we may carry his grace into our daily lives. Strengthen us to live as Your body—showing kindness, humility, and compassion to those around us.

Help us remember that this meal is not just for us but for the world—a reminder of Your ongoing work of reconciliation and hope. Empower us to be instruments of Your peace, your justice, and your love, wherever You send us.

In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Song: I, the Lord of sea and sky (592)

Sending out with God’s blessing

May the love of God fill your heart and inspire your words. Go forth confidently, sharing the hope and grace you have received.

Be bold in your faith, gentle in your words, and gracious in your actions.

May your life be a light that draws others closer to Christ, and may the Holy Spirit guide and strengthen you every step of the way.

And may the blessing of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—be with you now and always. Amen.

Response: Go now in peace (620: vss 1,2)

Music postlude

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The Communion liturgy is based on the liturgies of the PCC’s 1991 Book of Common Worship. 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 License (3095377) and CLC (A735555).

The Rev. Brad Childs retains the copyright (© 2025) 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.

Video recordings of the Sunday Worship messages can be found here on our YouTube Channel (select “Live” or “Playlist” to access the message for which you are looking).

Freedom in the Spirit: Breaking the Yoke

Posted on June 29, 2025June 29, 2025 by John

Worship on the Third Sunday after Pentecost
10:00 am      June 29, 2025
Minister: Rev. Brad Childs
Music Director: Binu Kapadia     Guest pianist: Kimberly McMann
Vocalist: Lynn Vaughan     Welcoming Elder: Darlene Eerkes
Children’s Time: Brad     Reader: Jan Ray Moncada

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
Preparation for worship

Call to worship:
L: It is good to give thanks to God;
P: Let us sing praises to God’s holy name!
L: We will declare God’s steadfast love in the morning,
P: And God’s faithfulness night after night.
L: Let us make a joyful noise in our worship!
P: For God is good and we know God’s blessings.
L: Let us worship God with grateful hearts;
P: We will give God thanks in our prayers and praise.

Opening praise: I give you my heart

Prayers of approach and confession
Loyal and bountiful God,
You made our minds to grow smarter.
You made our hearts to love more.
You made our voices to sing your praises forever.
We come to worship you happily,
Looking to Jesus for help and direction.
Fill us with your Holy Spirit
So that we show the good qualities you want from us.
Help us worship you truly,
And follow Jesus’ example..

Loyal and bountiful God,
You ask us to follow you, no matter what.
But we often choose to stay where we are.
You give us new chances,
Yet, we often repeat the same choices based on our own wants.
We make excuses to avoid changing.
Please forgive us, God.
Clean us with your forgiveness,
And give us energy to serve you, even when it’s tough

Assurance of God’s forgiveness

Through Jesus, we become a new creation; the old life is gone and the new life begins! Know that God loves you and forgives you. Don’t be scared to start fresh!

We listen for the voice of God

Children’s time

Story

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Song: This is a story full of love (504: vss 1,2,5,6)

Scripture: Galatians 5:1,13-25

Message: Freedom in the Spirit: Breaking the Yoke

Have you ever felt trapped by a set of rules or expectations? Like you’re constantly trying to measure up, but never quite succeeding? That’s what it’s like to live under a “yoke” of legalism, where faith becomes a burden instead of a liberation. According to the Apostle Paul, Christians are supposed to live “yoke-free”. We are called to break free from that yoke and experience the true freedom God offers – a freedom not just from rules, but for a life of love, joy, and purpose.

When we talk about freedom here, it’s not just about escaping legalism—those religious rules and ordinances that were imposed from outside. Instead, it refers to the positive, essential spiritual liberty that God desires for each person. This liberty isn’t just some kind of freedom to do whatever we want; it’s the freedom that God purposes for all people, a freedom that is rooted in the renewal and relationship we have with Him.

Romans 8:2 reminds us that this freedom must be morally qualified. True freedom means acting responsibly—using our liberty to serve others, rather than simply indulging in self-interest or selfish desires. This points us toward love—care for others—as the natural and fitting fruit of faith in Christ.

In the context of Galatians, we see that Paul is addressing conflicts within the congregation, likely caused by the influence of Judaizing teachers who imposed strict religious rules. These disputes threaten to destroy their fellowship. The conflict in Galatia wasn’t just theological; it was deeply personal. People were arguing, judging, and even breaking fellowship over these issues. Paul knew this infighting was destroying their community. That’s why he emphasized that Christian freedom should lead to love—a love that seeks the well-being of others.

The trap is thinking we can earn God’s favour by following rules. However, Paul suggests that instead of focusing on external regulations, we’re directed to the internal transformation that occurs when we’re connected to Jesus. He contrasts “works of the flesh” (selfish desires) with the “fruit of the Spirit” (qualities that naturally flow from a life lived in relationship with God).

These aren’t qualities we can manufacture on our own. They are the byproduct of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. We can’t create them, but we can nurture them. Think of it like an apple tree: you don’t have to try to make apples; if the tree is healthy and thriving, apples will naturally appear. As John 15:4-5 says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

The congregations in Galatia are at risk. They are on the verge of breaking apart. And really, this is not some old problem from long ago. How many churches today are being torn apart because people aren’t patient with each other or kind to one another? How many close because the people aren’t good to each other or loving? I’m reminded of an old minister from this congregation who once said something that has stuck with me. He said, “If we don’t care for our staff and our congregation, how can we even pretend to care for the world around us?” It’s a good point, and because of that, I’ve never been able to get it out of my head.

How many congregations die out because they lose their joy? How can a church be a light on a hill if it has no light? In Pentecostal circles, sometimes they refer to this as being a “dead church” (one with no real life in it). This is what Paul is talking about. Paul counters this threat by emphasizing that Christian freedom should produce the kind of love that seeks the well-being of others through benevolent action and mutual service.

This love is rooted equally in faith in Christ and manifests as a joyful, willing service to one another in liberty. This is the love that the Gospel gives us, one that overcomes division and fosters a sense of community.

In antiquity, the Greek Philosophers would often create what we call “vice lists”. These were short lists of unethical or immoral conduct used to promote ethical behaviours. At the time, especially among the Stoics and Epicureans, vice lists were a common shorthand for community expectations. Paul is well-read. In the scriptures, Peter pronounces a list of vices in 1 Peter 4:3. John of Patmos provides another in Revelation 21:8. And Paul gives us at least four different lists. One is in Romans 1, another in 1 Corinthians 6, one is in 2 Timothy and here in today’s reading, we have one more. However, much like in the works of Marcus Aurelius, some 100 years after Paul, the apostle also provides a list (not just of vices but also of virtues). It’s a virtue list. Rather than just a bunch of things to avoid, these are qualities to cultivate and develop. They are attributes the Christian community should embody as people, found in God’s grace. He calls them the “fruits of the Spirit”. These virtues are the fruits of the Spirit listed here: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

In verses 22 and 23, Paul makes clear that these fruits are works of the Holy Spirit, produced naturally within us when the Spirit is at work. They reflect the very nature of Christ Himself. They are the byproducts of Christian control—something we cannot produce simply by effort or rule-following, but only through connection with Jesus. As John 15:4-5 tells us, we must abide in Him, know Him, love Him, remember Him, and imitate Him. Only then will these fruits grow in us and allow us to fulfill God’s primary law: to love God and to love our neighbours.

I read this little story on Wednesday. A woman had a dream that she wandered into a shop at the mall and found Jesus behind the counter. “You can have anything here that your heart desires”, he said. Astounded but pleased, the young woman asked, “I’ll take peace, joy, happiness, wisdom and freedom from fear”. Then she added, “Oh and not just for me, but for the whole earth too!”. In her dream, Jesus smiled widely and then responded. “I think you misunderstood me, dear child. We don’t have fruits here; only seeds”.

The fruit of the Spirit has to germinate and be cared for into being. It’s not just something you pick off the grocery store shelf. It has to be lived and loved into existence. The growth of these qualities isn’t about legalism or effort but about trust. Jesus said in Matthew 12:33-37 that a tree is judged by its fruit. And the most convincing evidence of the Gospel’s truth isn’t just words or arguments but the visible fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Interestingly, some circles try to set the fruit of the Spirit against the gifts of the Spirit, as if one is more important than the other. But a balanced believer embraces both. The gifts empower us to serve more effectively, and the fruits show the character Christ is shaping in us.

Paul’s address here is both about individual character and community life. Remember, he’s speaking to a congregation caught in squabbles and infighting. Of course, these are good qualities for everyone to possess in their own personal lives, but ultimately, the virtues he lists aren’t just personal goals—they are meant to be nurtured within the entire church community. They help us serve one another and love our neighbours. And they are the things that make a congregation what it’s meant to be.

Here Paul lists: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control.

Love: There are three common words in Greek for Love. Eros is a passionate and romantic love. Philia is a love for family or a friend. However, here Paul uses Agape, representing an undefeatable benevolence—a kindness and goodwill that seeks the highest good for others, regardless of who they are or what they’ve done. Rather than a feeling, it is an action. It’s a giving love that asks for nothing in return and doesn’t consider worthiness. This is the kind of love that Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, which we hear quite often at weddings. It states, “Love is patient, kind, not envious or boastful, not proud or dishonouring, not self-seeking, not easily angered, keeping no record of wrongs, rejoicing with the truth, always protecting, trusting, hoping, and persevering. And because this Agape is always selfless and is an act and not an emotion, if it is lived out, the bible tells it “it can never fail”. A congregation must represent this type of love to bear fruit.
Joy: This isn’t just happiness, which can be fleeting. The joy mentioned here is more profound, rooted in God and coming from Him. According to Strong’s Greek Lexicon, the word chara encompasses gladness or a source of joy. This divine joy brings serenity and steadiness that is not dependent on circumstances but is rooted in our relationship with God. Last week, I felt like a bit of a failure because we were walking through the mall as a family, and (I know they were joking, [though Maddie, I think, enjoys twisting the knife a bit more than most but), the kids were trying to think up high and lofty questions. And Maddie gave the old standby, “What is the purpose of life?” and hinted that human beings at times appear to be God’s playthings, as if God is a child in a sandbox with a bunch of toys. I know it probably goes in one ear and out the other, and it doesn’t help that I’m their father, but I have repeated the answer to this question countless times because I genuinely believe it’s the best answer to this question that has ever been given. It’s the first question and answer in the shorter catechism. Many people in this room probably memorized it for confirmation.

If you are a young person right now, this most likely sounds a little wild. However, many years ago, teenage kids in the Presbyterian Church would attend weekly meetings for between 2 and 3 years, where they would memorize a set of 196 different questions, along with their corresponding answers. When I do baptisms for young adults, there is only one catechism question I require people to read. It’s the only question I ask kids to learn when I do a baptism for a young person. It’s the first and in my mind the most critical question and answer among the lot. The question comes, “What is the chief end of man?” (In other words, what’s the purpose of life?) And the answer replies, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.” A congregation bearing together the fruits of the Spirit must be grounded in a life that is not based on rules but upon glorifying God and enjoying God forever. But is that how we live? Is that what people think of when they think of Christians? It should be, if we embody these fruits together. It should be.

Peace: The Greek word eirēnē often refers to inner peace and to some extent forgiveness. After Peter and the other disciples abandoned Jesus to the cross and ran away, Jesus came and appeared to them in the upper room. And his first words to them were not, “Why did you abandon me?” He said, “Eirene [Peace], I give to you.” This peace is not just the absence of strife or war or argument within the congregation, but also a forgiveness. It’s prosperity through harmony, both internal and external. It also includes a trust that it will last forever, because God will bring about our salvation, both now and in the eternal future. It’s peace knowing that through forgiveness we will never be separated from Him or His Heavenly kingdom. It’s security for the soul itself. At almost every celebration of life service I do, I put these words as the call to worship. Who is in a position to condemn? Only Christ and Christ died for us, Christ rose for us, Christ prays for us. In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Peace is the knowledge and faith that the only person worthy of judging us, wont.
(Patience) or, probably better said, Forbearance: Often translated as patience, this word means much more. Most accurately, it refers to the ability to endure or tolerate something for a long time. The Greek words makrothumia and hupomone describe a person’s ability to endure difficult circumstances, persecution, or injustice without losing composure or seeking revenge. What is being talked about here is how well we act while we wait for God’s promises to unfold, knowing that someday they surely will. Instead of reacting in anger or bitterness, this virtue embodies restraint and hopeful endurance, much like God’s own attitude described in Exodus 34:6—”slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.” A congregation that grows fruit and lives in harmony is a congregation that will long-suffer through trials, knowing how the story ends. It will wait for things to come, trusting and without anger or resentment. And even when a person “knows” they are right, they can still live in friendship and care because they have forbearance and are assured that all will be revealed in the end.
Kindness: I’m sure you’ve deduced this already, but here, kindness isn’t just about being nice to people. It’s acting for the good of others without expecting anything in return. It involves being adaptable and mellow. In Greek, they often referred to old wine as chrestos, which literally means smooth and mellow. The longer the wine rested, the older it got the more the flavour mellowed. In a figurative sense, the word was also used at times to describe an elder – people with age and wisdom and a gentle approach. Have you ever noticed this in your own life? Have you witnessed someone mellow with age. There is a calmness to this sort of kindness. That’s what this fruit of the Spirit is. Rather than harshly demanding that others change to suit us, a believer’s kindness seeks to become flexible and responsive to others’ needs, showing wisdom and maturity. I’m working on this one. I’ve been far too ridgid in the past.
Goodness: This quality emphasizes moral excellence—living with virtue, integrity, and a genuine joy in doing what is right. It’s about having a heart that seeks to embody what is right. However, it’s not just a personal morality, such as righteousness. It’s an active virtue that cultivates the good of the community as a whole and above self, through the demonstration of consistent moral character. I am reminded of a retired minister I knew in Vancouver. He came to the congregation when they were very broken. The music director had held the majority of the power in the congregation and made everything divisive. And when he decided to leave to spent a lot of time building himself up and putting other people down. When he finally left, he took the choir and their families with him and started his own congregation. It broke the church to pieces. When this new minister arrived, his job was much like that of a medic trying to help heal wounds. When I asked him how he dealt with those early and difficult years, he told me in his rather sweet Irish accent: “Brad, I just loved them.” And then he repeated it, “I just loved them”. That’s more advice I will never forget. Goodness isn’t just about being moral, it’s about putting your time and focus where it truly belongs. If I can do half of what he did, I’ll die proud.
Faithfulness: Faithfulness is a trait that combines trust and reliability. It describes both our trustworthiness and our trust in God. Faithfulness entails a commitment to the congregation, loyalty, and an unwavering belief. This is what the author of Hebrews exemplified in Hebrews 12:2, when it speaks of fixing our eyes on Jesus as being “the author and perfecter of our faith,” who endured the cross for the sake of what was to come. It’s easy to give up on a church or complain about the inevitable “politics” that come with any organization. As the old saying goes, “This Church would be perfect if it weren’t for all these people”. People mess up. But the faithful live in hope and stay to see things through. This “faithfulness” Paul speaks of is a devotion to God but also to the local church, even when things don’t go your way (and they often don’t when we live in community). The fruit of the Spirit is a kind of sticktoitiveness. It’s taking the high ground without complaint and a lot of trust that (as 1 Philippians says), “He who began a good work in us will continue his work until his work in us is finished”.
Gentleness: Being gentle is based on finding a balance between strength and meekness in the biblical sense. It is a virtue whereby you do not exert yourself just because you can. It means relinquishing power that you might otherwise wield to get your way. And it’s also a disposition that is calm, even-tempered, and unpretentious. It operates through faith and tends to seek peace and understanding rather than dominance or aggression. It preserves harmony and shows respect for others. And when you have the ability to force change but work with gentleness instead, you bear this fruit.
Self-Control: Lastly, self-control (enkrateia) involves mastery over our thoughts and actions. It’s not just about resisting temptation but about living with discipline and strength—control in all areas of life. This virtue reflects an inner strength that stems from trusting in God’s power at work within us.

This is not just about willpower, but is about NOT living “according to the flesh” as Paul stated at the beginning of this section. Yes, it is about avoiding the things on Paul’s vice list. But more than anything else, it’s about living according to the Spirit’s leading. And it’s about not being mastered by something other than God. As that great prophet once said, “You gotta serve somebody”. But I would add to that – You only have to serve just One somebody to do life right. This is about controlling one’s impulses, finding inner strength, and it’s an ever-evolving and ongoing practice.

…..

When all these qualities are present and active, they provide a perfect picture of how the church, as a community, should function. It’s easy to say that the bible teaches us to love our neighbour as ourselves. However, truth be told, “love” is a loaded term that can mean many things to different people. Stalkers think they “love” their victims. They don’t. Here, the bible also teaches us exactly what “love” looks like within the walls of a congregation, and it’s not always easy. Here is where the bible describes love between fellow Christians. The fruits of the Spirit show us how to love our neighbour as ourselves and how to not just attend a church, but be the Church.

Paul concludes with a simple yet powerful statement: “Against such things, there is no law.” These virtues are universally good—they fulfill the law’s highest purpose, which is to love God and love others and they show us exactly how to do that.

Ultimately, the entire message invites us to embrace the freedom that the Spirit bestows upon us — a freedom rooted in love, guided by the fruits of the Spirit, and expressed in community through acts of service, kindness, and virtue. This freedom is not about doing what we please but about living out the way of Christ—believing in His Spirit and allowing Him to cultivate these qualities in us.

True freedom in Christ isn’t about doing whatever we want; it’s about allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us from the inside out. It’s about walking in the Spirit, cultivating these fruits in our lives, and loving one another as Christ has loved us.

This is how we break the yoke of legalism and endless rules. It’s how we live in true freedom—by walking in the Spirit, loving one another, and allowing God’s virtues to shape us into the people He calls us to be. And it is how a congregation is intended to live together in peace and truly be a living church and a light on the hill for all to see.

And if I may be so bold, so far, in my life here with you, this is the congregation I’ve been with that best embodies the fruits. Maybe I’m just here at the right time. All congregations have struggles. But first, I praise you and thank you because He has clearly begun a good work in you. And second, I pray that we can all continue to stay connected to the vine, be a light on the hill, fulfill our purpose, truly “love” and nurture these fruits and allow God to build on the things God has already begun in us as He completes His work. Amen.

Song: Lord of all power (626)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayers of the people
God of mystery and mercy,
God of our past and future,
We come to you with all our hopes, dreams, challenges, and blessings.
We bring everything on our hearts and minds to you today,
Thankful for the good things,
Seeking your comfort and strength,
Listening for your guidance.

God of purpose and promise,
Hear our prayers.

God of life and love,
You are with us in our lives when we need you most.
We pray today for everyone worried about their future,
And those facing challenges at work or home.
We think of those burdened by sickness or worry,
And those caring for people who need support.
Help us all face our fears and challenges with your love.

God of purpose and promise,
Hear our prayers.

God of courage and comfort,
When we struggle with any burden,
Your Spirit prays with us in deep ways no words can express.
We pray for those whose burdens seem too heavy:
For victims of violence or disaster, and their loved ones… (pause)
For refugees at risk in many places,
especially those who fled Ukraine and Palestine… (pause)
For those in despair and poverty in our community
and forgotten parts of your world… (pause)
Strengthen those facing challenges beyond their control,
And equip our leaders to support those in need.

God of purpose and promise,
Hear our prayers.

God of the world and its people,
We pray for our country and leaders as we prepare to celebrate Canada Day.
Help Canada be a force for justice and well-being.
Give our leaders wisdom and honesty to make good choices for everyone who lives here.
Open our eyes and hearts to serve each other.
Help us hear cries for justice around us
And guide us in fixing strained relationships.

God of purpose and promise,
Hear our prayers.

Song: Give me oil in my lamp (655)

Sending out with God’s blessing

Paul writes that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Go out, filled with the Spirit and guided by the Spirit, to bear the fruit of the Spirit to all whom you meet, both today and everyday. Amen.

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 License (3095377) and CLC (A735555).

Video recordings of the Sunday Worship messages can be found here on our YouTube Channel.

Ships, anchors and purpose

Posted on June 22, 2025June 22, 2025 by John

Worship on the Second Sunday after Pentecost
10:00 am June 22, 2025
Minister: Rev. Brad Childs     Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Linda Farrah-Basford     Welcoming Elder: Gina Kottke
Children’s Time: Lynn Vaughan     Reader: Tracy Childs

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
Preparation for worship

Call to worship:
L: We come to worship God,
P: For God is compassionate. God is love.
L: Love is not God
P: But God is LOVE
L: Where will we find God?
P: God is among the hungry and thirsty, in the face of a stranger, reaching out to us.
L: Let us seek God so that we can serve God
P: Let us worship God and seek God’s healing, reconciling grace.

Opening praise: I lift my eyes up

Prayers of approach and confession

Creator God, You have made a world full of incredible variety — countless different creatures and plants, all connected in an intricate web that keeps life going. We thank you for the beauty and wonder of your creation.

You’ve also made humans wonderfully diverse — with different cultures, languages, traditions, and communities. We see Your creativity and compassion reflected in how people love, create, and care for each other. We praise You for this too.

In Jesus Christ, You have shown us the depth of Your love for all creation and taught us how to live by that love. Through Your Spirit, give us fresh eyes to see the beauty around us and inspire us to celebrate and share that wonder every day.

God, the amazing variety in your creation leaves us in awe, but we admit we’re often caught up in what’s familiar and comfortable. We want everyone to speak our language, share our customs, and see the world as we do. We struggle to understand why some people are treated unfairly just because they are different. Sometimes, we don’t realize how our own preferences and biases can hurt others and even harm the earth.

Forgive us for clinging to what’s familiar instead of opening ourselves to new understanding. Help us listen to the stories of people whose lives are different from ours. Break down the barriers of prejudice and indifference. Teach us to see and hear the suffering of others around the world and to respond with compassion and justice.

We confess that at times we judge others unfairly, or remain silent when we should speak out. We ask for your forgiveness for the ways we fall short of loving our neighbors as ourselves. Strengthen us to grow in kindness, humility, and understanding, so we can reflect your love more fully in all we do.

And lastly Father aid us in this complex and broken world as we attempt to discern what is right so that we will not repeat the mistakes of the past. We put our trust in You Lord. Hear our Prayer. Amen.

Response: I will trust in the Lord

Assurance of God’s forgiveness

The apostle Paul writes that in Christ Jesus we are all children of God through faith. Since we have been baptized into Christ, we have clothed ourselves with Christ, and we are all one in Christ Jesus. Therefore, be at peace with one another, be at peace with yourselves, and be at peace with God. Amen.

Musical offering: Godfrey and Linda

We listen for the voice of God

Song: Open our eyes Lord (445)

Children’s time: Recognition of Graduation

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Song: At the dawning of creation (512)

Scripture readings: Galatians 3:23-29

Message: Ships, anchors and purpose

Paul writes to the Galatians. Historically, Galatia was a region in central modern-day Turkey. The Galatians were a Celtic people who migrated to this area in the 3rd century BC. They spoke a Celtic language and maintained a distinct cultural identity.

The Apostle Paul visited Galatia on his missionary journeys and founded several churches there. These churches were primarily composed of Gentile (non-Jewish) converts to Christianity. And tensions rose between orthodox Jews who kept Kosher and focused on the Law, and gentile worshipers who were being welcomed in. In this letter, Paul addresses a theological crisis that had arisen in the Galatian churches. Some Jewish Christians were teaching that Gentile converts needed to be circumcised and follow Jewish Law to be genuinely saved. Paul vehemently opposes this teaching, arguing that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, not by works of the Law.

In Paul’s eyes, before the coming of faith in Christ, the Law served as a guardian or custodian. It held people captive to a system of rules, but also kept them safe, revealing their sinfulness and their inability to measure up to God’s standards, showing the worshiper that works could not save and that only God can do that. But now that faith in Christ has come, the Law’s role as a guardian has ended for those who are in Christ. They see Jesus as the answer to HOW God saves. Why, then, Paul asks, would people continue to follow the law when its only purpose was to point to a saviour? Or put another way, we do not put up posters for concerts that have already taken place, and we do not follow the civil or ceremonial laws of the Old Testament because they were meant to point to a coming saviour. Because he has already come, we don’t need to “post” or proclaim them anymore. The big show has already come to us. Saying “look out, a saviour is coming” no longer makes sense. “Look our Saviour has come” is the message now.

We must be careful, however, as this was hard for the first Christians to understand as well. And some fell into the trap of antinomianism, whereby some Christians believed no laws mattered at all for any reason and even rejected the Ten Commandments. Jesus said in Matthew 5 that he did not come to “destroy the law but to fulfill it” and there is a significant difference.

I suspect at one point or another, you have heard someone critical of Christianity. It’s not uncommon for people with little biblical knowledge to think they have this great “gotcha ya” moment. They will say that Christians arbitrarily follow some law and pick and choose which ones not to follow. They love to point out laws about not wearing clothing of two different materials and the Levitical laws intended for the priests. They think of Christians as hypocrites for doing this. When you hear someone speaking this way, know that this person is no authority on scripture. They need to do a little more study.

As the reformers came to see this, the moral laws (such as the Ten Commandments) continue to apply to Christian people. Laws about how governments were once run in the ancient world, however, do not. Nor do laws intended for particular times and places, such as where to bury waste outside the ancient tent city (we no longer live in), so people won’t get sick. Nor do we follow laws about what to do with people who have certain contagious diseases (before cures came about) or where to tie your donkey up, or what type of sea creature to eat or avoid, as these no longer apply to us. The reformers thought of the law as being of three kinds: Moral (which are eternal), Civil (which applied to governments in different times and locations and clearly changed over time and within the scriptures themselves), and Ceremonial laws like the sacrifices (which point to a messiah to come and ultimate sacrifice).

So while “thou shalt not steal” is a moral law we are still to follow, the punishment an ancient government prescribed to someone guilty of stealing (a civil law), we do not, nor do we follow the sacrifice we were once required to offer in apology to God. In the same way, we do not follow dietary laws because they are not moral in nature, but rather a way for the Hebrews to present themselves as unique in the world and different from others (just as we are now called to be lights to the world through our deeds and words).

While Jewish followers of Jesus and Gentile followers of Jesus debated which parts of the law Gentiles might still be required to follow, Paul provides guidance to both. Most importantly to him, in Christ Jesus, all believers are all children of God through faith and not just because they were born to a particular tribe or nation. Through baptism (a demonstration of faith open to all people), they have “clothed themselves with Christ,” signifying their union with him and their participation in his righteousness.

Paul contends that in Christ, there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female. All are one in Christ Jesus. This verse emphasizes the radical inclusivity of the Gospel and the dismantling of social and religious barriers. However, note that this has nothing to do with denying reality; categories still exist. Paul’s point is that no category of people is barred from coming to faith in Christ, which is open to everyone, regardless of their category, “male, female, slave or free, jew or gentile”.

Because they belong to Christ, believers are considered Abraham’s offspring and heirs to the promises God made to Abraham. This promise was always intended to extend to all nations, not just the Jewish people. In Genesis 22, God explicitly tells Abraham, “Through you, every nation on earth will be blessed.”

“Before the coming of this faith in Jesus,” Paul writes, “we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.” (Galatians 3:23) Imagine a prisoner, confined within walls, bound by chains, awaiting a release that seems perpetually out of reach. This, Paul says, is our state before Christ. We are held “under the law,” a system of rules and regulations that, while intended to guide us, ultimately serves to highlight our shortcomings and our inability to measure up and thus points to the one who comes to save.

Think about the paradox of human effort, the struggle to achieve freedom through our means. It reminds me of the words, “Man has become irrational in an attempt to be. In defiance of himself, he has defaced himself. In an attempt to be free, he has made himself a slave. And like Alexander the Great, he has conquered the world around him, but has not yet conquered himself (which matters most). The reasonable person, striving for freedom, always becomes trapped in their own efforts, defacing themselves and becoming a slave to their own ambition. Like Alexander, they may conquer the external world but remain captive within themselves.” Or to be blunt, if you think the law saves you will slave away at attempting to keep the law, but never fully be capable of doing so. The scripture goes on.

“So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24) Peter Gogos describes the law as a guardian and as being like a babysitter and a teacher. And because the law cannot justify, all with faith in God’s saviour are said to be children of Abraham (the chosen people). By adoption, the justified believer is a full heir in God’s family with all the attendant rights and privileges. The law, in this context, is not a path to salvation but a *pedagogue*, a guide, a teacher, showing us what is right and wrong, but ultimately unable to make us right with God. After all, there are 613 laws in the Hebrew bible and no one, even Moses, could manage to keep them all. This points us to our need for something more, someone greater. And that “something more, someone greater” is, of course, Christ. The entire Old Testament thus points to Jesus. The coming of faith in Jesus marks a turning point. It is the moment the prison doors swing open, the chains fall away, and the captive is set free. As Paul declares, “Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian” (Galatians 3:25). We are no longer bound by the law’s demands, but are instead justified by grace, through faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ.

Paul speaks of our identity in Christ, our inheritance, and the incredible unity we share as believers. In his mind, this new identity sets us free. As John Augustus Shedd once said, “Ships are safe in the harbour, but that is not where ships were made to be”. The law held us, but our ultimate purpose is in moving beyond it and into the world with faith rather than fear. And this is the anchor that holds us. It is grace that saves through faith.

The apostle continues, “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith” (Galatians 3:26). What does it mean to be a child of God? It’s not an ideal we strive for, but a reality offered by God in Christ. Identity as children of God is not an ideal which we must realize. It is rather a reality created by God in Christ in which we may participate. It’s a gift, freely given, that transforms our relationships with one another and with God.

And how do we receive this gift? Through faith. It’s not through our efforts, but through trusting in the saving work of Jesus Christ. And as such, the passage continues, “for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” (Galatians 3:27) We are given a new identity.

This reminds me of Max Lucado’s story from “Back Door” at the Masters. He writes, “I do not claim to be a skilled golfer, but I enjoy playing golf and watching it. And on good nights, I even dream about good golf. So, when I was invited to attend the Master’s golf tournament, I was thrilled. A pass to the Masters is the golfer’s Holy Grail. Mine came via pro golfer Scott Simpson. Off we went to Augusta National Country Club in Georgia, where golf heritage hangs like Moss from the trees. I was a kid in a candy store. It wasn’t enough to see the course and walk the grounds. I wanted to see the locker room and the clubs. Then Hogan and Paul Azinger appeared, and I wanted to go. But some men wouldn’t let me in. The guards stopped me at the entrance. I showed them my pass, but they shook their head. I told them I knew Scott, but that didn’t really matter. One said, “Only caddies and players”. “Well, He knew I wasn’t a player or a caddy. Caddies at the time were required to wear green hats, yellow buttons and white jumpsuits. So I left, knowing that I had made it all the way to the door, but then I was denied entry at the entrance. God has one requirement for entrance into heaven: that we be clothed in Christ. And because of this, we have No Fear of being turned away at the door to heaven.”

And that is where Paul continues in verse 28, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28) There is no barrier in faith in Christ.

C.S. Lewis once wrote, “We are all one in Christ Jesus. Race, social status, gender – these things no longer define us in the eyes of God. We are all equal members of His family. It is essential not to trust in what can be broken, for “Mankind is so fallen that no man can be trusted with unchecked power over his fellows. Aristotle famously suggested that some people were not fit to be citizens and appointed to be slaves for a reason, because they were unworthy. I do not reject that reality. In fact, none are worthy. But I do reject slavery. I reject it not because some are not fit for citizenship, I reject it because I see absolutely no men fit to be masters. But by grace, all people are given the chance to live without categories as to who is worthy and who is not.” And thank God for that, because all have sinned and need a saviour to show them mercy.

Finally, Paul concludes, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). As children of God, we inherit the promises made to Abraham. We are heirs to a spiritual blessing, a relationship with God that transcends all earthly limitations.

If you visit Scotland or any area with a large sheep population, you will likely see a little lamb running around the field with what appears to be an extra fleece tied to its back. There are little holes in the fleece for its four legs and usually a hole for its head. If you see a little lamb running around like that, that usually means its mother isn’t around anymore. Without the protection and nourishment of a mother, an orphaned lamb will likely die. If you try to introduce the orphan lamb to another mother, the new mother will bud it away 9 times out of 10. She won’t recognize the lamb’s scent, and we’ll know the baby is not one of her lambs, so she won’t take care of it. But thankfully, most flocks are large enough to have an ewe that recently lost a lamb. The shepherd skins the dead lamb and makes. It’s fleece into a covering for the Orphan lamp. It’s gross, but then again, it happens. The shepherd takes the orphan lamb to the mother with the fleece on top of the baby who has just died. And now that lamb, when she sniffs the orphan lamb, she smells her own. So instead of bidding the lamb away, she accepts it as one of her own. In a similar way, we have become acceptable to God by being clothed with Christ. For those clothed in Him, when God looks in judgment on you, he see not you but His own. He sees Jesus and judges you accordingly.

May you find yourselves no longer bound by rules that cannot save, but liberated by grace as children of God as God showed his love to Abraham and made us ALL a part of his chosen people.

May you strive to be the ship leaving the harbour to sail into the world and proclaim the glory of God rather than hiding in the safe harbour.

May you break the chains that bind, stop enslaving yourself to law and discover, in Christ, the anchor for your souls. The world will change, trends will rise and fall, governments will succeed and fail, but may you find your true purpose, identity and lasting meaning in a relationship that is eternally there.

May you be clothed in Christ, finding yourselves as equals, never again turned away from the door, but welcomed into fellowship and love by a God who has made all things new and sees you as His own.

And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you now and forevermore. Amen.

Song: I have decided to follow Jesus (570)

Response: Glory to the Father

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayers of the people

God of wisdom and hope, Your Word has guided and healed your people for generations. Send us your Spirit now, that as we listen to the stories of your people, we may find wisdom and hope, guidance and healing through your Living Word, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray.

God Your Spirit equips Your followers to bring healing and hope to the world You love. The gifts we offer you are signs of that healing and hope at work in us and through us, for the sake of Christ our Lord.

Loving God, accept the sacrifices we offer you today and every day. Use our time, talents, and treasures wherever they are needed most.

God of the earth and all its peoples, in Jesus Christ, you proclaim that true life and peace are found in you.

Guide your church to loudly and clearly share this good news, not just in ways that please people but in ways that bring Christ’s reconciling love to divided communities and fractured lives.

Shine your light into the world’s hidden corners — exposing violence, injustice, bigotry, and exploitation. Reveal what dehumanizes the vulnerable and destroys your beautiful creation.

We especially pray for peace in places torn by conflict, Lord— for Israel and Palestine, for Iran and Israel, that they may find paths to reconciliation. Encourage leaders and communities to seek dialogue and understanding, and work toward lasting peace. We pray for the talks between our nations’ allies and Iran, that they may be guided by wisdom, patience, and a desire for true peace and better yet, long-lasting brotherhood and sisterhood of humanity. May your Spirit inspire honest conversation and mutual respect, bringing hope where there is despair.

Almighty God, in the face of escalating tensions in the Middle East, particularly the conflict between Iran and Israel and the involvement of the United States, we humbly seek Your divine intervention.

We pray for restraint and wisdom for all leaders involved. Guide them to make decisions that prioritize peace, de-escalation, and the protection of innocent lives. May they be mindful of the consequences of their actions and seek peaceful resolutions through dialogue and diplomacy.

We ask for Your comfort and protection for the people of Iran, Israel, and all nations in the region who are living in fear and uncertainty. Grant them strength, resilience, and hope amidst the turmoil. May they find solace in Your presence and work towards reconciliation and understanding.

We also pray for the United States, that its role in this conflict may be one without hubris. Guide our leaders to act with integrity, compassion, and a commitment to justice. May their efforts contribute to a lasting and equitable peace in the region. While it is likely that enemies will remain enemies we ask as Jesus did, that all might pray for their enemies.

We lift up all those who are suffering as a result of this conflict – the injured, the displaced, and the bereaved. Grant them healing, comfort, and restoration. May Your love and mercy extend to all who are in need.

God of healing and hope, we pray for all those who are ill or in pain, for the anxious and discouraged, for those facing death or mourning the loss of loved ones, and for those struggling to make ends meet.

We pray for Presbyterian World Service & Development and its partners, as they work to bring healing and hope to places of conflict, hardship, and need.

Here, we especially lift up communities suffering from violence, displacement, poverty, and injustice — including those affected by recent conflicts and crises around the world.

May the mission we share in Jesus’ name shine your light into desperate lives.

God of the earth and all its peoples, let your light shine!

God of the faithful future, bless this community of faith and guide us as we look ahead.

Bless students and teachers as another school year ends, and lift the stress from their lives this summer.

Give us a time of rest and joy in the months to come, and restore our hope and energy to serve and love your world.

God of the earth and all its peoples, let your light shine!

We offer all our prayers, spoken and unspoken, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Song: Sent forth by your blessing (750)

Sending out with God’s blessing

May the peace that surpasses all understanding, a peace rooted in faith and nurtured by grace, fill your hearts and minds. May unity be your guiding principle, binding you together in love and understanding, transcending all differences. And may the grace of kindness and compassion overflow from you, touching the lives of all you encounter, creating a world more reflective of the divine. Go forth and be a beacon of peace, unity, and grace. Amen.

Response: Amen, we praise your name, O God

Music postlude

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Video recordings of the Sunday Worship messages can be found here on our YouTube Channel.

Walking our Seasons of Grace

Posted on June 15, 2025June 15, 2025 by John

Worship on Trinity Sunday / Fathers Day
10:00 am June 15, 2025
Minister: Rev. Brad Childs     Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Lynn Vaughan     Reader: Felix Joy
Welcoming Elder: Heather Tansem     Children’s time: Brad

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

Consideration of Initial Certification as a Candidate for the Ministry of Word and Sacrament

Moved by Kenneth McRae, seconded by Randy Osgood, that the Presbytery of the Northwest endorse Mr. Romulus Rhoad for certification as a candidate for the ministry of Word and Sacrament within the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Carried.

Preparation for worship

Call to worship:
L: The love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
P: Praise and glory to you, Spirit of God, our comfort and strength.
L: Let us sing praises to God as long as we live;
P: Praise and glory to you, Spirit of God, our comfort and strength.
L: May our worship be pleasing to God, ever Three and ever One.
P: Let us praise the LORD!

Opening praise: Open the eyes of my heart

Prayers of approach and confession

Heavenly Father,

We come before You with grateful hearts, ready to worship and glorify Your holy name. As we gather in Your presence, we ask for Your divine guidance and inspiration. Open our hearts and minds, so we may fully receive Your word and feel Your love.

Fill us with Your Spirit, that we may sing and pray with sincere devotion. May our worship be a true reflection of our love for You. Unite us as a community of believers, uplifting one another in faith and purpose.

We thank You for the opportunity to gather here, and we offer this worship to You with joy and humility.

In Your sacred name, we pray, Amen.

Holy God, who is One in Three and Three in One, we praise you this day as the Source of all life, Maker of Heaven and Earth.

You created us and called us good, shepherding us with your steadfast love.

Jesus Christ, we praise you this day, born into our midst to show us the way of goodness, mercy and grace.

Holy Spirit, we praise you this day for the energy you bring us to greet each day as a gift and serve in the world with gladness.

Holy God, Three in One and One in Three, reveal to us this day what it means to live as your people so that we may honour your holy name, now and forever.

God of mercy and majesty, you are slow to anger and swift to forgive.

You have shown us the depth of your love, yet we are reluctant to love others who differ from us.

You have shown us compassion and forgiveness, yet we walk away from one another without concern.

You have offered us hope in Christ Jesus, yet we lose that hope when life is challenging.

Forgive us, O Lord.

Create in us the endurance and character which help us trust in the power of your forgiving love. Amen.

Response: I will trust in the Lord

Assurance of God’s forgiveness

God is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in mercy. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. Be at peace with God, with one another, and with yourself, through the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Musical Offering (Dayspring Singers)

We listen for the voice of God

Song: Open our eyes, Lord (445)

Children’s time

You have probably heard people talk about God being Father, Son and Holy Spirit. But you’ve probably also heard us talk about how we worship One God. It’s called the Trinity. In truth it’s a little difficult to explain because it’s like saying 1+1+1=1. And that is what we’re saying. And really there is nothing else like it so anything I use to try and explain it is going to fall short in some way. But I do want to try.

Have you ever seen a really hot drink like tea or coffee?

I like coffee. Lately it seems to be making me feel a little jittery and that’s odd because that’s never been an issue for me before.

But I like Ice Coffee (not that stuff from fast food places that’s 90% sugar but easier than that. All I do to make it is: I brew a steaming hot cup of coffee and then I drop in a few pieces of ice. (Chef’s kiss!)

That’s it. Ice Coffee.

But what is it exactly.

Sure there is coffee bean in it but what else.

Really just one other ingredient – Water.

When I pour the coffee into the cup there is the water.

When I look at it, I see more water in the form of steam floating off the top. But steam is water.

And when I drop the ice into it, I’m putting in more water, just frozen.

All three parts of it are water but each one is also different. One is liquid, one is solid and one is vapour. It’s sort like 1+1+1=3 but it’s also sort of like 1+1+1=1.

When we say that God is One in three persons that’s kind of what we are talking about. God in the Father, God in the Son (Jesus) and God in the Spirit.

Does that make sense? Sure!

Here’s a simple, short “Repeat After Me” prayer for Trinity Sunday

Prayer

Thank you, God!

Thank you for the Father.

Thank you for the Son, Jesus.

Thank you for the Holy Spirit.

We believe in one God, in three persons.

1+1+1=1

Cautionary Note for Adults

Describing the Trinity as three different forms of water is actually heretical. Sometimes with a children’s message you have to say something that isn’t exactly right because the concept is just beyond what they can hold on to. And to be fair the trinity is one of those for most people. In actuality, however, Ice, Water and Steam as an analogy is something called modalism, and it suggests that God is one person manifest in modes or roles rather than one God in three persons eternally co-existing.

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Song: The clay-stained hands of love (296)

Scripture: Romans 5:1-5

Response: Glory to the Father

Message: Walking our Seasons of Grace

Billy Graham once famously said, “Mountain tops are for views and inspiration, but fruit is grown in the valleys.”

Just as a mountain offers breathtaking views, our faith in Christ brings us hope and inspiration. Yet, just like fruit grows best in valleys, our true transformation happens through the daily journey of faith and perseverance in life’s lower points. The world can be a hard place, and life isn’t always easy. When things get hard, it’s challenging to take the right path. Sometimes, we want to feel like we earned a reward. And that applies to a good life, too. If we keep the straight and narrow, we feel like we earn a place in heaven. When Warren Buffett decided to donate most of his fortune to the Bill and Malinda Gates Foundation, he said, “There’s more than one way to get to heaven, but this is a great way.” And many people feel that way… do enough good and get into a good place. But that’s not what the bible teaches at all.

The ancient Egyptian religion featured a concept of judgment after death involving a scale. In the Hall of Ma’at, the heart of the deceased was weighed against the feather of Ma’at (representing truth and cosmic balance). If the heart was lighter (thus purer) than the feather, the person was deemed worthy to pass into the afterlife for a reward. If the heart was heavier (or filled with error), it was devoured by the monster Ammit, resulting in the soul’s destruction. Sometimes Christians can get caught up in this kind of thinking, believing that at the end God will weigh our good and bad deeds to see if we get into heaven. To some extent, Catholicism also

dabbled in this when it taught in the Middle Ages and, to some degree, still does, that there are categories of Venial and so-called Mortal sins and dying with one kind without confession leads to doom. But that’s not how Christianity works at all. And it’s essentially the reason why we Protestants (or protesters of this idea) exist.

Paul writes to the Romans, specifically to address this type of thinking, and tells them to discard that idea altogether. Romans 5:1 tells us, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God because of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And think about it. Really think about it. If Jesus paid the price and forgave us all our sins, there is no bad left to weigh at the end. There’s nothing left to put on the scale. That’s what forgiveness means. You can’t forgive someone and continue to hold a grudge. If you do, then you didn’t really forgive them.

Imagine you are struggling with debt you can’t pay off. You are being crushed by payments you can’t make and will never be able to catch up. Imagine that you can’t even afford to pay the interest, let alone the debt itself. But then one day, the bank tells you that somebody else has already come in and agreed to pay off all your debts. You now owe nothing. Your entire debt is forgiven, not because you earned it, but because someone decided to wipe it clean. You walk out feeling free, no longer burdened by guilt. Would you go back the next day and try to make a payment anyway? And just to be clear, even if you did, you would still not be paying off a debt. It’s already been paid. So even if you did, you would simply be expressing gratitude or demonstrating goodwill. You don’t earn salvation, you are gifted it. And you can’t earn a gift. For the forgiven, our good deeds are just an expression of our gratitude.

This is what justification by faith means—God forgives our sins not because of our efforts, but because of His grace. It removes the barrier of sin that separates us from God, restoring our relationship and giving us inner peace. We can experience peace with God because we no longer have to worry about being good enough or wonder if just one more little mistake will tip the scales. Whether we are or not, God declares us good enough anyway.

Paul writes that we can stand firm in this knowledge. Romans 5:1-2 tells us, “Therefore, since we have been justified… through faith…, we have peace with God because of our Lord Jesus Christ… through HIM we have gained access… by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” To put it more clearly, it’s our faith in the power of Jesus to save that saves us. This is also the main difference between Christian Faith and every other religion. Every other religion on earth has some measure of a weight scale. Buddhism and Hinduism emphasize the balance of good and bad karma as a means to achieve enlightenment or reincarnation. Islam emphasizes adherence to the Five Pillars of Islam and striving to live a righteous life as essential for attaining paradise. Zoroastrianism states that we are judged after death based on the balance of good and bad actions, which determines our fate in the afterlife. And Judaism emphasizes the importance of following God’s commandments (mitzvot) as a way to earn God’s favour and blessings. To be clear, very good things come from all of these intentions, and good words, good thoughts, and good actions matter. However, Christianity is not about our works, but about God’s mercy through Christ. We can’t save ourselves; God saves us. And that is a big difference.

This access to grace means we can stand confidently, because God does the work. So, regardless of circumstances, our hope is rooted in God’s unmerited love and not whether we said too many bad words to tip the scale. Just like fruit grows in valleys where the conditions are right, our faith keeps us rooted and firm in the grace that sustains us, no matter what challenges we face. That is why Paul ends this sentence by saying, “And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.” Because we don’t have to worry about our failings, just his grace, in other words, we don’t brag about our good deeds. We brag about how good our God is and how loved we are. And this is true even at our lowest points when we might fail and take the easy way out.

The Apostle Paul faced beatings, imprisonment, and shipwrecks, yet rejoiced because his eyes were fixed on what is unseen—the eternal glory awaiting him; something he didn’t earn but received anyway. His life demonstrates that anchoring our hope in God’s glory rather than our achievements gives us the strength to endure, regardless of the struggles and no matter what we’ve done in the past. When we fix our gaze on the promise of eternity, we can even find joy in suffering, knowing that God’s glory will outweigh all hardships and that an eternal reward awaits us.

If we brag about our Good God, we do so even when things are hard and when we have failed. Verse 3-4 says, “- we also glory because we know that suffering and trials (that challenge us as to whether we will stay faithful or take another path), produce perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, more hope.” Suffering is not pointless – it is productive. It isn’t fun, but it’s essential. It is sometimes the process through which God shapes us into the people He desires us to be.

A sprawling shade-bearing 80-year-old American Elm tree in Oklahoma City, OK, is a huge tourist attraction. People pose for pictures beneath her. Arborists carefully protect her. She adorns posters and letterhead. The city treasures the tree not because of its appearance, but for its endurance. She made it through the Oklahoma City bombing. Timothy McVeigh parked his truck, named “Death Legend,” just yards away. His malice killed 168 people, wounded 850, destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, and buried the tree in rubble. No one expected it to survive. No one gave any thought to the dusty, branch-stripped tree at all at the time. But then she began to bud again. Sprouts pressed through the damaged bark, green leaves pushed away the grey soot. Life rose from an acorn of death. And people noticed. The tree modelled the resilience the victims desired, so they named her the Survivor’s Tree. Walking our seasons of Grace means trusting that God is working through every challenge we face, and for our growth. (Max Lucado, Facing Your Giants.) Suffering produces perseverance.

My dad enjoyed John Grisham. John Grisham’s first novel, A Time to Kill, eventually became a bestseller and a film, but it was rejected by 28 different agents and publishers before being published. When an agent finally took him as a client, the book’s first press run was 5,000 copies. Grisham himself purchased a thousand copies and loaded his car to take them to bookstores one at a time, convincing them to carry just a handful of books. Only after his second novel, The Firm, hit the bestseller list did Grisham get his big break. Six of his books have now been made into movies, and the press run of his most recent volume sold 2.8 million copies. Grisham now has more than 300 million copies sold in at least 34 different languages. Paul notes that “Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, in turn, produces character.” God is working on us in hard times to make us better. But our salvation isn’t based on it. And yet, “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character”.

In an interview with Lee Strobel, Peter Kreft concludes that the answer to suffering is not an abstract idea or philosophical argument—it is Jesus himself. He states, “It’s not a bunch of words, it’s the Word. It’s not a tightly woven philosophical argument. It’s a person. The person.” The answer to suffering cannot just be abstract because this isn’t an abstract issue; it’s a personal issue. It requires an individual response. The answer must be someone, not just something, because the issue involves someone. (God, where are You? Lee Strobel, The Case for Faith, p. 191.) No matter what happens in life, whether it’s highs or lows, taking the right path or the easy way out, our eternal destination is not based on our deeds. Our response to low moments exemplifies our gratitude. “Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, more hope”.

Romans 5:5 says, “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” We don’t need to hold onto old mistakes. And our hope is not in vain. We know that even though we are not good enough to save ourselves, Jesus is. It is secure because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Because even if we mess things up and we don’t sell millions of copies of our books or we take the easy road, our hope was never found in our response. Our hope has always been, and will continue to be, that no matter how we deal with life, it is grace through faith that saves. It is Jesus, not us. How we do along the way is our gratitude in response to the grace we have been given, not how we earn heaven.

In the same way, the Holy Spirit works in our hearts to confirm God’s love for us. It is the Holy Spirit who pours God’s love into us, strengthening our hope and enabling us to face any circumstance, knowing that even if we do mess things up, our destiny is not determined by our failures. Our failures will never be as powerful as God’s forgiveness. Our hope does not disappoint and never can because it is anchored in His unchanging love, a love given freely by God’s grace, confirmed and sealed by the Spirit, and “not by works,” no matter how important they are or how much they prove our faith.

Through faith in Jesus Christ, we have peace, hope, and assurance that God’s love will never fail us. No matter what challenges we face, the Spirit testifies in our hearts that we are loved and that our hope is sure. When suffering comes, know that it is a path that can lead to deeper growth, strengthened by the Spirit’s work within us. And if we fail, well, we were just trying to express our gratitude to the bank that had already forgiven our debt. Let us embrace this hope, fortified by God’s love, trusting that with His Spirit, we will stand firm and move forward in faith. Good works don’t save. They say thank you to the one who does. Amen.

Song: Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine (687)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayer of the people

Generous God, thank you for all your gifts which bring us hope and joy. Bless the gifts we bring and work with them to establish your reign in the world you love. In the name of your greatest gift, Jesus Christ, we pray.

Holy God, Holy One and Holy Three, we bless you for bringing us into communion with you, offering us the same unity in love you share as the blessed Trinity.

Help your church in all its branches discover the unity for which Christ prayed.

May our unity in Christ show the world how to overcome divisions and enjoy the diverse gifts you have created in us.

By your Spirit, equip us to explore unity in diversity through local mission and ministry.

God, the Three in One,

Hear our prayer.

God of one loving heart, draw the human family together in the love that unites us with you.

We pray for our nation and our local communities in this time when different experiences and opinions so easily divide us.

Where we have acted without regard for the needs of others, inspire us to work for justice and fairness.

Where we have been blind to the pain of the oppressed, open our eyes to opportunities for reconciliation and caring.

On this National Indigenous Peoples Sunday, we pray for Indigenous communities across this land.

Grant them wisdom as they address the needs of their people.

Bring healing to those who remember painful experiences.

Guide the peoples of Canada to establish relationships of mutual respect and honour with Indigenous communities, and celebrate our diverse gifts together.

God, the Three in One,

Hear our prayer.

God who wears the many faces of hope, we pray for all who feel despair or anxiety.

Lift up in love those who find their illness unrelieved.

Comfort those who grieve the loss of someone dear or some important opportunity.

Support those who are denied dignity by the attitudes or actions of others and sustain those who long for healing of some kind.

Hear us in this time of silence as we name before those on our hearts this day:

A moment of silence

May they know your loving care upholding their lives.

God, the Three in One,

Hear our prayer.

God in community, thank you for the fellowship we share in our congregation.

Strengthen us in faithful worship and equip us for service in changing times and challenging days.

We offer our prayers, spoken and unspoken, as the Spirit prays within us, Amen.

Song: Father, I adore you (292)

Sending out with God’s blessing

Paul writes: “Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.” And may that grace, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with each one of us today and every day. Amen.

Response: Amen, we praise your name

Music postlude

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Video recordings of the Sunday Worship messages can be found here on our YouTube Channel.

A magnitude and a mountain of Grace

Posted on June 8, 2025June 8, 2025 by John

Worship on the Day of Pentecost
10:00 am June 08, 2025
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalists: Sam and Ann May Malayang
Welcoming Elder: Iris Routledge Children’s Time: Vivian Houg

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

Brad: This past week, I was away in Hamilton, Ontario, at McMaster University, for the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. It’s where all the big decisions are made, and it’s essentially just five days of meetings. However, I wanted to highlight five key conversations. Understand that people feel differently about different motions, but I’d like to point out a few of the decisions that were made.

We decided to write a sternly written letter to the government of Canada urging the nation to boycott goods and services where profits would end up being used against the people of Palestine.
We decided to create a network of resource centers throughout the country that can provide guidance, materials, a lawyer, and other assistance to congregations much more quickly than is currently possible.
We decided to create a special commission with the power to issue to evaluate the use of local resources, which sounds nice, but in truth, it also means something people may not be pleased with in the end. It means that a group from outside the Presbytery will be able to determine on their own and without input from congregations, if a congregation should remain open or if it might be directed to amalgamate with another congregation.
When congregations amalgamate—whether voluntarily or through a decision by the commission—and this process involves the sale of one or more church properties, 15% of the proceeds from the sale will be allocated to the national church offices. These funds will be designated to support Indigenous ministries.
Lastly, I want to note that each year a group of YARs (which stands for Young Adult Representatives) are chosen to attend the assembly and speak to, but do not vote on the presented motions. Easily the highlight of this year’s assembly was found in the YARs presentation at the end. Particularly for me, were the words of three young ladies who called for the church to be less focused on debating social issues and political divides in order to spend our energy on the simple gospel message of scripture in the local congregations. They were passionate, kind and thoughtful, and we as a denomination are blessed to have such people as not just the future leaders of the denomination but also for the ministries they already provide. They are not just the future, they are the here and now, and I was extremely proud and inspired by their faith.

Preparation for worship

Call to worship:
L: Come, people of God, let us gather with joy!
P: We come to worship the Lord who gives life and breath to all creation.
L: The Lord calls us from every place, every path, every week of wandering.
P: We bring our burdens, our questions, our thanks, and our praise.
L: This is the day the Lord has made-
P: We will rejoice and be glad in it
L: Come, Holy Spirit, move among us, renew us, and guide us.
P: We open our hearts to God’s presence. We are here to worship.

Opening praise: Holy Spirit, you are welcome here

Prayers of approach and confession

Holy God, From our scattered lives, we gather to praise you.

You are great and wonderful, wise and compassionate.

With joyful hearts, we celebrate the gifts and guidance of your Spirit.

At the dawn of creation, you sent your Spirit to bring life.

Over the centuries, your Spirit equipped your people to proclaim your love and justice.

Through the flames of Pentecost, your Spirit gave birth to the church with energy and wonder.

Today, your Spirit is at work in the world, bringing renewal and hope here and everywhere.

Transform us by your Spirit to become more faithful followers of Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Almighty God, You poured out your Spirit to guide your disciples, and empower your church with gifts for ministry.

We confess we often resist the Spirit’s guidance.

The challenge to change makes us uncomfortable.

We overlook the gifts others can offer and fail to live out Christ’s love for the world.

Forgive us, O God.

Send your Holy Spirit to us again to open our minds and hearts to the challenges in ministry you set before us in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Response: I will trust in the Lord

Assurance of God’s pardon
Hear and believe this promise of the good news:
If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation.
The old life has passed away, and a new life has begun.
Know that in Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!
You are set free to live life anew in the power of the Spirit. Amen.

We listen for the voice of God.

Song: Open our eyes, Lord (445)

Children’s Time

Once there was someone who said such amazing things and did such wonderful things that people began to follow him. But they didn’t know who he was. So one day they simply had to ask him. And he said, “I am the Light.”

When you say the word “light,” strike the match and light the Christ candle.

Let’s enjoy the Light.

Sit peacefully and enjoy the light.

People who love the Light can become one with the Light. This is how your light becomes one with the Light. Watch.

Hold up one of the small candles and look at it. Then look at the child opposite you and say: ….. , this is your light.

Now take another candle and hold it up toward the all the other children,look at the child and say: ….. , this is your light.

Light the candle, put it in a holder, and place it next to the first candle. Alternating from both sides of the center child, continue lighting candles for each child, placing them in holders, forming a semicircle around the Christ candle. When several candles are lit, say:

Look how the light is growing. It all came from the Light here.

Point to the Light.

Look, the light is in so many places at once.

After lighting more candles, say:

Many have come to the Light to receive their light. But the Light is not smaller. It is still the same…. I wonder how so much light could be given away and the Light still be the same?

Sit silently and enjoy the light.

There comes a time when the Light is changed so it’s not just in one place anymore. It can be in many places at once. Watch. You see the light is just in one place now.

Point to the flame in your candle.

I’m going to change the light so it is not just in one place anymore. It can be in many places all at once. Watch.

Slowly lower the candle snuffer over your light, holding it over the wick a moment and then slowly raising it. Watch the smoke curl up into the air and fade into the whole room.

Now I will change your light so it can be in more than one place.

Change the light of each child. When all the lights are changed, change the Light as you say:

Even the Light was changed. The Light that was just in one place at one time is in all places in all times. So, the Light can be everywhere in this room, and even in other places.

Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Song: Spirit of the living God (400)

Scripture: Romans 8:14-17 and John 14:8-17

Response: Glory to the Father

Message: A magnitude and a mountain of Grace
A message on our adoption as Children of God, equals in God’s sight and indistinguishable from our Brother Jesus Christ in the love afforded to us.

Ruby and Arnold had adopted a baby boy after five years of trying unsuccessfully to conceive a child. To their surprise, before the adoption had been finalized, Ruby discovered that she was finally pregnant. Ruby and Arnold decided to go ahead with the adoption anyway, and she had a boy of her own only months after receiving their child from the adoption agency.

One day, when the boys were both 8 years old, an old childhood friend came by to visit Ruby and her family. She hadn’t seen Ruby in years, but she was aware of the adoption. Sitting on a bench outside the old farm house, the friend asked, “Which child is yours, Ruby?” Taken aback a bit by the question, “Both of them,” Ruby answered. “Oh, I’m sorry that must have sounded incredibly rude,” said the friend. “I didn’t mean it that way.” “What I meant was, which one was adopted?” “You know,” said Ruby… “I’ve forgotten”. (From 750 Illustrations pg. 13)

In the ancient world surrounding the 1^st century, Roman citizens garnered specific benefits previously unheard of. Official citizens whose names were recorded and carefully kept in the Roman Book of Citizenship enjoyed a wide range of privileges and protections defined in detail by the Roman state. Citizens held the right to vote in the Roman assemblies and had the right to stand for civil or public office. They could enter into legal contracts and own property. They had the right to sue and be protected in court, as well as the right to appeal their case. A Roman citizen would be protected by stationed soldiers while travelling local roads. A Roman citizen could not be tortured or whipped, nor could a citizen receive the death penalty for anything other than treason. And… even if convicted of treason, a Roman citizen still could not be crucified (as this was too undignified for a Citizen of Rome to endure). Roman citizens were freed from paying many state taxes, could legally marry and pass citizenship to their spouses and children. Citizens of Rome were also the only people allowed to wear the Toga: a symbol of citizenship for all to see.

For a citizen of Rome, citizenship and conforming to the Via Romana (Roman way of life) was the highest place in society. A toga was a badge of honour and proclaimed one’s status. During a boy’s teen years, a Roman citizen’s father would determine when it was time for his son to pass from childhood to adulthood, typically around the age of 14. The rite of passage was similar to a confirmation, a bar mitzvah, or an Indigenous person’s vision quest in many ways. It was heralded as one of, if not the most crucial, days in a boy’s life.

In a formal public ceremony, the boy would begin the long procession down the streets to the Forum. The father would have gathered his slaves, freedmen, clients, relatives, friends and dignitaries, making use of all his influence to make his son’s special day all the more important. The boy would stand before the crowd, strip off his childhood clothing, have his name added to the Roman book of citizenship and then his father would place his new Toga Virilis (toga of manhood) upon him (the kind he would wear from that day forward). This was a sign that the boy was now officially elevated to the highest class of people. The day was so important that Roman citizens were commonly referred to as togatus, “toga-wearers”. On this day, the boy would be considered a man and would be invested with all the powers and privileges of Roman citizenship. He could now vote and could now legally receive his inheritance if his father were to die, and could lawfully pass this on to his children when the time came.

In the Roman world, adoption was a significant practice. Two of my cousins were adopted after my aunt lost her first child, only a few hours after he was born. Isaiah came from the United States, but his younger sister Lindsey came from South Korea. Certainly, it was a little harder for Lindsey than for Isaiah because it was apparent that she was an adopted child. And she did have to deal with a lot more negative talk than he did. And so, while today adopted children do sometimes have to face a certain undeserved stigma, this was not the case in ancient Rome. In Roman law, the rights of an adopted son were no different from those of a natural son; citizenship was citizenship, and Romans didn’t care how you came about it. More to the point, no one looked down on adoption. In fact, it was extremely common. For families with too many sons or families with no boys at all, adoption was the norm even among one’s slaves.

The procedure was simple. A sum of money was exchanged between the parties, and the boy assumed the adoptive father’s name, plus a cognomen (a third name) that indicated his original family. Adoption was not secretive or considered shameful, nor was the adopted boy expected to cut ties to his original family. Like a marriage contract, adoption was a way to reinforce inter-family ties and forge political alliances. The adopted child was often in the most privileged situation among all the children, enjoying both original and adoptive family connections. Almost every politically famous family in Rome had adopted children. Augustus Caesar, for example, had the full name Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (“Octavianus” – a cognomen, meaning “Augustus Caesar was adopted”)- the adopted child who came to be Caesar.

Paul, of Course, addressed his letter to the Romans (a group of people exceedingly familiar with the practice of adoption). In it, using the Roman imagery, Paul explains to the people that they were once mere slaves but have been adopted and granted new citizenship. He tells them that they have received their own Toga Virilis from God… the Holy Spirit.

He writes, “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba,^[^b^] Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ-”

Now I’m going to say something that is probably going to annoy a lot of people. In 1977, at the age of 77, German Theologian Joachim Jeremias wrote a book called New Testament Theology: The Proclamation of Jesus, where he introduced a very original concept. In his book, Jeremias argued that the Aramaic word “Abba” probably originated from childhood babble and could therefore be translated as “daddy.” As Pastor Tony Campolo likes to say, “Now that’ll preach.” And it did. For years, ministers have been using this information to deliver powerful sermons, as people are reminded that we can cry out to God just as a child cries for their father. And I agree with the point. We can. But the problem is that Jeremias was clearly incorrect in his assumption. This idea is widely panned among biblical scholars as a nonsense translation.

Ab, in fact, is merely a Hebrew and Aramaic word for “father” and appears 1,215 times in the Old Testament alone. The addition of the ba or “ba” at the end is how Aramaic adds an article to the word, meaning its proper translation is “The Father”. As Paul writes to a Greek audience in Rome, mostly unfamiliar with the Hebrew and Aramaic languages, he immediately interprets the word for his readers, adding the Koine Greek “Ha Pater” (Pa-ta-r), “The Father”, after its usage. Both times Paul uses the word Abba in his writing, he also includes its translation to explain its meaning, “Abba Father.”

So, unfortunately, what my minister told me as a youth (that Abba means “daddy”) is not terribly accurate. But one must still ask the question. Why would Paul write in Greek but still include one Hebrew / Aramaic word only to translate it afterwards? It’s odd. It’s similar to how we pray in English, but we conclude our prayers with “Amen,” a Hebrew word meaning “so let it be so.” But why? Although the word “Ab / Abba” does appear throughout the Old Testament, it wasn’t a word typically used in prayer. Instead, it was used primarily to describe lineage (as in, “Whose child is that?”). Abba was meant to convey a blood relationship. And that’s what makes it so odd, because Jesus used ‘Abba’ in his prayers, calling God his own Father. In doing this, the people would have been surprised. They would have seen this word as essentially improper and far too personal. A good way to think about this might be to consider that calling God “Father” can easily be seen as figurative, but “Abba” implies (in modern parlance) that we have God’s very DNA within us. A lot of people believed this word overstepped the bounds of polite conversation. But Jesus didn’t think so. After all, God is Jesus’s father. Early Christians were struck by this. They loved that Jesus used Abba in his prayers and began to do the same, even if they didn’t speak Hebrew or Aramaic, just as we do with the word “amen”. Saying “Abba” became one of the first traditions in the Christian church (along with Amen and a word from the Psalms that appears a significant number of times, Selah, which is a musical notation for a reflective pause). If you read the Psalms, you have undoubtedly seen the word Selah and probably skipped over it without much thought. However, in the early church, these three words were considered almost sacred and have therefore never been translated, even in English-language Bibles.

Like Jesus, the Apostle Paul didn’t find this word too personal or improper. Abba was already in everyday use by the time Paul began his missionary journeys. For Paul, this word was not odd at all. It was just right. When Paul writes to the Romans, he uses the imagery of a Roman father adopting a slave boy and calling him his own son and placing a toga on him as proof of the boy’s Roman citizenship. For Paul, God the Father also adopted us. Paul says that God clothed us with the Holy Spirit (just as the Romans clothed their adopted children with togas) and also claims this as proof of our citizenship in Heaven. Incidentally, at adoption, a child (or they also adopted adults as well) would have their name printed in the great record of Roman Citizenship (which is why Paul also often uses the imagery of having our names recorded in the “book of life”.

But even more powerfully than a merely human adoption, in this case, Paul says that God makes us not only His children but His own flesh and blood children, allowing us to call out to God the Father just as Jesus did – Abba (flesh and blood of the Divine).

“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba,^[^b^] Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.

He, our Father, adopts us to himself and, because of that, grants us the full rights as citizens of heaven, people whose names are recorded in the book of life, heirs to the highest throne, sons of God and siblings to Christ. And like Ruby, when God asks which child is His and which is adopted, he too responds, “I’ve forgotten”.

May you wear the Holy Spirit, wherever you may go, proof to the world around you that you are no one’s slave but rather a child of God, flesh and blood of your Father, heir to the throne of the highest King and sibling of Jesus Christ. –Amen

Song: “Abba, Abba, hear us,” we cry (785)

We respond to serve God.

Our time of giving

Prayers of the people

God of all places, people and times; hear us as we speak to you of our gratitude and our concerns in the world; and let us hear your voice calling us to help build your commonwealth of grace and reconciliation in the world you love.

We thank you for the Spirit’s presence among us, for the gifts you bless us with and for the ways people use the gifts you give to bring life and joy to the world.

Blow through us on this day of Pentecost and renew our faith.

Re-awaken in us love for God, strengthen our fellowship with one another and nurture our care for one another and your creation.

Let your Pentecostal flames warm our hearts, with trust in Jesus Christ and hope for the future being created among us.

Nurture us to do great things in your name.

Wind of the Spirit: Blow through us and renew our energy to serve you in Christ’s church.

Open our eyes to recognize the need for ministry and mission in changing times.

Open our hearts to welcome newcomers and meet those we don’t yet know.

Open our hands to share in the tasks that need doing, and open our lips in prayer and praise.

Wind of the Spirit: Blow through us and give us new understanding for those whose lives seem so different from ours, and for those facing situations we’ve never encountered.

For those with whom we’ve disagreed and for those whose values challenge our expectations.

For problems and challenges we face at home or at work and for the complex issues we face in your world.

Wind of the Spirit: Blow through us and bring us healing and peace for all who face pain or illness, discouragement or disappointment.

Bring healing for all who know sorrow, sadness or grief.

Bring healing for those who face stress and pressure.

Bring healing to places in the world facing conflict and for the creation struggling for life itself.

Wind of the Spirit: Blow through us and bring us the wisdom and compassion we see in Christ Jesus.

Blow through us and equip us to serve the world you love in his name.

Song: I am the church! You are the church! (475: vss 1,2,4,5)

Sending out with God’s blessing

May the Spirit of truth guide you in all wisdom as you go from this place. May the fire of God’s love ignite your hearts to share the Good News with boldness and compassion. And may the peace of Christ, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds until we meet again. Amen.

Response: Amen, we praise you name

Music postlude

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Video recordings of the Sunday Worship messages can be found here on our YouTube Channel.

The Alpha and Omega

Posted on June 1, 2025June 2, 2025 by John

Worship on the Seventh Sunday of Easter
10:00 am June 01, 2025
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs
Service led by Major the Rev. Kenneth MacRae
Music Director: Binu Kapadia Vocalist: Vivian Houg
Welcoming Elder: Lynn Vaughan Reader: Loretta Lee

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

Preparation for worship

Call to worship:
L: Here comes heaven, as we recount Christ’s humility and exaltation.
P: We gather to confess our sins and embrace His forgiveness.
L: Let us bow in reverence and rise to reflect His love and sacrifice.
P: United in faith, we worship the One who calls us to walk in His shoes.

Opening praise: O come to the altar

Prayers of approach and confession

Wondrous God, we come here this morning to worship you. We lay bare to you our very souls. We take with us this morning, our joys and our fears, our worries and our concerns. We take hope in the Biblical stories and how you have guided and helped your family since the very time of creation. You give us hope and strength and comfort. Knowing your goodness, we humble ourselves before you and offer to you our life.

Merciful God, there are times when we feel so empty. In our pursuit of happiness, we may have forgotten to include you in our life and discover that our happiness is very superficial and can easily be taken away from us. When trouble comes our way, you are often the first one we blame or take our anger against. Many times we are the cause of our own troubles yet we don’t want to admit our mistakes to anyone, not even to ourselves. Forgive us God. Give to us the strength needed to re-evaluate our life and to take the necessary steps to include you in our life. Be merciful to us and help us to be merciful to others. Amen.

Response: I will trust in the Lord

Assurance of God’s forgiveness
L: Hear the good news! Who is in a position to condemn?
P: Only Christ, and Christ died for us, Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us.
L: Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.
P: The old life has gone; a new life has begun.
L: Know that you are forgiven, and be at peace.
P: Thanks be to God. (based on Romans 8:34; 2 Cor 5:17)

We listen for the voice of God

Song: There’s a spirit in the air (764)

Response: Glory to the Father

Prayer for Illumination

Holy God, you have revealed yourself to us by your Word. As we consider the scripture that was read today, we ask that you would be present among us so that we can understand how we can best praise you and serve you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

The Message: The Alpha and Omega

There is a poem that I often read at funerals which I’m sure many of you have heard before.

It is a poem by Linda Ellis called “the Dash”.

I’m not going to read the whole poem. Only one and ½ verses

He referred to the dates on the tombstone

From the beginning to the end.

He noted the first came with the date of birth

and spoke the following date with tears,

but he said what mattered most of all

was the dash between those years.

I’m not sure how many of you are into genealogy.

There are people who can trace their family line back through many generations.

I’ve done that a bit and know that the MacRae’s come from Inverness Scottland.

In 1816 John and Mary McRae left Scotland, thanks to the English and the Highland clearances, and headed to the New world.

They were going to Glengarry, Ontario but after several weeks onboard a sailing ship, Mary got so sick that she was tired of travelling.

When they landed in Pictou, Nova Scotia she was not wanting to go on another long journey to Ontario.

Friends were on PEI, so she endured a much smaller trip.

That is how our family got to Prince Edward Island.

When I think about genealogy, I don’t really care too much about just the date of birth and the date of death.

I am interested in the dash.

******

Now I’m not hear to talk about my genealogy, but I am wanting you to think about that dash in your own life.

Each of you have a starting point and know the year of your birth.

Hopefully it will be a while before the date of your death is recorded somewhere.

Right now, all of us are living in that “dash” period of our life.

What are we doing with our time.

******

The reason why I’m mentioning this is I want us to take a brief look at the text we read this morning from Revelations.

In Revelations 22:13 we hear the words “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End”.

Theologically, I could argue with this verse.

We do not believe that there is an end to God.

There will not come a time when we fill in the date for God’s death.

From a linear perspective we can vaguely understand the concept of infinity going forward where there is no end to God.

A much more difficult theological concept is believing in infinity from the other direction.

There was no beginning for God.

Even for all who believe in evolution and the big bang theory there is a start to the universe, and a start to human life.

There was “no start” for God.

Yet we don’t need to dwell on this concept for too long a period of time.

This verse was written for our meager comprehension for God.

The terms “Alpha and Omega” is merely symbolic language to indicate all of time, however it is measured.

God has existed for all of time.

******

The part I do want to reflect upon is verse 12 itself which reads, “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My Reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.”

This phrase “I’m am coming soon is seen in verses 7, 12, and 20.”

In the Acts of the Apostles, first chapter after Jesus ascended into heaven, two men in white apparel, angels said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:10)

The belief that someday, Christ will return and restore our world has brought hope.

We hang on in times of calamity, believing that one day our pain will end, the lame will walk again, our tears will be wiped from our eyes, and there will be no pain or suffering.

The problem that we have is the word, “soon”

This book of Revelation was written possibly around 95 AD.

It is getting close to 2000 years since Christ died, resurrected and ascended into heaven, yet Christ has not returned yet.

If you think it has been a long wait for Toronto Maple Leafs to win the Stanley cup again, this is an even longer wait.

******

Now we can do a few things with the word “soon”

What is God’s perspective on time.

In 2 Peter 3:8-9 we read, “…with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day”

We read Genesis and hear about the creation of the world.

We read about what happens on the first day, then the second, etc.

We read about scientists and how the world evolved.

I don’t get into arguments.

The Bible is not a scientific manual that allows us to know how to create another universe and another world.

Do I believe God could create the world in our concept of a day, or even seconds…yes.

Or did it take millions of years.

I don’t know.

I just know that God was the creator.

******

Christ is coming “soon”.

Well maybe the delay is that no all factors are in place yet.

Luke 21 in the parable of the fig tree Jesus that there would be signs that the Kingdom of God is near.

Oh goodie…there will be Neon signs in the sky with a countdown clock ticking down.

Nope…not those signs.

Matthew 24:6 “You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.”

Not very helpful.

How many “wars” have happened since Christ ascended.

WW1 and WW2 had people wondering “Now Lord?”

In the media today there are lots of rumours of conflicts between nations, but Christ has not returned.

Matthew 24 also mentions famines and earthquakes.

Many of those have happened as well…still Christ has not returned.

2 Peter 3 reminds us that “in the last days there will come scoffers who will do every wrong they can think of, and laugh at the truth.”

That has been happening for a long time…still Christ has not returned.

2 Timothy 3:5 “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”

Well that is definitely happening now…yet Christ has not returned yet.

Matthew 24:14 is way more interesting “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

Part of the delay was to give the world time to hear and to know about Christ.

At one point of time, people in North America was saying we need to preach to the people of Africa so that they could know Christ.

Today, the people of Africa are probably saying that they need to come here and preach to us, so that we know Christ.

Time was needed to go and make disciples of all nation (Matthew 28:19)

*****

There were also beliefs that Israel, especially Jerusalem, had to be around for the end times.

Zechariah 12:3 “I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all nations.”

For a while Israel ceased to exist.

In 1948 Israel became a nation again.

With the Palestinian conflict the world is watching Israel, for good or for bad.

Is that a sign that Christ is returning soon…I have no idea.

******

Now I could go on and on about signs of the coming of Christ and is it near.

It is an interesting study, but I’m not going to waste my time on it.

I couldn’t find the source again for the next story but I do remember reading a Jewish rabbinic story about a teacher who was in his yard, tending to his garden and preparing for the upcoming Sabbath’s teaching.

All of a sudden there was a commotion and people started to run to the edge of the town.

One person stopped and yelled at the teacher that they heard a rumour that the Messiah had returned.

The teacher did nothing and just kept tending to his garden and thinking about what he could say at the synagogue.

When the man saw that the teacher wasn’t moving to join the crowd of people, he said, “Are you not coming with us to see this Messiah?”

The teacher shook his head and simply said, “No”.

The man was confused and asked “why”.

The teacher looked at the man and simply said, “If it is a false Messiah I don’t want to waste my time. If the Messiah is real, then I want him to find me working to be faithful to my calling.”

*******

We can get caught up in the word, “soon” but don’t worry about it.

Just continue to be faithful to God and then whatever happens, whenever it happens, at least we are on the side of God.

******

One last point to raise in this chapter.

Verse 12 states, “my reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.”

This is not about salvation.

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.”

We can’t do enough good deeds to earn salvation.

It is our faith in Christ that grants us salvation.

Period.

Now, there are passages such as James 2:24 “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”

Coupled with this passage in Revelations that talks about giving to people their just rewards shows that our works are important.

So what does that mean?

What rewards are we talking about?

******

Here is how I think about this verse.

Cathy and I have travelled to many countries around the world.

On many of those trips our best friends, who live in the Yukon, join us.

We have camped together, been on resorts together and done cruises together.

Our friends have had a few more financial challenges than us, so the rooms we get may be a bit different.

On a cruise ship we might have a balcony suite while they have a port window room.

HOWEVER, we have access to the same entertainment on the ship, to the same restaurants, and to the same excursions.

Our rooms are a bit different…that is all.

Is that how rewards will be dished out in heaven?

I have no idea.

To be honest, I don’t worry about it all that much.

I trust in Christ to provide for me what I deserve.

What that exactly looks like for any of us, I have no idea.

The main part is simply to trust in Christ.

******

Are you able to go to sleep in a car, or on a plane.

Many people can.

We shouldn’t have fear of travelling, if we trust the driver or pilot to get us to the right place safely.

We are called to trust Jesus to get us to the right place.

******

The book of Revelation can be very confusing yet simple at the same time.

Books and movies are made about the rapture, and the tribulation.

Do we believe in the millennium?

That is another sermon in itself.

When we die, do we immediately go to heaven, or do we enter an eternal sleep and then in the twinkling of an eye we will all raise at the same time.

Again, I have no idea.

We simply have to trust in Christ.

******

For all the new beginnings we have to go through, a new school, a new marriage, a new family, a new job, a new retirement, or whatever it is, trust in Christ to guide us.

We are called to do good works.

We are called to use our gifts and abilities in ways to help others.

We will face our own setbacks in life, and our own struggles.

We will not always understand the journey that God takes us on.

We won’t always like the journey that we are on.

Yet if we continue to trust in Christ, we will receive our own rewards, and receive the destination of an eternal heavenly home.

Whether we are seated at the head table of the Messianic banquet or have a seat at the back, we will have a great meal and enjoy a great celebration.

Continue with your journey with Christ, who is the Alpha and the Omega.

Christ has been with us for our beginning.

Christ will be with us for our end.

Continue to live “in the dash” and enjoy the journey we are on with God.

Prayer

Eternal God, we thank you for the life you have given to us. Some of us here today may be enjoying their life and fully aware of the blessings you have in store for us. Some of us are struggling and wondering why our life is so miserable. We have our challenges. Assure us of your presence in our life and that you have not abandoned us. Surround us with friends, family, and especially the family of God to be with us during the good times and bad. Some day, when we die, or when you return to the world, usher us into the heavenly realm when we can spend eternity with you and our other brothers and sisters of Christ. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayer of gratitude, and for others and ourselves

Eternal God, we are very blessed people. It is very easy for us to be caught up in all the negative news articles and believe everything is failing around us. There is so much fear mongering in the social media that it is a wonder we can trust anyone. Yet for each of us here today, we can think of people who are very special in our life and have given to us comfort and joy. We are thankful for our family. We may think of our family as our own biological family, the family we have created, our church family, or our family of friends. Help us to be a friend. Remind us to pick up the phone or even send an email to those we may not have talked to in a while. If possible, bring healing to broken relationships or at the very least to learn from them.

Our country is not perfect, but we have an abundant of resources. Most, if not all of us, have a home to live in and food on our tables. We may sometimes look down on the homeless but we do not know their situation. For some we do not know about their addictions or how it all started. May we be less judgemental and more caring to all people around us.

We pray for the leaders in our church, our community, our province, our country and for leaders around the world. There is a huge difference, often, between how the media with showcase our leaders and who they really are. Give to all leaders wisdom, compassion, mercy and a sense of hope.

We pray for those in the military, and for those who are first responders. Keep them safe and help all to return safely to their family and friends.

Hear all our prayers. Both the prayers we have said out loud and the prayers we have silently lifted up to you. This we pray in Christ’s name. Amen.

The Sacrament of Holy Communion

Invitation

Today we will be celebrating the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.

This sacrament reminds us of our relationship to God, and of the price that Christ paid on the cross to save us from our sins.

This is the Lord’s Table.

Our Saviour invites all who trust in him to share in the feast which he has prepared.

Come eat, drink and be refreshed in body, mind and soul.

Song: Jesus calls us here to meet him (528)

The great prayer of thanksgiving

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

It is truly right…

Therefore, we praise you, joining our voices with angels and archangels, with your prophets, apostles, saints and servants in every time and place:

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest.

God of majesty…

We take this bread and this cup to celebrate your salvation through Christ. We praise you, Lord Jesus, saying:

Dying, you destroyed our death. Rising, you restored our life. Lord Jesus, come in glory.

Gracious God, pour out your Holy Spirit…

Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory are yours, Almighty God, now and forever. Amen

The Lord’s prayer (469)

THE FRACTION

The Lord Jesus, on the night of his arrest, took bread, and after given thanks to God, he broke it and said,

“This is my body given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.

In the same manner he took the cup after supper saying, “This cup is the new covenant sealed in my blood.

Whenever you drink it do this in remembrance of me.”

Every time we eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death (and resurrection) of the Lord, until he comes again.

THE COMMUNION

Eternal God, we are reminded that you came to the world and endured hatred, hunger, pain and death upon the cross. Yet you never gave into temptation. Strengthen our bodies so that we remain faithful to you.

The body of Christ given to us.

Almighty God, your blood was poured out for all our sins upon the cross. Forgive us of our sins, and pour into us your Spirit and grant to us eternal life.

The blood of Christ shed for us.

Song: Behold the lamb

Prayer after Communion

Dear Lord, we thank you for this time of communion. May your spirit give to us the strength and the courage needed to minister to the people around us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Song: Now let us from this table rise (556)

Sending out with God’s blessing

Now may the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you now and forever more.

Response: Amen, we praise your name

Music postlude

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Major the Rev. Kenneth MacRae retains the copyright (© 2025) on all original material in this service. As far as he 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.

Called to praise

Posted on May 25, 2025May 26, 2025 by John

Worship on Healing and Reconciliation Sunday
10:00 am May 25, 2025
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Linda Farrah-Basford Welcoming Elder: Renita MacCallum
Children’s time: Brad Reader: Sabir Aziz

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
Preparation for worship

Call to worship:
L: Lord in your mercy,
P: Bring us peace
L: May the peoples praise you, O God for your healing and reconciliation.
P: We gather seeking peace and unity in Your grace.
L: As we lift up our prayers, may Your peace fill our hearts.
P: Lord, in your mercy, bring us peace.

Opening praise: This I believe

Prayers of approach and confession

God of promise and purpose, we greet you this day with thankful hearts.

As flowers unfurl and buds open, the beauty of your world lifts our spirits in praise.

As children grow and students prepare to graduate, their energy and enthusiasm encourage us toward your future.

Your world is full of such variety and detail, we stand in awe of your creative imagination.

Draw close to us in this hour of worship and show us the promise and purpose in our own lives.

May we unfurl with your gift of new life, and move into the future, renewed by the energy of your Holy Spirit.

God of diversity and detail, the wonders of your creation amaze us.

Yet we confess we often fail to honour its beauty and variety in the details of our lives.

When voices differ in opinion, we listen to those we agree with.

We fail to honour experience different than our own.

We resist calls to honour the earth as if it were ours for the taking.

Forgive our narrow perspectives.

Open our eyes and our hearts to the pain and perspectives of others, and renew us all with your healing grace.

Response: Glory, glory hallelujah

Assurance of God’s grace

Jesus said, “My peace I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Let his forgiveness set you at peace with God and yourself, and make peace with one another. Amen.

Musical Offering: Dayspring Singers

We listen for the voice of God

Song: Jesus we are gathered (514)

Children’s time

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Song: Joyful, joyful we adore you (410: vss 1,3,4)

Scripture reading: Psalm 67

Sung Response

Message: Called to Praise

Psalm 67 was written by an unknown author. It’s one of four songs in a row (from Psalm 65-68) dedicated to the music director of the Temple and intended to be played on stringed instruments. All four of these psalms also use a word for earth found in the creation story of Genesis which makes sense because each of the four is a call for a return to creation whereby everything that exists, exists to praises the creator.

Psalm 67 is about the universal call to praise and a request for universal blessings. In other words, the whole point is that God is asked to enlighten and bless all people everywhere, in every time resulting in more glory to God’s name as all people bring Him praise.

The psalm starts with a call for God’s blessing and mercy. In what likely sound familiar the psalmist asks God to be gracious and to shine His face upon us, so that His way may be known on earth and His salvation among all nations. The focus here is on God’s grace, which should extend universally, bringing light to all peoples. And the words you probably recognize. Verse 1 says, “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us.” This of course, is a quotation from the book of numbers from when God commanded Moses to instruct Aaton and all his sons (the Cohen or first priests of Israel) to bless the congregation announcing “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance (or smiling face) upon you and give you His peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)

Blessings are interesting. In the Hebrew Bible, or the Old Testament, blessings are significant expressions of favor, grace, and divine approval. They encompass both spiritual and material well-being and are seen as powerful affirmations of God’s presence and provision in a person’s life. It’s also important to note that blessings, just like curses were phrases spoken over a person and were believed to carry the power to affect outcomes. To be cursed by someone truly meant bad things would happen to them. And to be blessed meant good. It sounds simplistic and some might think even silly but just consider the value of positive reinforcement, or how research uses the placebo affect. Neuroscience is pretty clear as well that positive thinking can help rewrite neural pathways. In other words, modern phycology and science are just now catching up to what spiritual practitioners have known since the invention of prayer.

Here the Psalmist asks for blessing, asks God to smile upon the whole of the world and for everyone to see it.

During the Depression in 1933, William Strider was in a restaurant with friends who were all talking about how terrible things were becoming for the people he knows. There were suffering people everywhere, previously wealthy people committing suicide, jumping out of buildings, and joblessness everywhere. The conversation got more miserable as it went on. One man in the group interrupted. In two weeks, I have to preach a sermon. It’ll be Thanksgiving Day, he said. What can I say that’s affirmative in a period of world depression like this? Strider didn’t really know what to say but he felt the Spirit of God speaking to him, “Why don’t you give thanks to those people who have been a blessing in your life and affirm them?” He didn’t say anything, but he couldn’t shake the thought.

Strider remembered a schoolteacher who was very dear to him, a wonderful teacher of poetry and English literature, who had gone out of her way to put a great love of literature and verse in him, which had affected all his writings and more. So, later that day Strider sat down and wrote a letter to the woman, retired, now fairly up in years. It was only a matter of days until he got a reply, in the feeble scroll of age. It read as follows. My dear Willie. I can’t tell you how much your note meant to me. I’m in my late eighties now, living alone in a small room, cooking my own meals, fairly lonely and like the last leaf of autumn, lingering behind. You’ll be interested to know that I taught in school for more than 50 years, and yours is the first note of appreciation I have ever received. It came on a blue chilly morning, and it cheered me up as nothing has ever done. I’m not sentimental, but I found myself crying.

After reading the message Strider thought of a kind Bishop he knew, also now retired, who had recently faced the death of his wife and was all alone. The Bishop had taken a lot of time giving Strider advice, counsel, and love when he first began a ministry, so he sat down and wrote to the Bishop. In just a few days after sending that letter, a reply came back. “My dear Will” it stated,” your letter was so beautiful, so real, that I sat reading it in my study, tears of gratitude falling from my eyes. Before I realized what I was doing, I rose from my chair and called my wife’s name to share it with her, forgetting she was gone. You’ll never know how much your message warmed my spirit. I’ve been walking around in the glow of your words all day long.”

Blessings matter and they are meant to be shared.

Here the author continues adding to his request for blessings with a reason. The author states a purpose, “2 That Your way may be known on the earth, Your salvation among all nations.”

Jason McElwain is sort of famous on the internet. A video of him went viral back in 2006. Back then Jason was a high school senior and three-year team manager for the Greece Athena High basketball team. Jason also happens to be autistic, and he loved to play. Going by the nickname J-Man, Jason diligently fetched water, chased down rebounds, helped with the warmups, and mopped up sweat. However, in February 2006, for the last game of the season, Jason’s coach decided to surprise J-Mac. Near the end of the game with his team up by twenty points, the coach asks the young man to suit up and play. Jason ran back to the change room and readied himself. With only four minutes to go, Jason came back, and the coach put Jason in the game. Jason missed his first two shots, but people cheered and clapped anyway. His third shot was a three-point swish. As the ball went through the net, the gymnasium absolutely erupted with applause.

Jason went on to make 6 more 3 pointers, a ream record, and finished with twenty points. In a little more than 4 minutes, with each basket, the crowd became more enthusiastic. By the time Jason hit his last shot, everyone was jumping up and down. When the game ended, the bleachers emptied onto the court and the crowd gathered around the boy. Jason’s teammates hoisted him onto their shoulders after the game and paraded the hero around. Jason’s mother later noted “This was the first moment Jason truly felt he had succeeded and could be proud of himself. I look at autism as a Berlin Wall, and he cracked it.” But Jason’s success touched many more lives than his own, as those who celebrated with him also experienced the selfless joy of delight in others.

Today J-Mac is an ESPY award-winning athlete who words in autism advocacy, public/inspirational speaking and continues to volunteer with his old team.

Because Jason was blessed, he’s been blessing others.

The Psalmist asks God to bless the whole world and wants every nation on earth to know God and God’s blessings.

Christianity is not a western religion. It begins in Israel, spread to Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Armenia, Greece, Italy, Egypt, Cyprus, Malta and Ethiopia. Later it made way to France, Spain and the Balkans all before coming to Britain and long before the US or Canada. Still in the 20th century only 10% of the world’s Christians lived in the southern continents and the east, while 90% lived in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Today at least 70% of the world’s Christians live in the non-western world. This morning more Christian’s worship in Anglican churches in Nigeria than in all of the Episcopal and Anglican churches of Britain, Europe and North America combined. There are more Baptists in the Congo than in Britain. More people in church every Sunday in Communist China than in all of Western Europe, and ten times more Assemblies of God members in Latin America than exist where they were founded in the southern United States.

Psalm 67 calls for all nations to praise and worship God, acknowledging that His reign is over the entire earth. The psalmist desires that all the earth worships God, recognizing His sovereignty and justice. The texts reads: “3 Let the peoples praise You, God; Let all the peoples praise You. 4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, For You will judge the peoples with fairness And guide all the nations on the earth.”

And this pray has come true and still continues to.

Notice as well that it’s not just about evangelism or mission here. It’s about blessings. In Let the Nations be Glad, JOHN PIPER writes: “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church, worship is. Missions exist because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man.”

The verse reads, “Let all the peoples praise You. 4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy”

Our Job is to praise! When we do that everything else falls into place.

The WESTMINSTER SHORTER CATECHISM may explain it best: The question is asked “What is the chief end of man” (or put more simply, “what our purpose” and “the meaning of life”). The answer in response is this: “The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.” Our chief reason for being is to bring our creator praise.

If we do not genuinely enjoy our faith, nobody is going to catch the fire of enjoyment from us. If our lives are not totally centered on Christ, we will not be Christ bearers for others, no matter how pious our words might appear.

You know this week at the pastoral care meeting Nesta mentioned that one of the best ways to see miracles is to look at what could’ve happened but didn’t.

It’s easy to get upset if you crash your car into a fender bender. But it’s better to notice that a single second’s difference in your response might have cost someone their life. It makes sense to be annoyed that you hit another car but it’s better to notice the pedestrian on the corner who was given a tiny change in time getting out of the house could have ended up crushed between the two cars.

How many miracles happen every day that we don’t notice because we’re focusing on the wrong things.

To this end, I remember hearing a story Dr. Frederick Beachner told while working at Northwest University. Luckily, I found the story recorded in one of his books. In his work The Sacred Journey Beachner recalls,

“One winter I sat in Army fatigues somewhere near Anniston, AL, eating my supper out of a mess kit while the infantry training battalion that I had been assigned to was out. There was a cold drizzle of rain and everything was muddy. The sun had gone down. I was still hungry when I finished and noticed that a man nearby had left something that he was not going to eat still in the box. It was a turnip.

When I asked him if I could have the turnip, he tossed it over to me. But I missed the catch, and the turnip fell into the ground. But I wanted it so badly I picked it up and started eating it – mud and all. Time deepened and slowed down. With the Lurch of the heat, I saw suddenly that not only was the turnip good, but the mud was fairly good too. Even the drizzle and cold were good. Even the army that I had dreaded for months was good. Sitting there in Alabama’s winter with my mouth full of cold, turnip and mud, I could see, at least for a moment, how if you ever took truly to heart the ultimate goodness and joy of things, even at their bleakest, the need to praise someone or something for it would be so great that you might even have to go out and speak of it to the birds in the air, if no one else would listen.”

The psalm concludes with a joyful acknowledgment that God blesses the earth, making it fruitful and abundant, and brings nations to rejoice and sing for joy. It’s a call for universal praise and acknowledgment of God’s goodness. It goes, “5 Let the peoples praise You, God; Let all the peoples praise You. 6 The earth has yielded its produce; God, our God, blesses us. 7 God blesses us, And all the ends of the earth will fear Him.”

I hope I have time for just one more short story. Mr. Langley writes, After worrying for half an hour that we wouldn’t get on the overbooked flight, my wife and I were summoned to the check-in desk. A smiling agent whispered that this was our lucky day. He was bumping us up – First Class. This was the first and only time we had been pampered on an airplane with tasty food, hot coffee, and plenty of elbow room. We couldn’t afford such luxury. And so, we decided to play a little game of Guess who? We were trying to guess who else didn’t really belong in first class. One man padded around the cabin in his socks, restlessly sampling all the free magazines, playing with but never actually using the inflight phone. Twice he sneezed so loudly we thought the oxygen masks would drop. He stuck out like a sore thumb. Then the attendant brought linen tablecloths for our breakfast trays. Another person tucked him into his collar as a bib. He didn’t seem to belong in first class either.

We see misfits at church too, people who obviously don’t seem to belong, people who might even embarrass us and cause us to feel little superior. But the truth is that we don’t belong any more than they do. We come as guests invited.

The blessings of God abound, even when they seem hidden. But the blessings of God belong to all people. Let’s receive them and share them. Let’s notice the miracles happening all the time. Let’s affirm the good we see, share the blessings and sing God’s praises the all creation did on the day they were made. Let’s have the kind of faith that sees God smile and gives us joy. Let’s enjoy Him forever and help all the nations to do the same.

Psalm 67:1-7 (NASB) — Literal Approach

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us,
And make His face shine on us—
2 That Your way may be known on the earth,
Your salvation among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise You, God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
For You will judge the peoples with fairness
And guide the nations on the earth.
5 Let the peoples praise You, God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
6 The earth has yielded its produce;
God, our God, blesses us.
7 God blesses us,
And all the ends of the earth will know Him.

Song: Praise, my soul, the King of heaven (407: vss 1,2,4,5)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayer of gratitude, and for others and ourselves

Generous God, we thank you for your gift of new life in Christ Jesus. Receive our gifts this day, and bless each gift and each giver. Use each one to witness to your purposes through our congregation and throughout the world you love, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Lord, our God,

The earth and all its peoples belong to you.

As we come before you in prayer, we are painfully aware that the earth itself is at risk,

from the ways your people live on it, and the conflicts we provoke among each other.

We seek your healing and hope this day for the earth and all its creatures, and for your people of every nation.

God of healing and hope, we pray for peace with justice to emerge in war torn lands, and in every place of conflict where power struggles put innocents at risk.

We name before you the people and places on our hearts today:

…

Send your Spirit of wisdom and compassion to break open the hearts of leaders to work with each other to protect the innocent and restore order for the wellbeing of all.

May your ways of truth and justice prevail In every heart and in every land.

God of mercy,
Hear our cry.

God of healing and hope,

We pray for Presbyterian World Service and Development and its partners,

and all groups offering aid and renewal in places where disaster and conflict have left people at risk.

Support those who have lost homes, families and livelihoods to find courage to go on

and open hearts of those in safety to share with those in need.

God of mercy,
Hear our cry.

God of healing and hope, we know that this land we call home faces conflict and pain,

and that communities are divided by deep disagreements.

We pray for healing and understanding to deepen between Indigenous people and those who settled this land with no thought for those who already called it home.

Protect those who face racist attitudes and actions in daily life, and restore dignity and hope to those who have suffered injustice in a system that benefitted others.

Open our eyes to the creativity and courage in communities that feel unfamiliar to us,

and open our hearts to build new relationships with each other and grow closer as neighbours and friends.

God of mercy,
Hear our cry.

God of healing and hope, we pray for the renewal of your creation and for the protection of species at risk.

By your Spirit, teach us to change our ways when they are harmful to the earth, and inspire our ingenuity to find solutions to problems that seem so vast.

God of mercy,
Hear our cry.

God of healing and hope, we pray for those who know sickness or pain, for all who live in grief, loneliness or anxiety, and all who find these uncertain times overwhelming in any way.

In silence, we remember before you those for whom we have special concern this day:

…

By your Spirit, surround each one with strength and love, and equip us to offer support for those whose lives are woven into ours.

God of mercy,
Hear our cry.

God of healing and hope,

Jesus walks with us day by day to see us through every challenge,

and so we claim the healing and hope he offers. Amen.

Song: You are holy, you are whole (828)

Sending out with God’s blessing

Response: He is Lord

Music postlude

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The Next 2000 Years

Posted on May 18, 2025May 18, 2025 by John

Worship on the Fifth Sunday of Easter
10:00 am May 18, 2025
Minister: Rev. Brad Childs Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalists: Peter and Cheryl Sheridan Children’s Time: Lynn Vaughan
Welcoming Elder: Shirley Simpson

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
Preparation for worship

Call to worship:
L: O praise the name of the Lord, who reveals new visions to His people
P: We gather to celebrate the freedom of faith and the courage to follow.
L: As Peter learned to embrace change, let us be open to God’s guidance.
P: In humility and hope, we come to worship our ever-loving Lord.

Opening praise: Revelation song

Prayers of humble confession
Holy One, as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we experience you,
the blessed Trinity, ever three and ever one.
As God the Parent, you bless us with creative hope and new possibility.
As God the Son, you open the doors of your realm for us and welcome us into abundant life.
As God the Holy Spirit, your pour your gifts upon us so that we might know your love in deep and transformative ways.

We praise you for the many ways you touch our lives and draw us closer to you.
As we gather here in your mystery and majesty, fill us with the vision of your glory, that we may always serve and honour your holy name, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, creating, redeeming and renewing us as one God,
now and forever.

God of mercy and majesty, you are slow to anger and swift to forgive.
You have shown us the depth of your love, and yet we are reluctant to love others even a little.
You have shown us compassion and forgiveness, and yet we walk away from one another without concern.
You show us the way of service, and yet we put up barriers and keep your gifts for ourselves.

When looking out at the world and ask why is this, this way, and that, that way, and we blame you for the things humans do to one another. And rarely do we remember that you put us here to change the world for the better.
Forgive us, O Lord.
Create in us new hearts.
In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Response: Glory, glory hallelujah

Assurance of God’s love

God is ready to forgive for God is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in unswerving love.

In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.

Be at peace with God, with yourself and with one another through the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We listen for the voice of God

Song: Jesus, we are gathered (514)

Children’s Time

Do you like eggs? There are so many different ways to fix eggs, how do you like yours – fried, scrambled, hard boiled? You can make an omelet or a breakfast burrito. You can eat them by themselves or mix them with chicken or tuna to make sandwiches. Eggs are also used to make delicious treats such as cookies, cakes, and pies.

Did you know that some eggs are white and some eggs are brown? Have you ever wondered why? Well, the answer is quite simple: chickens with white feathers lay white eggs and chickens with reddish feathers lay brown eggs. Is there any difference in white eggs and brown eggs? Well, yes, white eggs are white and brown eggs are brown.

“What about on the inside?” you may ask. Well, let’s see. (break a brown egg and a white egg into a clear glass bowl.) Can you see any difference? No. On the inside, they look just the same. It is also interesting to note that the colour of the shell has nothing to do with an egg’s quality, nutritional value, or flavour. On the inside, all eggs are the same.

You know, that is true of people, too. Some people may be light-skinned and have blond hair and blue eyes. Others may be dark-skinned and have brown hair and brown eyes. On the outside, they may look different, but on the inside, they are the same. WE are all the same!

Simon Peter was one of Jesus’ disciples. He was a Jew, and he believed that God sent Jesus only for the Jews. So one day, God gave Peter a vision that showed him that He created all people and that He loved them all the same. After God showed him that, Peter said, “I now realize that God does not show partiality. He accepts people from every nation and all over the world who want to be part of His family.” God also showed Peter that he must “tell the good news that Jesus is the Lord of all and that everyone who believes in him will be forgiven of their sins.”

There is an old-time church song called “Jesus Loves the Little Children.” It reminds us that Jesus loves everyone the same, no matter what they look like on the outside. And WE are also meant to love all of God’s children, young and old, the same. Do we do that? I hope so!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us to love others as you do – treating everyone with the same respect. Help us to tell the good news that Jesus is Lord of all and that everyone who believes in him has forgiveness in his name. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Song: In the presence of your people (427)

Scripture reading: Acts 11: 1-18

Response: Alleluia, alleluia, give thanks to the risen Lord

Message: The Next 2000 Years

Today, I won’t discuss the verses we’ve just read. At least not exactly. Instead I want to say that I was struck by the statement about the Holy Spirit being poured out on Peter and how it changed his entire life. And I just thought… You know, Presbyterians do a good job of talking about the Father, and we do good theological work on the person of Jesus. But other than saying “I believe in the Holy Spirit” when we recite the Apostles Creed, we don’t tend to talk about the Spirit much. That’s a problem.

It’s been said that the Father received all the glory for the first 2000 years (The Hebrew Bible and Temple), the Son received the glory for the following 2000 years (The New Testament and Church), and it’s the Spirit who will receive the glory for the next 2000 years (The Word written on our hearts and lived out).

Given the massive impact of Pentecostals and charismatic churches in Africa, Asia and South America, I think that’s probably true. So, let’s talk about the Holy Spirit today because we don’t do that often enough.

Living Faith (one of just three Standards of Belief we have in the Presbyterian Church) says this:

God the Holy Spirit 4.1

The Holy Spirit is God with Us 4.1.1

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the triune God and is One with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is the Lord and Giver of Life, the Renewer and Helper of God’s people. By the Spirit, God is present in the world, the source of all goodness and justice. By the Spirit, God convincts the world of sin and testifies to the truth of Christ. By the Spirit, Christ is with his church.

4.2 The Holy Spirit Enables People to Believe

4.2.1 The Spirit enables people to receive the good news of Christ, to repent of their sins, and to be adopted as children of God. As we hear and respond to the Gospel, we freely turn to Christ. When we have turned and repented, we recognize that the Spirit enabled us to believe.

4.2.2 The Holy Spirit accompanies us on our journey of faith. We may not always be sure of this presence. Yet God’s Spirit is with us, sometimes gently, sometimes powerfully, guiding us in the midst of life, our comfort and our help. The Christian life is a pilgrimage: it begins continues, and ends in God.

4.3 The Holy Spirit Forms and Equips the Church

4.3.1 By the Spirit, Christ calls the church into being and unites us to himself and to each other. The Holy Spirit is in all who know Christ.

4.3.2 The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. We pray as a church to be guided into truth, knowing that such truth may disturb and judge us.

4.3.3 The presence of the Holy Spirit is seen in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, loyalty, gentleness, and self-control.

4.3.4 The Spirit blesses us with various gifts. We seek to discover those gifts and to use them for our Lord. Faithful, loving service is a sign that the Spirit is present. The presence of the Spirit is evident where people are made whole, encouraged, and enabled to grow in Christ.

4.3.5 Come, Holy Spirit

What do we really know about the “still small voice”?

What the Hebrew Bible calls most often the “Spirit of Elohim” is called in the Talmud and in Midrash “Spirit of the Holy” (ruacḥ ha-Kodesh). But to be honest, it’s often hard to tell what exactly is being talked about.

In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would come and rest on people for a time, but was said to come and go. There is also the reality that while Ruach ha-Kodesh is given personhood, most Jewish readers thought of the Spirit more like the acting hand of God than something more unique, as presented in the New Testament much more clearly. In certain places, although the Ruach ha-Kodesh may be named instead of the Father, it was sometimes (even by Jewish readers) understood as being something distinct; and, like everything earthly that comes from heaven, the Ruach ha-Kodesh is composed of light and fire whenever an appearance is made.

In Gen.1:2, God’s spirit hovered over the formless matter, thereby making Creation possible. But we don’t usually think of the Spirit as co-creator, do we?

The word (or Title; or Name) itself, “Ruach,” literally means Wind or Breath. The Spirit is the Breath of God. But it’s a Breath, with its own will.

One of the most interesting features of God’s breath is that He(?) sometimes speaks with a feminine voice and other times, speaks with a masculine voice. In fact, in Proverbs, the Spirit is depicted under the Title “Lady Wisdom.” In the end, the Holy Spirit really has no gender (“for God is Spirit”), but it’s interesting nevertheless and, for some reason, doesn’t seem to garner much attention.

In fact, the spirit rarely gets any attention at all, really.

We say we are trinitarian and that God is One but in Three Persons. But that’s about all we say. We very rarely talk about the Holy Spirit, especially in non-Pentecostal or non-charismatic churches.

This isn’t entirely a new problem.

The Apostles Creed has this huge, detailed section about Jesus’ birth, life, teaching, death, deity, and resurrection, and then about the Spirit, which says simply, “I believe in the Holy Spirit.” And then that’s it.

The Nicene Creed is better. It says, “We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
Who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
Who has spoken through the prophets?”

The Reformed Confessions do it a lot better: The Belgic Confession has 22 references to the Spirit, and the Second Helvetic Confession of Reformed Theology has 35 references to the Spirit. But how many of you have copies of the Second Helvetic Confession on your bedside stand? I sure don’t.

In the end, it seems like there is a whole person of the Trinity that we never really acknowledge unless it happens to be Pentecost Sunday.

So, let’s remedy that a bit today.

Luke 1:35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will be upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. (It is the Holy Spirit that is involved in the conception of Jesus.)

Okay, so that’s probably one you know.

How about this one?

In 1 Corinthians 2:10-11, it says, ¹⁰These are the things God has revealed to us by His Spirit.

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. (In other words, we know nothing about God, except through what the Spirit tells us.)

I really like Psalm 139:7-10. It says,

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
If I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
If I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰Even there your hand will guide me,
Your right hand will hold me fast.

There is no way to escape the Spirit of God.

How about something terrifying? Did you know the bible says that there is a sin people can commit that God will never forgive? Well, well, well…

Let’s take out those pew Bibles and turn to Matthew 12:30-32.

It says, ³⁰‘Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. ³¹And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.³²Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

So, what is this Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit that is the unforgivable sin? Well, that’s your homework for the week. You’re disciples of Jesus. You tell me.

Personally, I wouldn’t spend too much time being afraid. After all, the Holy Spirit enters and establishes a new relationship with us and the Father, but this is only the beginning of His work in us. The Holy Spirit marks us as belonging to God. Eph. 1:13-14 says, He is our seal of salvation so that God can see from Heaven and know us to be His sons and daughters. He becomes our direct line, through Jesus, to the Father. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and the need for righteousness in our lives. The Spirit makes us better people.

JOHN 16:8 says, ⁸When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: He teaches us to obey the Lord and to trust Him to direct our every step, and to put all our cares on Him, for He is greater than any problem. Through the Spirit, we learn to develop greater reliance on the Lord, and less on human wisdom, or strength, or our own abilities.

The Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of Grace (Heb. 10:29), Spirit of Truth (John 14:17), Spirit of Wisdom and Knowledge (Isa 11:2), Spirit of Glory (1 Peter 4:14) and Counselor (John 16:7). As well as advocate in the book of Acts and is described as if He is our lawyer arguing our case before the Father when we sin.

He is unique and divine according to Acts 5:3-4, Eternal and not created according to Heb. 9:14, omnipresent according to Ps 139:7 and omniscient as it says in John 14:26.

The Holy Spirit is a unique person apart from the Father and Son who, according to Scriptures, has his own Knowledge (Rom. 8:27), has her own will (1 Cor. 12:11) and has feelings and emotions (Matthew 3:16-17). In fact, the Holy Spirit is even described as feeling pain when we sin.

Have you ever noticed that in creation it does not say, “Now I will create.” Instead, it says, “Let US create man in OUR image”. Or have you ever noticed that it is the Holy Spirit that is hovering over the waters of the deep during creation and not the Father? The Holy Spirit is there at the very beginning (in the very first line in our bibles in Gen 1:1), and He is also there in the final line of our Bibles at the end of Revelation. He is, together with the Church, calling out to Jesus, “Come.”

In John 16:8, it says that the Holy Spirit acts as our conscience and convicts us of sin. He is also the one who counsels or speaks to our inner being in times of pain (John 14:16-17). He is the one who brings us an assurance of our salvation (Rom 8:15) and teaches us through the written word (1 Cor. 2:13). And She does that through the word She inspired to be written in the first place (2 Tim 3:16-17).

Followers of Jesus are called to be guided by the Spirit and to walk in His ways (Gal. 5:16; 26).

The Holy Spirit acted in the resurrection of Jesus (1 Peter 3:18), speaks to our hearts and calls us to acts of service (Acts 13:4) and gifts us with spiritual gifts to do those good works (1 Cor 12:7-11).

It was the spirit who filled Peter and informed him in our reading that the old law has been fulfilled. He informs us that all those dietary laws and ceremonial laws of the Old Testament have served their purpose – which is why we don’t have to avoid shell fish and pork – Peter get up kill and eat for I have made them clean.

The Spirit seals the salvation of the elect who will then someday enter into the heavenly kingdom (Eph 1:13-14). And although it’s popular for us to pray and ask Jesus into our hearts, the fact is Jesus is resurrected and alive in the body just as he ascended in the body, and so as Rom 8:9 says, it’s actually the Holy Spirit that lives inside us and the one we invite into our hearts. And this is the reason we are together called a Holy Temple (1 Cor. 3:16) because we are where God’s spirit resides and not in a building – in us.

For me the most beautiful thing we learn in scripture about the Holy Spirit is that it’s the Spirit who is said to carry our prayers to the Father (Rom. 8:11) and perhaps most importantly, takes our words (as human and as flawed as they are) as well as the very deepest groanings of our hearts (which we might not even fully understand) and then makes them sound “beautiful” to the ears of the Father. (Rom. 8:26-27) If you’ve ever felt as if you don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter because the Spirit makes our thoughts and our prayers perfect to the ears of the Father. That’s why some Pentecostals insist that simply making sounds is a form of prayer and why “speaking in tongues” is a thing.

When we talk about God the Father, we can understand the concept of a Father. When we talk about God the Son, again, we can understand a Son, but what happens when we say, God the Holy Spirit? People can understand something they see or know, but we can’t see the Spirit. However, the Holy Spirit is God; He’s not an it, but a person of the Godhead, and she is in every believer. The Holy Spirit does today what Jesus did 2000 years ago. He is God present in the world and within us.

When we accept Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, we receive the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit is inside every believer, all the time. He doesn’t come and go or rest for a while but stays. You don’t have to experience earth-shaking “feelings” or emotions; you don’t have to jump, shout, cry, roll on the floor, or have any such outward displays of physical emotions to be indwelt with the spirit. But if you do, the spirit carries that to the Father as a prayer.

But you also can’t escape him. So, the next time you hear that still small voice in the back of your head, you’ve gotta wonder… Is that voice just you… Is it your concience OR is She… He… the same Spirit of Wisdom who hovered over all creation and now lives inside you? Amen.

Song: Jesus shall reign where’er the sun (275 vss 1.2.4.5)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayers of the people
Holy God, we bless you for bringing us into communion with you, and offering us the unity in love you share as the blessed Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Help your church in all its branches discover the unity for which Christ prayed. Strengthen and equip your people in that unity.
By your Spirit, lead us to work together in building your realm, helping each other flourish according to your will.

Draw the human family together in the love that unites us with you, O God.
We pray for our nation and our local communities.
Where we have acted without regard for the needs of others, let us work for justice and fairness.
Where we have been blind to the pain of the oppressed, let us seek peace and reconciliation with those whom we have overlooked.
Especially we ask that you would guide all people in Canada to seek out reconciliation with our indigenous neighbours and establish relationship of mutual respect and honour.

Compassionate and loving God, we pray for all who are facing chaos or despair in these days.
Lift up in love those who find their illness unrelieved and those who love them most.
Our God, we thank you for this community of ministry and fellowship.
Strengthen us in the unity of Christ’s body.
Keep us forever faithful in worship and equipped for the service you call us to.
We pray all these things through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Song: Crown him with many crowns (274 vss 1,2,3,5)

Sending out with God’s blessing
Go in peace. Love and serve the Lord.
And may the blessing of God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Ever Three and ever One,
be with you now and always. Amen.

Response: He is Lord

Music postlude

————————————————————————-

The Shepherd’s Promise

Posted on May 11, 2025May 11, 2025 by John

Worship on Christian Family Sunday and Mothers Day
10:00 am      May 11, 2025
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs
Music Director: Binu Kapadia      Vocalist: Fionna McCrostie
Welcoming Elder: Heather Tansem     Reader: Wesley Childs
Children’s Time: Brad

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
Preparation for worship

Call to worship:
L: The Lord is our Shepherd, and on this day of celebration, we shall lack nothing.
P: As family in Christ, we gather with gratitude for our Good Father.
L: Let us embrace the love and provision He offers us.
P: With thankful hearts, we worship together, honoring our family bonds.

Opening praise: Holy Spirit, you are welcome here

Prayers of approach and confession

God of the ages. God of today.
You are compassion; our cup overflows.
You are hope; you lead us into green pastures.
You are truth; you lead us beside quiet streams.
You are life; you restore our souls.
Morning, noon and night, O God, you are the source of our joy.

We gather to worship you as one family of your people, honoring you as our Creator,
trusting you as our Saviour, celebrating you as the Spirit who gives us life.
Trusting in your compassion and grace, we confess to you our sins:

Merciful God,
we confess we stray from your ways like lost sheep;
we follow the devices and desires of our own hearts, ignoring the needs of others and seeking more for ourselves.
We judge ourselves more generously than others and fail to offer others the forgiveness we seek from you.
Forgive the ways we betray your love,
and return us to your paths of truth and mercy.

Response: Glory, glory hallelujah

Assurance of God’s mercy

Christ dwells in our hearts through faith, for we are being rooted and grounded in his love. The forgiveness he offers is a gift of this love. Receive God’s forgiveness with faithful hearts, and be at peace with God, with yourself and with each other.

We listen for the voice of God

Song: Jesus we are gathered (514)

Children’s time, Repeat-after-me Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer (535)

Song: She comes sailing on the wind (403)

Scripture: Psalm 23

Response: Alleluia, alleluia, give thanks to the risen Lord

Message: “The Shepherds Promise”

Psalm 23 is one of the most well-known and frequently recited passages of the Bible worldwide. Its prevalence and use are broad across various contexts. It is often read at funerals and memorial services because its imagery of God as a comforting shepherd offers solace and assurance of God’s presence, even in the “valley of the shadow of death.” It is regularly recited in church services across Christian denominations and at multiple times of year. In Catholic tradition, Psalm 23 is part of the Liturgy of the Hours and is often incorporated into the rites of anointing of the sick and last rites. Beyond religious contexts, it is frequently quoted in literature, music, and films. And it’s memorized too – in King James English typically.

That version reads as follows:

King James Version (1611)

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
²He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
³He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
⁴Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
⁵Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

The Psalm conveys ideas of comfort, guidance, trust and hope. In Jewish tradition, Psalm 23 is a cherished and frequently recited passage. It’s used regularly at funerals and recited during mourning to provide comfort and hope to grieving people. It is sometimes sung or recited as part of the Shabbat service. It’s often included in daily prayers. It is read over the ill. It’s read during Yizkor, the memorial service conducted on Yom Kippur, and other major Jewish holidays.

Can I read you the Psalm as it’s recorded in the Jewish Study Bible for English readers: The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me to water in places of repose. He renews my life, He guides me in the right paths as benefits his name, though I walk through a valley of deepest darkness. I fear no harm, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You spread a table for me in the full view of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My drink is abundant. Only goodness and steadfast love shall pursue me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the House of the Lord, for many long years.

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

The version most of us probably know begins the same way: The Lord is my shepherd.

The Shepherd was a metaphor for kings in Israel and the ancient Near East. But in the bible, the Lord is often called the Shepherd of Israel as well. At the time, it was a common way of referring to God. Here, David, the king and shepherd of the people, acknowledges God as his shepherd king. Even though David is the nation’s ruler, he is also a sheep in the pasture of a higher king. In this, David submits to God’s authority and humbly tells the people this.

As the saying goes, “Sheep trust their shepherd not because they see the path, but because they believe in his guidance.” It doesn’t matter if you are a lowly beggar, a famous musician, a Hollywood icon, or the King of England; there is always a “bigger fish,” and the good news is, God cares and leads all his followers.

The Orthodox Jewish Bible

23 (Mizmor of Dovid). Hashem is my Ro’eh (Shepherd); I shall not lack.
²He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the mei menuchot (tranquil waters).
³He restoreth my nefesh; He guideth me in the paths of tzedek l’ma’an Shmo (righteousness for the sake of His Name).
⁴Yea, though I walk through the Gey Tzalmavet (Valley of the Shadow of Death), I will fear no rah (evil); for Thou art with me; Thy shevet (rod) and Thy staff they comfort me.
⁵Thou preparest a shulchan before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with shemen (olive oil); my kos runneth over.
⁶Surely tov and chesed shall follow me kol y’mei chaiyyai (all the days of my life): and I will dwell in the Bais Hashem l’orech yamim (for length of days, whole life

²He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

God, the divine Shepherd King, leads his people to nourishment and safety, keeping them alive and protecting them. He brings them to a calm place with quiet waters, where it’s easy to drink and be refreshed.

Tony Evans wrote the following: “A few years ago, I got a call from a young woman who said her car had broken down and left her stranded about two miles from the office. So I drove there and found her leaning against her car, looking flustered. I asked what happened. She replied, “I was driving down the road, and the car quit running.” Could you be out of gas? I asked. “No, I just filled it up.” Well, that one question pretty well exhausted my automotive diagnostic abilities, but I persisted. What happened? Did it make any noise? “Oh, yes”, she replied, “as I was driving down the hill, it went brupt, brupt, brupt. Pow.” So I asked, “When was the last time you changed the oil?” She said, “Oil?”

As it turned out, she had owned the car for three years and had never changed the oil. She looks so confused. She didn’t know that was a thing.

Tony continues, “I get that same look when I ask frazzled friends when they last took a Sabbath rest.”

When was the last time you let the shepherd take you to the still waters for a true, calm, quiet, sabbath rest?

That is where the shepherd leads us. But do we always follow?

Now I am the furthest thing from a dancer. But I do like this description I found of ballroom dancing. Warning: It’s a little dated in its language, but it’s still worth hearing.

“In ballroom dancing, the man’s job has generally been seen to lead. The woman’s job is to follow what her partner is doing. One job is not harder than the other. Both matter, but two can’t lead at once. The man’s job is to watch the floor and see where all the other dancers are. Because of this, the woman responds by lining up with her partner’s movements. She puts her hand in his hand. She puts her arm on his shoulder and she feels the pace. She yokes herself with him, and she moves in kind as he moves. She glides, doesn’t worry, and makes the dance beautiful and balanced. But the lead has got to keep his eyes open. He’s got to watch the floor. He’s got to make sure that he doesn’t step on her feet. He shows her where to go. And she moves in line with him. She moves, but because she’s yoked to him, and this sets her free, she glides in trust and without worry. This is because he works to ensure her safety. God wants us to know he’s willing to do the work. He’s willing to take the lead. He’s willing to guide and direct. He’s willing to take us where we need to go. But we must be yoked to Him to make the dance work. We have to be connected to Him and learn how to dance with Him. He leads and we follow.”

Our shepherd escorts us to quiet places; he restores the spirit and leads us in paths of virtue. But we, the sheep, the dance partner, don’t always follow, and there are many paths we take as we wander off.

New Living Translation

The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
²He lets me rest in green meadows;
He leads me beside peaceful streams.
³ He renews my strength.
He guides me along the right paths,
Bringing honour to his name.
⁴Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,^[^a^]
I will not be afraid,
For you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
Protect and comfort me.
⁵You prepare a feast for me
In the presence of my enemies.
You honour me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
⁶Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
And I will live in this house of the Lord forever.

³He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

I’m reminded of the following story.

The author writes, “Bob, my father-in-law, hunts deer every fall in the mountains in California. Several farmers and ranchers in the area will let individuals or small groups hunt on their property if the hunters ask permission and show much for their land. Last year, my father-in-law saw a sprawling section of land and thought he’d ask and see if he could spend a day on the property. After checking with several people in the homes nearby, he tracked down the owner. He asked if he might drive through a particular gate and do some hunting in the evening the following day. The rancher gave Bob a thoughtful look and said, ‘Yeah, you can come onto the land, but you’d better let me ride in the truck with you for a little while first. I want to show you a few things.’ Bob didn’t see the point; he’d done this a thousand times, and though I suppose he could have foolishly and pridefully declined, he certainly did not.

When the agreed-upon day came, the pair drove through the gate and onto the ranchland. They’d been skimming across a seemingly featureless and massive field when the rancher suddenly said, ‘You better slow down.’ Bob pulled his foot off the accelerator. He tapped the brakes, but he didn’t understand. There were no deer, no fences, just vast and empty space. As far as he could see, there were no creeks, gullies, trees, boulders, or anything else, just a broad pasture stretching out to the dusky foothills. “Park right here”, the rancher said. “I want to show you something.” And with that, the two spilled out of the truck into the cool mountain air and began walking together. Next, the rancher put his hand on Bob’s shoulder and said, “Now look right there, straight ahead. Look close.” My father-in-law stopped dead in his tracks. Cleaving at right angles across their path and the pastures as far as he could see in both directions was a huge gapping crack in the ground. It was a massive, deep, black tear in the surface of the Earth. The crack was probably 30 feet across. Peering over the edge, the hair on Bob’s neck bristled high. The sheer rock-ribbed sides of the great volcanic break in the land plunged to unknown depths. Cold, still air seemed to exhale from the darkness down below. Had he driven another 50 feet, he’d have driven himself into a pit so deep, it didn’t appear to have a bottom.

Bob had no idea this crevasse existed. In fact, you couldn’t see it until you were right up on it and just a few feet away.

Walking back to the truck, Bob marvelled at how difficult it was to see until it was almost certainly too late. Having a guide wasn’t such a bad thing after all. He had a new appreciation for the man who knew his terrain and where to park the truck and where not to.

Our shepherd knows the paths he leads us down and the ones to avoid. He knows where the still water is and where the dangers lie. It may not always be fun to follow the shepherd, but it’s wise and it’s what is ultimately best for us.

While The Message isn’t a translation in the strict sense, it does a fantastic job with this. It reads:

The Message

23 ^1-3God, my shepherd!
I don’t need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
You find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word,
You let me catch my breath.
And send me in the right direction.

⁴Even when the way goes through
Death Valley,
I’m not afraid
When you walk at my side.
Your trusty shepherd’s crook
Makes me feel secure.

⁵You serve me a six-course dinner
Right in front of my enemies.
You revive my drooping head;
My cup brims with blessings.

⁶Your beauty and love chase after me
Every day of my life.
I’m back home in the house of God.
For the rest of my life.

⁴Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

The shepherd leads the sheep to pasture, to water, and through rugged terrain. The rod was an instrument of authority that shepherds also used for counting, guiding, rescuing, and protecting the sheep. The staff was an instrument of support. The rod and staff are implements that prod and guide the sheep and provide the comfort that comes from divine guidance. He pokes and prods and leads the dance. The sheep don’t always understand where the leader is going and sometimes hate the prodding, but it’s always for the good of the sheep in the end. He knows where the dangers lie.

There is a famous story: The Allied soldiers gathered many hungry homeless children after World War 2 and placed them in large camps. The children were abundantly fed and cared for. However, at night they didn’t sleep very well. They seemed restless, and of course, they were still afraid. Finally, a psychiatric psychologist offered a solution. After the children were put to bed, they received one slice of bread. If they wanted more to eat, they could have it. But this slice wasn’t supposed to be eaten; it was just to be held. The slice of bread produced marvellous results. The children would go to sleep, subconsciously feeling there was something to eat the next day. It was tangible. They held it in their own hands. Because of this, they were cared for, they knew it, and it calmed the children. In Psalm 23, David says the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. The sheep knows the shepherd has made plans for its grazing. The sheep know the Shepherd has made ample provision. For this reason, the sheep will lie in peace.

Life is like that. We have the one who provides for the flowers in the fields and the sheep in the pasture; all we need to do is trust.

Of course, life is never perfect. Circumstances beyond control exist, and sometimes the wolves show up.

The day Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, April 4, 1968, Robert F Kennedy was in Indianapolis speaking to a crowd of African Americans. He had to break the terrible news to a large crowd gathered there. He sought to comfort his hearers by sharing his grief over the assassination. Of his brother John F Kennedy, something he had never done publicly before amid that sharing. He quoted. Achilleus AESCHYLUS, his favorite Greek poet. The quote goes as follows: “Even in our sleep, we cannot forget that pain falls drop by drop upon the heart. Until in our despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.

Even the toughest things we will ever face can become the things God uses to guide us. And remember this Psalm doesn’t say we’ll live on earth forever or that the shepherd’s care is just for the here and now.

Solomon Rosenberg and his family were placed in a Nazi work camp where every person who could no longer work was soon to be taken to the gas chambers. The first in Solomon’s family to face the showers were his aged parents, who were well into their 80s at the time. Solomon knew that the next to go in his family would probably be his youngest son, David, who had been slightly crippled in an accident and able to work less and less as days went on. Each morning, the family members were separated for their work assignments. And every night, the father would return with fear and trembling, wondering whether this might be the day that David would be taken.

Eventually, the night came that he had always feared. As Solomon walked into the barracks, he could not see his family and became frantic. His eyes searched for the precious faces. And then at last, he saw the figure of his oldest son, Jacob, huddled over and crying. Solomon hurried to Jacob, asking, “ Tell me it isn’t so. Did they take David today?” “Yes, Papa, they came to take David. They said he could no longer do his work.” “But Mama, where is Mama? She’s still so strong, surely they wouldn’t take Mama too?” “Jacob looked at his father through very tearful eyes. “Papa, when they came to take David, he was afraid and cried. He put up a fuss, and it made the guards very mad. And so Mama said to David, ‘Don’t cry, David, I’ll go with you and hold your hand’. The guards were so upset that they let her. So they took her too. And so Mama went with David to the death chamber so that he wouldn’t be alone and wouldn’t be afraid.

The wolves do come, but the shepherd has a staff. However, when the end comes and it comes for all of us, our shepherd also reaches out his hand, willing to go to the grave with us. He holds our hand, in this life, and the next. All we have to do is hold him back.

The Voice Translation

¹The Eternal is my shepherd, He cares for me always.
²He provides me rest in rich, green fields
Beside streams of refreshing water.
He soothes my fears;
³He makes me whole again,
steering me off worn, hard paths
To roads where truth and righteousness echo His name.

⁴Even in the unending shadows of death’s darkness,
I am not overcome by fear.
Because you are with me in those dark moments,
near with your protection and guidance,
I am comforted.

⁵You spread out a table before me,
provisions in the midst of attack from my enemies;
You care for all my needs, anointing my head with soothing, fragrant oil,
Filling my cup again and again with Your grace.
⁶Certainly, your faithful protection and loving provision will pursue me
Where I go, always, everywhere.
I will always be with the Eternal,
In your house forever.

⁵Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

In the ancient Near East, covenants were often concluded with a meal that expressed the bond of friendship. In this case, it likely intends to share that people who were former enemies have been reunited. They now sit at the table together, and blessing flows.

Here, the image shifts from sheep and shepherd to the covenant table. Here, the shepherd becomes the one who sets the meal. As the honoured guest, God pours our glass overflowing and puts healing oil on our heads. We are safe and in a place of sabbath rest and blessed.

In this, David is hosted by God and hopes to remain in his presence all his life. But also in this, we sit at the table and receive blessings.

Poetic Version

He tends my soul with gentle hands,
And leads me to green pastures broad.
Beside still waters, He commands peace,
And guides my steps on paths of righteousness.
Though shadows cast their gloom around,
Fear I not, for You are near,
Your rod and staff, my comfort, stand,
And I will dwell forever here.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

As the saying goes, I’m happy to have goodness and mercy following me all my life, but I don’t know how to feel about this Shirley person stalking me.

Bad joke aside: The Jewish Study Bible translation says here, not all “dwell in the house of the Lord forever” but rather, “dwell in the Temple of the Lord, all the days of my life” or sometimes “for a great length of time”. The reason for this difference in translation is mainly due to the idea that most Hebrews did not at this time believe in an afterlife, as the New Testament describes it. But the point is still the same. The shepherd will be with the sheep as long as they exist, and the shepherd promises to care for us until the bitter end, whenever possible.

In one of the old Christopher Reeve Superman movies, there is a scene where Superman saves a man from a burning building. Superman flies in and rescues the man from the top floor of a high-rise, then carries him through the skies and eventually back down to safety again. In the shot, the newly rescued man looks at Superman, fearfully looks through the skies, then looks down at the ground. He cries, “I’m scared, Superman, look how far down that is.” But Superman calmly gives him a response. Superman says, “I delivered you from the burning fire, what makes you think I’m going to drop you now, when I’m carrying you to safety?”

Has God delivered you before from a time of trial? If so, then like Superman in that old film, I too must ask: If God has delivered you before, will he not do it again? And if he’s saved you before, what makes you think He’ll drop you before He safely puts you down again next time, right where you belong?

Jewish Study Bible

⁽¹⁾Adonai is my shepherd; I lack nothing.
²He has me lie down in grassy pastures,
He leads me by quiet water,
³he restores my inner person.
He guides me on the right path.
For the sake of his own name,
⁴Even if I pass through death-dark ravines,
I will fear no disaster, for you are with me;
Your rod and staff reassure me.

⁵You prepare a table for me,
even as my enemies watch;
You anoint my head with oil.
From an overflowing cup.

⁶Goodness and grace will pursue me
every day of my life;
And I will live in the house of Adonai
for years and years to come.

My hope for everyone today is that you have seen and heard something new from God. I pray that this Psalm, which means so much to so many has been even more opened up to you.

So… May you know the shepherd.

May you want for nothing essential.

May you know that there is always a bigger fish no matter how far you make it and humble submit to his direction.

May you follow Him to places of rest and peace.

May you follow the leader of the dance of life.

May you trust he knows the dangerous paths and the safe one and act accordingly.

May His staff and rod be a comfort even when the prodding isn’t.

May healing oil and overflowing cups of blessing be at your table.

And may you act with goodness and mercy all the days of your life, because you are relentlessly pursued by the shepherd who ultimately knows what is best for you and holds your hand in this life, died for you while holding your hand, and continues to be your shepherd even in the life that is to come. Amen.

Song: Open my eyes that I may see (500)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Petitioning Prayers

In the Easter season, we celebrate God’s most precious gift to us in Christ’s dying and his rising. As we present our offering, may our generosity reflect God’s goodness to us, and the hope we have in Christ Jesus, even in these troubled times.

Generous God, thank you for all we have received from you in Christ and in creation; your generosity to us overflows. Bless the gifts we bring and use them and us in the service of your reign of justice and peace, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Guide.

Shepherding God, you walk with us and show us how to love each other. We now turn to you with our hopes and concerns and love for others in these uncertain times. Draw near to us and to all those for whom we pray, so that your love will be known in the world this day.

Nurturing God, on Christian Family Sunday, we pray for the families we belong to in which we received some reflection of your unconditional love.

We thank you for parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, for the generations who started our families and all they gave to us.

Today we thank you for all those who mothered us and we pray for loving mothers and fathers throughout the world, especially those in places of conflict and violence who are worried for their children and the future.

Keep a brief silence.

Strengthen every caregiver’s hope and courage by the power of your Spirit, and create peace in the world so children can grow up in safety.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God who holds all people in your hands, we pray for families in our community and around the world in these uncertain times.

We remember families in need:
those struggling with economic upheaval, unemployment and the high cost of living,
those who know sorrow because someone has died or gone away,
those who live in pain or fear, or face some kind of discrimination.

Keep a brief silence.

Surround all people with your love and courage; bring them support from their neighbours, and guide each child and young person into the future.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God of the nations, we pray for the family of nations in this time of threat and conflict. Change the hearts of leaders bent on destruction or conquest, greed and self-promotion.

Give wisdom and courage to those who seek justice through negotiation, and protect all those who offer themselves in aid and advocacy work.

Keep a brief silence.

Bring peace with justice to this troubled world.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God of love, we pray for each other and for our church family.

We give you thanks for the friendship and fellowship we share and the unique gifts each one brings to our life together.

Rekindle our energy for ministry and mission and show us our path into the future.

Keep a brief silence.

Make us a beacon of hope in your name.

Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

Caring God, the Good Shepherd, guiding us through dark valleys and green pastures, we thank you for your presence with us in all times and in all situations. Amen.

Song: We are one in the Spirit (471)

Sending out with God’s blessing

God’s might to direct me. God’s power to protect me. God’s wisdom for learning. God’s eye for discerning. God’s ear for my hearing. God’s word for my clearing. Amen. (Written by St. Patrick, Irish missionary somewhere around the year 420.)

Response: He is Lord

Music postlude

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The Rev. Brad Childs retains the copyright (© 2025) 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, is used by license, or is in the public domain. Unacknowledged use of copyrighted material is unintentional and will be corrected immediately upon notification being received.

From Failure to Faith

Posted on May 4, 2025May 4, 2025 by John

Worship on the Third Sunday of Easter
10:00 am May 04, 2025
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Vivian Houg Welcoming Elder: Jane de Caen
Reader: Saima Aziz

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
Preparation for worship

Call to worship:
L: Great is the Lord, who calls us to new beginnings as disciples in His name.
P: We gather to learn and grow, as Paul did, ready to be transformed.
L: Let us embrace our journey of faith, supported by God’s teachings.
P: In worship and wonder, we come as students of Christ.

Opening praise: Lord I need you

Prayers of approach and confession

Today, we come before You with hearts overflowing with gratitude for the beauty and wonder of Your creation. We thank You for the smallest miracles, like the tiny fingers of a newborn gripping ours, and for the great signs of Your life in the world around us—like the daffodil stretching open its bloom to greet the spring, or the rugged cliffs, worn by wind and water, bearing their beauty with silent praise. These details remind us that Your presence is woven into every part of creation,

lifting our hearts in praise and wonder.

Help us today to see in the story of the risen Christ a new beginning—an invitation to meet You anew in the everyday moments. May this day and this week be an occasion for us to discover Jesus in our midst—making all things new through the springtime of Your Spirit. Receive our heartfelt worship, O God—Creator, Christ, and Spirit — Ever Three, and Ever One, beginning and end of all things, now and forever.

We approach You with humble hearts, acknowledging that despite your goodness, we often fall short of the hopes and purposes You have for us. We confess that our hearts sometimes cling to grudges—things long past or mistakes we have made—that weigh us down and hinder us from living fully in your grace. It’s difficult to forgive others when we feel wounded; it’s even harder to forgive ourselves when shame and regret cloud our hearts. But Lord, we know that your love is greater than our failures.

You offer us mercy that heals and restores—an invitation to begin again.

Fill us with your Spirit, so we can extend the same mercy and forgiveness to others, and to ourselves. Help us to remove the barriers that keep us from embracing your new life—you call us to be renewed day by day. Amen.

Response: Glory, glory hallelujah

Assurance of God’s forgiveness

Friends in Christ, we are reminded today that no matter how often we stumble, our God’s love and mercy are greater still.

God’s forgiveness is not limited by our brokenness or past mistakes. In Jesus Christ, we find the ongoing promise of redemption—an opportunity to start anew, free from guilt and shame.

To all who humbly seek God’s mercy: hear this good news—Jesus Christ offers forgiveness, renewal, and new life.

Come, rest in the peace of His love, and trust that you are beloved children of God, restored by His grace and empowered by His Spirit. Amen.

We listen for the voice of God

Song: I have decided to follow Jesus (570)

Scripture: Acts 9:1-20

Response: Alleluia, alleluia, give thanks to the risen Lord

Message: From Failure to Faith

Like many biblical figures from Abram to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah, Jacob to Israel, and Simon to Peter, God changes a man called Saul so dramatically that his whole identity shifts and he becomes a totally new person – Paul.

In short, no matter how dark a person’s past, God’s grace can turn them around. God can shake us from our preconceived ideas and create in us the kind of changes we need to get where God is taking us.

In this morning’s reading, Saul is about 40 years old. He is moving quickly up the ranks of the Jewish religious institutions and making a name for himself.

Paul was born in Tarsus in modern-day Turkey, was a Roman citizen and a Hebrew from a conservative branch of faith. He was deeply committed to Judaism and to the Law. And he devoted his life to God as he saw revealed in the Law.

Saul was perhaps one of the most educated Pharisees in his day. According to Luke and recorded in Acts 22:3, Paul “was born in Tarsus”, “was brought up in Jerusalem, under Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, and was thoroughly trained in the law of the Hebrew ancestors.”

Paul’s mentor, Gamaliel, was a highly respected Pharisee and teacher of the Law, widely regarded as one of the most eminent teachers in Jerusalem during that era. He was known for his wisdom, fairness, and influence among the Jewish leaders and the Sanhedrin (a legal/religious court made up of 71 members).

Interestingly, both Gamaliel and another of his most famous students, Rabbi Hillel, had rather famously suggested that this new branch of Judaism, called “the Way,” which followed Jesus, should be treated with respect and understanding. Both asked the other leaders to deal with them leniently.

Saul, however, disagreed with Gamaliel and aligned himself with a man named Shammai, who suggested the death penalty for those he deemed heretics. Paul next went to Shammai, against his mentor’s wishes, requesting to stamp out the leaders of “the Way.”

And so, Saul set out on his own as a vigorous opponent of the early Christian movement, actively persecuting believers and overseeing the imprisonment and even the execution of some followers of Jesus (Acts 8:1-3) with legal documents from the court granting him the power to capture his adversaries.

Now it’s essential to understand Saul. Saul was a man of great faith. And Sual believed he was defending the Jewish tradition from what he saw as heresy. He thought he was doing the right thing by rounding up the followers of Jesus for trial. And that is just what he set out to do – but God had a different plan.

Have you ever done that – the wrong thing – for the right reason?

Sadly, Charles Colson was right when he wrote, “Few things are so deadly as a misguided sense of compassion.” That is where Saul sat. He sat in a place where his purported love for one community moved quickly into the intended destruction of another.

As the saying goes, “My heart was in the right place, but my brain was on vacation.”

Around five years after the resurrection, on a journey to Damascus, Saul has a visionary experience whereby his misguided intentions become a path from violent destruction to a place of praise and hope. At the time, faith in “The Way” had grown quickly. In response, Saul went to the leaders in Jerusalem to get permission to round up both men and women for prison.

And yet, it is precisely on this path of failure that Saul encounters the risen Christ. A brilliant light surrounds him, and he falls to the ground, stripped of certainty and sight. In this vulnerable state, Jesus’ question pierces Saul’s heart: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” With these words, Saul’s mission collapses. He finds himself blinded, led by the hand into Damascus, his previous confidence shattered.

That happens sometimes with God. We find ourselves going about our business, believing or doing one thing, only to discover we were wrong and needed correction.

In short, Saul has a real “come-to-Jesus” moment, and because of that, he has to rethink his entire life.

While the story is described as a literal event and also a vision, its symbolism is perhaps more critical. Whatever took place was a divine intervention, and it turned Saul into Paul.

How many times in life, like Saul, have we spent pursuing our own well-meaning agendas only to miss God’s true calling for us? Have you ever done that?

Perhaps like me, maybe something in your life is less a “carefully orchestrated symphony” and more like “improvisational jazz” on the kazoo.

Sometimes we can become so sure we’re right that we forget to check if we’re missing the absolute truth.

I’ve come to realize that “Sometimes, God lets you believe you’re an expert at something, just so He can dramatically reveal to you that you’ve been microwaving aluminum foil the whole time.”

I’m pretty sure my resume should include ‘Expert in Unintentionally Detouring’ from my Divine Purpose. And I suspect I’m not alone.

What areas in your life might prevent you from seeing the true path? The “catch-22,” of course, is that you can’t see what you can’t see. Sometimes, God has to intervene. But it’s rarely comfortable when He does.

Many times in my life, I have had to course correct.

From changing my mind on the place of women in ministry (when confronted with better information)
to me being rather stanchly against infant baptism (an idea I quickly dropped after learning about the shift from first to second generation Christians)
or my once believing in some version of Verbal Plenary (the idea that the very words of the Bible came from the mouth of God rather than through a human and divine element working together) to a new understanding…

I’ve gone through some rather significant developments in life. And none of it was enjoyable because I, like most people, don’t like being proven wrong or admitting I’ve done wrong to others because of my own silly ideas, things have worked out for the better. And I have learned and grown a lot in life and faith.

Dare I say, if you’re never uncomfortable with God’s guidance, you might be mistaking your own echo for His voice.

Correction from God is the spiritual equivalent of realizing you’ve been wearing your shirt inside out all day. Catching it is embarrassing, but necessary.

In any case, for three days, Saul is confronted with the very Jesus he had rejected. He has had to face a terrible truth – he was wrong about Jesus, The Way and instead of being a hero of faith, he was in fact a violent crusader doing not “the Lord’s work” but Saul’s own.

In any event, Saul was physically blinded and was later led by hand into the city’s west side. For three days, he lives in darkness (both physically and, more importantly, spiritually). But most importantly, Saul is mourning, trying to come to terms with what has happened, who he has been, and who he will need to become now that he has been confronted with this new reality.

Next, there are two dreams. Saul has one and is told that a man called Ananias would come to heal him, and Ananias has one where he is said to go to Saul. For Saul, this would be uncomfortable. Ananias was a beloved community member and someone Saul had almost certainly planned to imprison. Ananias, on the other hand, would completely and rightfully be terrified. Ananias knew full well Saul’s intent for him; going to see Saul must have seemed the most dangerous thing he could ever do. But he goes nevertheless.

How many times in life have you felt that “still small voice” asking you to do something for God you weren’t really comfortable with?

Imagine the courage it must have taken to embrace the very one who had brought so much suffering to his community. Ananias appears only here in the scriptures… but Ananias is a hero.

When Ananias arrives, he calls Saul “Brother” and lays hands on him in prayer.

With that, we are told that “something like scales” fell from Saul’s eyes and he could see again. Saul is then immediately baptized and almost immediately begins a ministry not against The Way but to them. From persecutor to proclaimer, Saul’s failures are not the end but the foundation for his new purpose.

What or who has God used in your life to shine a light on your mistakes and make you reassess? Where right now can His grace help to open our eyes to see life in a new way? Have you ever experienced a moment of clarity that shook your worldview or changed your purpose?

Paul of Tarsus was instrumental in shaping Christian theology, expanding Christianity beyond its Jewish roots, establishing the organizational structure of the early church, and influencing Western culture and thought for the last 2000 years. While his teachings have been subject to interpretation and debate, his impact on the world is undeniable. Had he got his of way and Jesus not confronted him, he would simply have been lost to history as yet another tirant in a long line of destructive fools.

The story of Saul becoming Paul is a reminder that our failures do not define us. Instead, they become opportunities for growth and transformation through God’s grace.

Like Saul, we may find ourselves on paths of misunderstanding and misguided aims. But just as Christ met Saul on the road to Damascus, He often meets us in our moments of failure, offering light, forgiveness, and a new direction.

Like Paul, are we willing to confront our own errors and change direction? Like Ananias, how willing are we to step out in faith and share the hope we’ve found, regardless of our fears?

Where can God bring new life and purpose for you? How can we trust more in God’s power to transform us from darkness into light? God did it with Saul, God does it all the time, and God can do it with us, too.

May we, like Ananias, respond with faith and courage to God’s call, participating in God’s redemptive work in and through us. Like Paul, let us embrace our journey from failures to faith, trusting in the transformative power of God’s grace to guide us to our true callings. And though it may not be comfortable, may it be to us a blessing and to the world around us, a chance to make things right. Amen.

Song: Just as I am, without one plea (682)

We respond to serve God

The Sacrament of Holy Communion

Invitation

Come, beloved friends and family, to the table of grace. Here, we remember Jesus—the One who broke bread with His friends, showed us love in action, and offered His life for ours. All are welcome to participate in this celebration of hope and renewal.

Song: I come with joy (530)

The Apostles’ Creed (539)
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again;

he ascended into heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Communion Prayer

Holy and loving God, we come to You today, hearts full of gratitude and wonder. On this morning, we celebrate the miracle that Changed everything—the resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord.

We thank You for Your unfailing love that brings new life out of death and hope out of despair. We praise You for the gift of Jesus, who lived among us, taught us how to love, and gave His life so that we might be reconciled to You.

Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, You have opened the way for us to experience forgiveness, peace, and new beginnings. You call us to live not in fear but in confidence—trusting that You are with us in every moment.

We thank You for this bread and this cup — signs of Your love and grace, symbols of the life that You offer us now and always. May Your Spirit fill these gifts, and may they nourish us so we can go into the world to share Your hope and joy.

As we partake together, let us remember that Christ’s love binds us as one body, united in the journey of faith. May this meal inspire us anew to walk in His light, to serve with compassion, and to share His good news with everyone we meet.

In the name of Jesus Christ, the risen and living Lord, we pray. Amen.

Sharing of the Bread and Wine

On the night Jesus was betrayed, He took bread, gave thanks to you, broke it, and gave it to His friends, saying:
“Take, eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

And after supper, He took the cup, gave it to them, and said:
“This cup is the new promise in my blood, poured out for you and for all, for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, remember Me.”

Song: Behold the lamb

Prayer after Communion

Gracious God, thank you for this gift of life and love.
Thank you for the bread and wine—signs of your presence, symbols of your grace.
Fill us with your Spirit, that we may know your peace and share your love with the world.
Lead us into the coming days, empowered by your Spirit and renewed in your grace.
May this meal strengthen us for service, hope, and joy.

Song: When we are living (630)

Sending out with God’s blessing

As you go forth this day, may the joy of the risen Christ fill your hearts and guide your steps. May you see His presence in every encounter and His love in every moment.

Go in peace, with eyes open to the wonders of His resurrection, sharing His hope and light with the world. Amen.

Sung Response: He is Lord

Music postlude

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The Rev. Brad Childs retains the copyright (© 2024) 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.