Worship on World Communion Sunday
10:00 am October 05, 2025
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalists: Peter and Cheryl Sheridan Welcoming Elder: Lynn Vaughan
Reader: 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
Preparation for worship
Call to worship:
L: We come as guests invited to a table.
P: We come to celebrate with friends and neighbours.
L: Jesus Christ, our Friend and Saviour, invites us to gather.
P: We gather with his friends around the world.
L: Come and worship with hearts full of God’s praise and promise.
P: We worship God in gladness, for God’s faithfulness endures forever.
Opening praise: Bless the Lord, O my soul
Prayers of approach and confession
Gracious and Generous God, you spread a banquet table and make room for all to come: friend and foe, healed and sick, hopeful and hopeless.
You feed our desires with goodness and fill our longing with steadfast love.
We worship you with grateful praise, together with all your people, here and everywhere, who break bread at your table and who share the cup.
We celebrate our life together in Christ and offer our love and loyalty to you, O God,
source of all goodness, through Jesus Christ, who shares our flesh, and your Holy Spirit who prays within us.
God of mercy and mystery, when you invite us to your table, you ask us to come with clean hands and open hearts.
You ask us to come in peace, seeking reconciliation with you and with each other.
In this silence, we hand over to you the broken relationships, disagreements and disappointments that keep us from living in your peace.
Free us from the burdens we carry which we share in this silence. so that we may be a source of peace in this troubled world:
Assurance of God’s forgiveness
Hear and believe this good news! Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. The old life has gone; a new life has begun. Know that you are forgiven. HAveTheCourageTo Forgive one another, and be at peace – with God, with your neighbour and with yourself.
We listen for the voice of God.
Song: Those who wait on the Lord (682)
Scripture readings: Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 & 2 Timothy 1:1-14
Response: Glory to the Father
Message: A Good Deposit
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my dear son:
Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus) is the apostle who once persecuted the early church, then encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus and was radically changed. Instead of trying to kill the followers of Jesus, Paul becomes a follower of Jesus, if not the very chief follower of Jesus.
As soon as Paul met Jesus, Dr. Luke notes in Acts 9:20, Paul began preaching in the synagogues in Damascus. After three years, Paul notes in Galatians 1:15-18 that he was requested to appear in Jerusalem before James, Jesus’ brother, who was the official leader of the apostles. Notably, among Jesus’s family, only Mary had not openly rejected Jesus. Before the resurrection, James had not believed.
Within seven years, Paul had been commissioned by James as an authority of the Church and began a major missionary journey. He had founded new congregations in Antioch of Syria, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, Galatia, Colossae and Laodicea. He became a teacher, missionary, leader, planter, waterer, and principal author of at least 30% of the word count and 48% of the books we hold to be in the New Testament.
Note that Paul claims to be an apostle called by God. He is not ambitious but called, saying: “My authority comes not from ambition but from God’s call.” In other words, if God can use someone like Paul, with such a dark and disturbing past, then no past is too broken and no future too risky for God to work through you. Through weaknesses, we see God’s strength.
So, why is the book called ‘Timothy’? Well, Timothy is Paul’s young protégé; a trusted coworker who grew up in a mixed Jewish-Greek background and served in churches Paul planted (most notably Ephesus). Paul calls him “my dear son,” indicating a mentoring, father-and-son relationship: Paul taught, guided, and entrusted Timothy with leadership, setting him up as the minister of this local congregation in Paul’s stead.
If you’re older, look for a Timothy to mentor; if you’re younger, be open to a Paul who invests in you. Sir Isaac Newton wrote, “Each one of us stands on the shoulders of those who came before us.” I can feel that. How about you?
Paul writes to Timothy, who is leading the church of the Ephesians, which was a large and influential city on the Aegean Sea in today’s Turkey. The letter is intended for the entire congregation, but also serves as a personal message to a friend. We need to be cautious here, not to assume that life was vastly different in the past. The letter was written to a real community with real struggles — just like our people’s churches today. The advice is practical and personal.
Paul writes, “Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”
To Timothy, “I constantly remember you in my prayers,” and “recalling your tears, I long to see you.” Timothy is pastorally close to the people of this congregation and is in tears on their behalf. They’ve shared deep feelings, likely because of hardship, conflict, and persecution. And some have stopped attending. But also because it’s a family church where just a few friendly families come together to worship.
And so I love this next part. Paul names Lois and Eunice as the origin of Timothy’s “sincere faith.” Timothy was introduced to Jesus by his mother and his grandmother, Lois and Eunice. Paul met Timothy because his mom and grandma took him to church, where Paul was the leader. Sadly, Timothy’s father does not seem to attend Christian worship, and he is an example now, albeit not for the best reasons. Because of that, I want to take a moment to give respect to all of you mothers and grandmothers who make it a point to bring your kids and grandkids into a life of faith and to the youth who arrive with them. Yet I also wish to note that faith is most often learned at home — in bedtime prayers, stories, examples, debates, arguments, questions and more. If you’re a young person, honour those who shaped you; if you’re older, invest in the next generation. Small daily acts matter more than grand programs and more than church services.
Paul moves on and writes, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me, his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.”
Paul’s point in 2 Timothy 1:6-8 is no daring or reckless bravado, but faithfulness born of God’s Spirit. I’m paraphrasing, but Paul says, Don’t be timid about the gifts God has given you; don’t hide them out of fear, shame, or self‑doubt. Use them. Teach, serve, encourage, lead. “The Spirit … does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self‑discipline” (v.7). The Spirit gives boldness to act, love to reach out, and the discipline to persevere. Don’t shrink back because you feel unworthy; rely on the Spirit’s power. You can do nothing alone, and the good news is you also can’t ever be alone. Paul says, We laid hands on you in ordination. The Spirit is with you. And most of all, Paul reminds his friend, Don’t be timid about the testimony of Jesus the Lord. And don’t change what you were told.
Speak up about Jesus, live the gospel openly, worship without embarrassment, and pray at the restaurant. Faith is not meant to be private when people around us can find peace from what is not withheld. And while some people are claiming that Timothy’s church follows a disgraced and arrested man in prison -Paul. Paul says, I’m in jail for sharing my faith.
And yet Paul is largely alone. He has Luke with him but everyone else ran. Paul reminds everyone saying, This is a religious persecution. Please don’t be ashamed of me. Be willing to be me. And then he offers young Timothy some advice, saying, ‘You don’t have to have all the skills you need.’ God has them; you only have to be faithful in your belief in His power to overcome our weaknesses.
I wonder… is there one thing in your life that you’ve been shrinking from (a conversation, a service, a truth to speak)? Then take one small step this week. Be courageous and know God is with you. Don’t ever be timid about your faith.
Next, Paul writes, He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am.
Paul says not to be ashamed of the gospel or of being identified with Christ and His messengers. That includes: speaking up for Jesus (the testimony about our Lord), being known as a follower (even if it costs reputation), and sharing the same suffering or hardship that the gospel sometimes brings. In short: don’t be ashamed of your faith, the message of Jesus, or those who suffer for it.
“He” who can guard what’s entrusted, Paul states, is Jesus Christ. Paul expresses confidence that the Lord he has trusted can protect or preserve what Paul has entrusted to him—Paul’s ministry, teachings, Timothy’s faith, and the gospel mission—until “that day” (the final day of Christ’s return / final judgment).
Remember, Paul and the other apostles generally believed that Jesus would return within their own lifetime. And while Paul has been in prison before, this is unique. Usually, he has been under house arrest awaiting an introduction to plead his case. Here he is in a dungeon, states that he is chained to the wall, and is fairly sure they are going to execute him. His tears for Timothy are at least partly due to the fact that Paul will never see his young friend again. And as far as we know. He didn’t.
With that Paul concludes, “What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. Because Jesus is trustworthy, we can boldly hold and share the gospel without shame, confident that what we entrust to him is safe. What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.”
Paul’s central point comes out: Don’t stray from the pattern.
At this point, I’m reminded of the time I visited the old Army-Navy store on Whyte Avenue and purchased a pair of remarkably inexpensive pants. When I got them home and tried them on, I discovered that one of the pockets was sewn in the wrong place. It was folded back on itself, and you couldn’t put anything in it. I’m sure that at the factory, the pattern was fine, but somewhere in the manufacturing process, something went wrong, and the pants deviated from the pattern that had otherwise produced thousands of perfectly good garments. Because it didn’t follow the same pattern, the pants were useless.
Paul says to keep the pattern of his teaching and “Guard the good deposit!” What is the “good deposit”? The deposit is the gospel Paul preached — the apostolic teaching about Jesus: his life, death, resurrection, and the way of salvation and faithful living that flows from it. It includes the core truths and the practical form of Christian life Paul modelled and taught (what Timothy “heard” from Paul). It’s “good” because it brings life, not just information; it’s trustworthy, vital, and meant to be passed on.
Guarding isn’t mere storage. It means preserving the truth’s integrity (sound doctrine), defending it against distortion, and embodying it in life and ministry. Practically, guarding includes teaching faithfully, correcting error gently, living out the gospel in love, and passing the faith to others. It’s active stewardship: watchful, disciplined, and responsible care for what has been entrusted to us.
The gospel can be diluted or distorted. If the pattern isn’t followed, then the germ of where everything starts is off, and the gospel will end up being a useless version of something otherwise good.
Paul is about to die, believes Jesus is returning any day and is in tears, worried that people are going to give up on Jesus just before he comes back. He’s afraid the church is going to end up with a crooked sewn-in and useless pocket like my old pants.
By contrast, we are called to keep the message whole and to live it out so others see its truth. Guarding the deposit means both protecting doctrine and practicing compassion — sound teaching that is shown by loving action. The ‘good deposit’ is the life‑giving gospel we received; guarding it means teaching it faithfully and living it boldly — and the Holy Spirit gives us the wisdom and strength to do both.
May you hold fast to the gospel just as you received it and may we all remain faithful no matter what the world around us says or does. Amen.
Song: I know not why such wondrous grace (683)
We respond to serve God
Our time of giving
Prayers of the people
God of hope, amid all the concerns in the world around us, we turn to your Word.
Send your Holy Spirit to still our thoughts and speak your wisdom to us. Fill us with the humble confidence we meet in Jesus Christ, your Living Word.
Around this table, we celebrate God’s generosity to us in Christ and in creation. We present our offering in gratitude for all God has given. Your offering will now be received.
God, you are the giver of every good and perfect gift. Our gifts may not be ideal, but bless them with your Holy Spirit to spread your goodness in the world, for the sake of Christ, our living Lord.
Gracious and generous God,
You spread a welcome table and set a place for everyone — friend and stranger, the confident and the fearful, those who are healthy and those who are hurting.
You feed our hungers with goodness, satisfy our restless longings with your steady love, and call us to share what we have with others.
We come to you in gratitude and wonder, joining our voices with Christians across the world who find life at your table.
We celebrate the gift of being together in Christ, and we offer you our loyalty and our love, O God, source of every good thing.
We give thanks for Jesus Christ — who took on our flesh, who ate with outcasts, and who taught us to welcome the poor — and for your Holy Spirit, who prays and works in us day by day.
Merciful God, of second chances and small mercies,
You invite us to come to your table with open hands and honest hearts.
You ask us to come in peace, to be reconciled to you and to one another, and to let go of bitterness and blame.
Teach us the small practices of peace: a quick apology we’ve been putting off, a phone call to someone we haven’t been kind to, offering a cup of water to a neighbour, or a short prayer for the person who annoys us.
Show us where we can perform a small, practical act of kindness this week — pay a debt of gratitude, return a borrowed item, or sit with someone lonely.
In a moment of silence, let us bring the real, everyday things that weigh on our hearts:
– the small quarrels that fester in our families, the words left unsaid;
– the worry about money, work, bills, and the future;
– the embarrassments and regrets we try to hide;
– the health concerns that wake us at night and the appointments we dread;
– the relationships strained by distance or silence;
– the silent fears of those we love;
– the ways we have refused to help, or failed to notice, someone at our gate.
As we hold these things before you in silence, give us practical courage to act: to send the message, make the call, set the meeting, or to offer a simple meal. Free us from the burden of striving to be perfect and help us take the small steps that heal.
(Silence)
God of patience and power,
We thank you for not waiting for us to be perfect before you meet us. You meet us where we are: tired, confused, fearful, hopeful. Because you are with us, we can try again.
Fill us with the Spirit’s steadiness — not impulsive bravado, but patient strength, calm resolve, and brave compassion. Give us the discipline to make small, daily choices that shape our character: five minutes of quiet prayer, one kind word to a family member each day, a weekly moment of giving, and a habit of listening more than speaking.
Help our church to be a place where this daily discipleship is practiced. Show us simple, concrete ways to care for one another this week — a meal train for someone who’s ill, a ride to an appointment, a note to a grieving family. May our shared life here become a reflection of your generous table, where everyone feels welcome.
We pray for those who cannot be with us now: those who are sick at home, those serving far away, those who cannot join because of work, and those who feel estranged from faith. Reach them, Lord, with your presence and practical help. Guide us to be your hands and feet.
Lord, as we prepare to share this meal, grant us the humility to admit our faults and the boldness to act in love. Teach us to practice reconciliation in everyday ways so your peace grows among us and in the neighbourhoods we return to.
(Silence)
Passing the peace
The Sacrament of Holy Communion
Invitation
In the early hours of this morning, while all was quiet and dark here at home, the sun was rising on the other side of the world. And with the dawn of this new day, God’s people began gathering for worship amid the sounds of drums, pipes, stringed instruments or pianos and organs.
And now we, too, join in this worldwide chorus of those who call upon the name of the Lord. On this World Communion Sunday, we remember especially that the scriptures are fulfilled as “people will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
So come, not because you must, but because you may. Come not because you are strong, but because you seek God’s strength. All who trust in Jesus are invited to join in the feast that God has prepared.
Song: Jesus calls us here to meet him ( 528)
We lift them up to the Lord.
Holy God, Holy One, Holy Three,
You are the source of all that exists.
You are beyond the galaxies, deeper than the oceans;
You pour down rain and bring forth the fruit of the earth.
You carry us through deep waters and hold us in the darkest night.
So, with all your creatures, great and small, with angels and archangels, with saints and servants in every generation
Holy is your Son Jesus, O God;
Walking this earth, feeding the hungry, calling the lost, noticing the forgotten, healing those who reached out, teaching those who sought wisdom, he revealed your kingdom among us.
Today, we thank you for all Jesus shared with us to show us that you are always with us in times of plenty and times of pain.
Holy God,
When the sounds of our rejoicing fall silent,
We remember those who cannot rejoice today, who face times of pain, fear, or upheaval.
We think especially of those whose countries have been overwhelmed by earthquake, flood or storm, by conflict, drought or famine.
Draw near to them in the power of the Spirit to strengthen and sustain them through Christ’s compassion and ours.
Holy Spirit, come now and settle on us and on these gifts of bread and wine.
May they become for us Christ’s body and lifeblood, healing, forgiving and making us whole.
So may we become Christ’s body, the Church,
loving and caring throughout the whole world until that day when all creation feasts with you in the fullness of your mercy and peace that we savior today in the name of our Saviour.
The Lord’s Prayer (496: sung)
Institution
The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,
And when he had given thanks for it, he broke it, and said,
‘This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’
In the same way, he also took the cup, after supper, saying,
‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, You proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Sharing of the Bread and Wine
This is the body of Christ broken for you.
This cup is the blood of Christ shed for you.
Song: One bread, one body
Prayer after Communion
Loving God, Christ our Lord, Holy Spirit, you have nourished us, body and soul, in this meal.
We have heard your love, so send us out to speak it.
We have seen your love, so send us out to show it.
Your passion has fed us, so send us out to share it.
And let all things be done for your glory. Amen.
Song: Sent forth by your blessing (775)
Sending out with God’s blessing
Go from here to serve God, your strength renewed and your faith reassured, for you are part of Christ’s body, embracing the world in his name.
And may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit, and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
Response: God to enfold you
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.