Hope

Posted on December 1, 2024December 1, 2024 by John

Worship on the Lord’s Day
Communion and the First Sunday of Advent
10:00 am December 01, 2024
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs
Music Director: Binu Kapadia Vocalist: Rom Rhoad
Welcoming Elder: Gina Kottke Reader: Renita MacCallum

We gather to worship God

Music Prelude

Greeting
L: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ Be with you
P: And also, with you

Welcome and announcements
Preparation for worship

Call to worship: Bassah/Esoh family.
L: As we enter the season of Advent, we remember God’s call to seek justice in the world God loves.
P: We come longing for a brighter future for all.
L: We light the first candle of Advent, a symbol of God’s hope, which shines in the darkness.
(Light the candle of hope)
L: May the light of this candle ignite a fire within your people, who are often afraid or hesitant to work for change
P: Holy One, strengthen us by your Spirit to commit ourselves to walking with those who are oppressed and marginalized. May our actions reflect your hope, which transforms your world. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen

Opening praise: Hope is a star (119: vs 1)

Prayers of approach and confession

God of love, you come to your people to dwell with us.

You come with the power to transform all things.

You come with promises to make all things new.

You come with signs of your deep love for the world.

You come, and your truth breaks into our lives, shattering lies and half-truths, setting your people free.

Your coming is our hope, so we offer you our praise and prayers in gratitude and anticipation.

Come into our lives again, O God, and show us how to hope in the face of all that is discouraging, for we gather in the name of Hope made flesh, Jesus Christ, your promise and our desire.

Merciful God, in your gracious presence we confess our sins and the sins of this world.

Surprising God, forgive our sleepiness in the presence of your splendour and for when we abandon hope and expect and look for the same old thing in the same old way.

Forgive us for our silence when we should have spoken up and our carelessness with your world and each other.

Awaken us to your holy, hopeful presence so we may watch and wait for you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Response: We come to ask your forgiveness, O Lord

Assurance of God’s love

The One who comes with justice also comes with mercy. The God of Judgment is truly the Christ of compassion. God offers you forgiveness today in the hope you will receive it gladly. Do not be afraid but rejoice in the God who comes to us.

We listen for the voice of God

*Song: All earth is waiting (109)

Scripture readings:
Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalm 25:1-10; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; Luke 21:25-36

Response: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

Message: “Hope”

As we step into Advent—a season of waiting and anticipation—I’m reminded of the words from baseball legend Yogi Berra, who said, ‘It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” Still, like death and taxes, some can be predicted.

As we enter the first Sunday of Advent, we find ourselves at the threshold of a season marked by anticipation and preparation. Advent is when we pause to reflect on the profound mystery of Christ’s incarnation and the promise of His glorious return. Our focus today is on Luke 21:25-35, words that might seem unsettling at first but, in truth, are filled with hope and encouragement.

Jesus describes signs in the heavens, distress among nations, and the fear gripping many hearts. Imagine turning on the news and seeing reports of global chaos, natural disasters, and widespread panic. Or wait, that also might be the main job of the news. If it bleeds, it leads, as they say. Shock sells ads. And yet, nothing is special about today. We have no monopoly on this. It was an issue in Jesus’ day, just as it is still. Amid such imagery, Jesus calls us to lift our heads with hope, for our redemption is drawing near. And if we allow them to, Jesus’ words can help life shine through the chaos.

Luke 21, often called the Olivet Discourse, is Jesus’ prophetic teaching about the end times. This discourse is set against a backdrop of Roman occupation and Jewish expectations for a Messiah who would overthrow their oppressors. People longed for deliverance, much like we long for hope in times of trouble today.

Jesus uses apocalyptic language—a style familiar to His Jewish audience that drew upon the imagery found in the books of Daniel and Isaiah. While this mode of writing is unfamiliar to us, the genre would be no more confusing than narrative or poetry to the original audience. This apocalyptic way of speaking was not meant to frighten but to inspire and awaken believers to the urgent reality of God’s forthcoming kingdom. It’s also (just as it is the book of Revelation) not necessarily about the Future so much as it is about the revelation of things that happen repeatedly through time.

To be clear, I believe that most of the Book of Revelation describes past and not future events. That is, until chapter 21. And at that point, things change. Still, the idea is not to tell of the future. It’s to warn about the cycle or “downward spiral” people and governments continually get themselves into.

To understand Apocalyptic literature better, imagine being in a theatre, waiting for the curtain to rise. There’s a hushed anticipation as everyone sits in darkness, knowing something unique will unfold. Similarly, Jesus’ words signal the rise of God’s kingdom—a divine drama in which we are both audience and actors.

For the early Church, Jesus’s signs were not just future events but immediate confirmations of God’s active involvement in history. They were reminders that, regardless of present tribulations, God has the ultimate plan.

Today, we see parallels as we navigate a world filled with political unrest, economic challenges, and social divides. Yet, as in Jesus’ time, these challenges also bring opportunities to witness God’s faithfulness and the unfolding of His purpose.

“Winston Churchill once said, ‘I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else.’ We carry this optimism through faith, knowing that our heads lifted in hope are not just an act of courage, but a declaration of trust in God’s redemptive plan.” Faith takes work.

Let’s delve into Jesus’s vivid images—signs in the sun, moon, and stars, and nations distressed by tumultuous seas.

These cosmic signs echo the prophetic language of the Old Testament, where such events were seen as divine signals of judgment and renewal. For example, Joel 2 and Isaiah 13 speak of celestial disturbances as precursors to divine action.

In Romans 8:22, Paul tells us that “the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” This groaning reflects creation’s eager longing for redemption—a renewal promised by God.

Every winter in Canada except for 6 (and yes, BC and Kansas are basically the same when it comes to winters, so those few years probably don’t count, but… every winter otherwise in Canada), I wonder why I live through these winters where the AIR hurts me for half the year. But the answer is because of the Summers! No, it’s the people, actually. The summers are just a bonus.

But think of Edmonton in the early spring. After a long, very harsh winter, the trees look bare and lifeless. But then the first buds appear, small and tentative. Those buds are signs of the transformation to come; they signal that life will return in full bloom. Jesus describes the churning of earth, sky, and sea as similar birth pains of a new creation, not the death of one most would fear.

These signs also remind us of our human frailty and the broken state of our world: hurricanes, wildfires, and shifting climates—all can serve as metaphors for spiritual and ecological groaning. They prompt a reflection on stewardship, justice, and care for the earth as part of our calling.

Rather than seeing these disturbances solely as omens of doom, we should view them as part of God’s redemptive narrative, urging us toward a deeper reliance on His promises. What we shouldn’t do, however, is throw ourselves into a bunch of fearmongering and self-destruction because while people often mock that guy with a megaphone and a “The End Is Near” sign around his neck, we also secretly believe he’s somehow right. And that’s because He is. But thank God, he’s also partly wrong, at least for now.

Harold Camping, a Christian radio broadcaster, famously predicted the world’s end multiple times. His first notable prediction was for September 6, 1994, which passed without incident. Undeterred, Camping recalculated and proclaimed that May 21, 2011, would be the new date for the apocalypse. He gained significant media attention leading up to this date, and some of his followers even sold belongings and spent their savings in preparation.

When May 21 also came and went without incident, Camping amended his prediction again, stating that October 21, 2011, would be the actual day of judgment. Camping retracted his statements after this final prediction also failed, admitting he had been wrong and ceased further predictions. It’s odd when people make these predictions. How do they know exactly? Jesus was asked about the End of Time once, and his response was, “I don’t know.” Mark 13:32 says, “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor I the Son, but only the Father.” If Jesus didn’t know, maybe we shouldn’t pretend to.

With that in mind, I love classic cinema. But in one of the most critical scenes in cinematic history. In the classic film Ghost Busters, One, Dr. Peter Venkman interviews a psychic named Dr. Peter F. Frank. Dr. Frank predicts that the world will end on New Year’s Eve of that same year, just a few weeks away.

Dr. Venkman asks why Peter Frank didn’t predict a date further in the future, noting that the book’s Hard Copy had just arrived and the paperbacks wouldn’t show up for at least a year. He could better capitalize on book sales if he pushed the date back a bit. To this, the guest repeats his prediction, apparently comfortable without the money. Interestingly, that prediction nearly comes true at the film’s end, save not for ordinary people stepping up. Say what you will about people we disagree with, but broken clocks are correct sometimes, too.

In Luke 21:28, amid these unsettling images, Jesus offers a clear and powerful directive: “Straighten up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near.” This command is not merely a call to optimism; it’s a profound statement of faith. Redemption, here, refers to the comprehensive restoration of creation and humanity under Christ’s lordship. Think of a rescue mission launched during a natural disaster. While chaos reigns, rescuers move with certainty and purpose, guided by a plan to save and restore. Jesus’ words remind us that God’s rescue mission is in progress. If you are here, then you are already a part of that.

Advent beautifully encapsulates this duality of the “already” and the “not yet.” We celebrate the Incarnation—God becoming flesh in Jesus, an event that initiated the redemptive process. Yet, we anticipate fulfilling His promise to return and complete this work, as described in Revelation 21—when He wipes away every tear and makes all things new.

Our challenge during Advent is to live as redeemed people now, embodying hope in every aspect of our lives. This isn’t just a personal journey but a communal call as the body of Christ, the Church, to reflect this hope.

How do we live out this call of hope in practical terms? First, it requires a posture of vigilance and readiness. Jesus warns us not to let our hearts be weighed down by the anxieties of life (Luke 21:34). Instead, we are called to remain awake and expectant.

Our daily lives should reflect the hope of Christ’s kingdom. In Philippians 2:15, Paul urges believers to “shine as lights in the world.” This involves acts of kindness, justice, and mercy—deeds that reflect Christ’s light to others.

Consider a relay race. Each runner must stay focused and ready to receive and pass the baton. If one falters, the whole team is affected. As believers, we’re in a spiritual relay race, tasked with carrying the torch of faith and hope and passing it on through active engagement with the world.

Advent invites us to examine our lives closely. Are we using our gifts and resources to further God’s kingdom? Are we sharing the Gospel in word and deed? The world around us, often filled with despair, desperately needs the hope we can offer through Jesus Christ. For me, the answer is Sometimes. Mostly, I hope.

Moreover, we are encouraged to cultivate spiritual disciplines—prayer, scripture study, and community worship—as these practices sustain and strengthen our hope and readiness.

Advent is not just a personal experience but a communal one. As the Church, we embody the collective hope of God’s people, shining collectively as a beacon of light in a dark world. Our gatherings for worship and fellowship are vital, nurturing this collective hope.

The Church in the Reformed tradition emphasizes being “reformed and always reforming,” staying vigilant to the world’s needs and responsive to the Spirit’s leading. Advent is a time to reflect on and reinvigorate our mission.

During Advent, the Church is called to be particularly active in mission. This might involve serving people in need, advocating for justice, or reaching out to those who are spiritually hungry. As we light the candles of Advent, each flame represents the building anticipation and our collective light, pushing against the darkness.

Lighting candles, sharing meals, and community service are not mere traditions—they are declarations of faith in Christ’s return and His current work in our world. As ambassadors of Christ, let us proclaim His kingdom with our lips and through our lives.

As we draw to a close, let’s reflect on how we can carry the spirit of Advent throughout the entire year. Jesus’ words in Luke 21 are both a warning and a promise: a warning against despair and distraction and a promise of redemption.

Picture a gardener tending to a winter garden. Though the frost may seem to have claimed the landscape, the gardener knows that beneath the cold surface, life is stirring. Similarly, through Advent, we are reminded that God’s kingdom is growing beneath the surface of our present turbulence.

This Advent let us be gardeners of hope, cultivating faith in our lives and communities. May we keep our eyes fixed on Christ, trusting His promise to return. Let these days prepare us, not just for a season, but for a lifetime of expectant living.

As we await the Savior who came to us in humility and will return in glory, let’s lift our heads confidently. Together, let us proclaim with our lives and voices: Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again. Amen.

Song: Let Christian faith and hope dispel (368: vss 1,2,3,5)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayer of gratitude, and for others and ourselves

We make our offering today with hopeful hearts, trusting that the Holy One who comes to us will bless our gifts and our lives, to make us signs of hope in the world God loves.

Holy and Righteous God, we offer our gifts with humble hearts, knowing the needs in your world are great, and our gifts alone will never fill those needs. We offer our gifts in the hope that you will bless them and use them to help fulfil your purpose, which is revealed in Jesus Christ, the Saviour of us all.

O Spirit of Hope, when the world is confusing and bleak, you pierce the despair with your Word, and renew our vision of God’s possibilities for our lives.

Thank you for lessons learned, changes of heart and mind, discoveries made, and hope restored.

As the seasons turn to winter, we pray for those who feel lonely and isolated.

We remember those without homes to shelter in, and those forced to leave their homes through conflict, natural disaster or political upheaval.

(Keep a brief time of silence)

Spirit of Hope, shelter all these under your wings.

Lord, in your mercy. Hear our prayer.

O God of Peace, the world and our relationships, homes and workplaces are too much filled with conflict, strife and disagreement.

We pray for places where hurt feelings, violence and cruelty appear to win the day, thinking especially of …insert relevant and timely examples here and situations closer to home that we carry on our hearts.

(Keep a brief time of silence)

God of Peace, work for just and peaceful resolutions to prevail.

Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

O Creator of Joy, we thank you for moments of joy and celebration in our lives, for pleasure given and received, for quiet times of reflection and conversation, and for the many ways that allow us to keep in contact with those we love.

We remember those who feel bitter while others rejoice, those who grieve the loss of loved ones, and those who face a bleak winter for any reason.

(Keep a brief time of silence)

Creator of Joy, bring to your people warmth and lightness in the season ahead, and let your joy shine through us as compassionate companions.

Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

O Love divine made flesh in Christ, you call us into communion with you and community with one another.

We pray for your church and this congregation, that love will guide all your people as we plan our life and mission.

And we remember before you our families, whether we are close or estranged; and our friends and colleagues who furnish our lives with love.

(Keep a brief time of silence)

Love Divine, bless each one with your love and help us express our gratitude and concern for each other in word and action.

Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

The Sacrament of Holy Communion

Invitation

Dear friends in Christ, as we gather around this table today, we do so in the spirit of unity, gratitude, and remembrance. In the Reformed tradition, we recognize this sacrament of Holy Communion as a sacred means of grace, when we are invited to meet the risen Christ and partake in His life-giving presence.

This table is not just for Presbyterians or members of this congregation alone; it is the Lord’s Table. All who profess faith in Jesus Christ and seek to follow Him are welcome to participate in this holy meal. Here, we are reminded of the breadth of God’s love, which binds us together as one body, transcending all earthly divisions.

Song: All who hunger, gather gladly (534 )

The Nicene Creed (578)
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him, all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son, he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Communion Prayer

Gracious and loving God,

We gather at this table with grateful hearts, remembering the incredible gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ. We thank You for His life, His teachings, His sacrifice, and His resurrection. In this sacred meal, we are reminded of Your covenant of grace and the promise of new life in Him.

As we break bread together, we remember that Christ’s body was broken for us, and as we drink the cup, we remember that His blood was shed for the forgiveness of sins. Through this act of communion, we proclaim the mystery of our faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

Pour out Your Holy Spirit upon us, and upon these gifts of bread and cup, that they may become for us the body and blood of Christ. Nourish us with Your grace so that we may be united in Him and strengthened to serve others in His name.

As we share this meal, unite us with believers across time and space, that we may be one body in Christ, working together for Your kingdom. Help us to walk in love, show mercy, and live lives that bear witness to Your transforming power. Amen.

Sharing of the Bread and Wine

On the night when He was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks, He broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

In the same way, after supper, He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes again.

Song: One bread, one body (540)

Prayer after Communion

Eternal and gracious God,

We thank You for this holy meal shared in the spirit of remembrance and hope. As we have partaken of the body and blood of Christ, we are reminded of the depth of Your love and the gift of redemption offered to us. In this time of Advent, we acknowledge the anticipation of Christ’s coming, both in the humble birth in Bethlehem and in His glorious return.

As we step into this season of waiting, help us to prepare our hearts and minds for His arrival. May this Communion strengthen us to embody the love of Christ in our lives, so that we might shine His light in a world filled with darkness and uncertainty.

Lord, as we move forward into this week, let this meal empower us to live as people of hope. May our lives reflect the joy of Your presence, drawing others toward the promise of salvation and peace that only You can provide.

Guide our community as we journey through this season together. May we encourage one another in faith, uplift those who are weary, and share the story of the good news of Christ’s love with all we meet.

In His holy name, we pray. Amen.

Song: Who’s going to tell the story (761)

Sending out with God’s blessing

Go into the world in hope.
Be of good courage.
Hold fast to what is good.
Return no one evil for evil.
Strengthen the fainthearted.
Support the weak.
Help the afflicted.
Love God and one another, follow Christ, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit, and the blessing of God almighty. Amen.

Response: The blessing

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 (© 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.

Hail to the King, baby!

Posted on November 24, 2024November 24, 2024 by John

Worship on the Lord’s Day
10:00 am November 24, 2024 Reign of Christ Sunday
Minister: Rev. Brad Childs Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Sam and Ann May Malayang
Welcoming Elder: Shirley Simpson
Readers: Kaye & Bianca

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: Say among the nations, The God reigns.
P: Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice!
L: The Lord is coming to judge the earth.
P: God will judge the world with righteousness and truth.
L: So let us worship God with praise and honour.
P: We will offer God our gratitude for all that God has done.

Opening praise: Come, now is the time to worship

Prayers of approach and confession

God whose power is love,

In Jesus Christ, you tipped the world upside down.

You revealed your strength through compassion, and your power through his surrender to the Cross.

In Christ, we trust that no set back or hopeless situation can prevent your glory from shining forth.

This day we offer you our love and loyalty in his name.

With your Spirit of love, turn the world upside down again, so that mercy prevails over those who would rule by force, and truth triumphs over the world’s deceptions.

All honour and blessing be yours,

Holy One, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, we pray for the coming of your kingdom week by week, but we confess we’re not really clear on what that means.

Will you come to set things straight in the world?

Will you bring all things to an end or offer us a new beginning?

Jesus, forgive us when we mix up our own desires with your purposes for your people. Teach us how to live out your truth.

Response: We come to ask your forgiveness, O Lord

Assurance of God’s love

Remember the promise the Apostle Paul declares: What will separate us from the love of Christ? Hardship? Distress? Peril or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through the God who loves us. Let us rejoice that, no matter what is happening around us, no matter what we have done, God’s deep love will never let us go

We celebrate

The Family will come to stand at the front.

Introduction

If you have yet to meet them, this is Diana and Gilbert Dadzie and this is Adeline – and now we also have little baby Braeden. It is my joy to introduce them today and to take a moment to affirm this family’s faith and dedicate this soul to her God. Therefore, before God and this company I ask first to the parents and then to the congregation.

Affirmations of Faith

Diana, Gilbert: do you acknowledge 1 God in 3 persons Father Son and Holy Spirit?

Response: I Do

Do you, in dependence upon Jesus Christ put your faith in Him?

Response: I Do

Do you believe that God’s spirit is with us, providing spiritual gifts and direction in life?

Response: I Do

Do you believe in the bride of Christ, the Church?

Response: I Do

And lastly, do you wish to dedicate your child to the Lord, promising to raise them up in the faith to be a witness to the resurrection as much as it depends upon you?

Response: I Do

Let us confirm our common faith in the words of the Apostles Creed:

The Apostles Creed

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 again 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.

And now to the congregation, do you the people of Dayspring promise to help guide and nurture this dear child in as you watch them grow?

Response: I Do

Dedication of: Braeden Fiifi Dadzie

In Psalm 78:1-7 it reads, ^1 “My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. ²I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old—³things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us. ⁴We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done. ⁵He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, ⁶so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. ⁷Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.”

And now Braeden, we as a community of faith and care, Dayspring Presbyterian Church, and in accordance with the wishes of your family, do now together, dedicate you to the service of the Lord and do pray that your faith may remain strong all the days of your life and beyond just as you will be nurtured and encouraged to do.

Let us Pray: Lord in dedication to you we present this young life asking for your help as they grow. Bless them and their family and lead them down right paths. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Declaration and welcome

Welcome to Dayspring and may you all be blessed.

Response: The Lord bless you (Aaronic Blessing)

Children are invited to attend Sunday School now

We listen for the voice of God

Song: Rejoice, the Lord is King (267: vss 1,2,5)

Scripture: 2 Samuel 23:1-7; John 18:33-37; Revelation 1:4b-8

Response: Behold the lamb of God

Message: “Hail to the King, baby!”

Welcome to the final Sunday of the Christian year—Christ the King Sunday!

Next week, Advent begins, ushering in a new church year and preparing us for the birth of Christ. But today, we pause at the culmination of the year to declare a bold truth: Christ is King. And with that proclamation comes a challenge—a call to examine where our true allegiance lies.

This feast day might feel ancient and deeply rooted in tradition, but it’s not as old as you might think. Pope Pius XI instituted it in 1925, a mere 99 years ago, in response to a world in turmoil.

Imagine 1925: the world had barely emerged from the devastating “war to end all wars,” but the whispers of a new and even deadlier conflict were already in the air. The global economy was crumbling. And leaders like Benito Mussolini in Italy and a little-known agitator named Adolf Hitler in Germany were stepping into the spotlight, offering simple, dangerous solutions to complex problems.

In this climate of fear and uncertainty, Pope Pius called Christians worldwide to stand firm—not behind political ideologies or charismatic figures, but under the banner of Christ’s Kingdom. He wanted believers to proclaim, without hesitation, that their ultimate loyalty belonged to Christ, not to the empires or powers of this world.

Yet history shows us how tragically that call went unheeded. Millions, including devout Christians, were swept up in the tide of nationalism and violence that followed. Many believed they could follow Christ and political leaders like Hitler at the same time, failing to see the profound contradiction between Christ’s call to love and the hatred and destruction they were supporting.

Even more chilling are the accounts of Christians during World War II who compartmentalized their faith. They might spend the morning working in concentration camps and the evening wrestling with questions of conscience—like whether a Christian should attend a camp dance. How could they miss the glaring truth that Christ’s Kingdom and such atrocities were utterly incompatible?

Now I want to be clear because I think I’ve gone to worship services only to feel attacked simply due to my citizenship. The rude jokes and snide comments and insinuations that half the people in the US are evil and my grandmother is a misogynist nazi and I just don’t get it. For me, and I’m not a Trump supporter but I have to say, the Party supporting anti-Jewish protests shouldn’t call the other party Nazi’s and the Party that skipped the entire democratic process shouldn’t be calling the other party a threat to democracy, they have already proven to be that very thing. At the same time I am quite terrified by the sway in power because I tend to be happier when the power is more divided between the Office of President and the Two houses. I think they work best when they are forced to work together.

But again, I’m not pushing for people to think about half the people in another country as either this or that, I’m suggesting that the entire system is a disaster, and I’m saying I think we all need a King of a completely different kind all together.

Part of the problem we face is centered around a misunderstanding of Jesus’ words, “My Kingdom is not of this world.” For some, this became an excuse to separate faith from public life, to see religion as a private, spiritual affair with no bearing on the political or social realities of the day. But was that what Jesus meant?

To understand, we turn to today’s Gospel reading, which takes us back to another dark moment in history—Jesus standing before Pilate in Judea. Pilate, the Roman governor, was tasked with maintaining order in a volatile province. History paints him as both ruthless and weak—a man who ruled through fear and violence but often vacillated under pressure.

In today’s Gospel, we see Pilate sarcastically ask Jesus, “So, you are a king?” It’s a moment of stark contrast: on one side, Pilate, representing the power of Rome, backed by legions and the threat of the sword; on the other, Jesus, beaten and bound, with no earthly army or political clout.

And yet, as their dialogue unfolds, we realize something astonishing. Jesus, though outwardly powerless, is the one truly in control. Pilate is caught in a web of fear—fear of the crowd, fear of losing his position, fear of making the wrong choice. Jesus, on the other hand, speaks with calm authority.

“My Kingdom is not of this world,” Jesus says. But He doesn’t mean His Kingdom is irrelevant to this world. Rather, His Kingdom operates on entirely different principles. Pilate’s power comes from domination and violence. Jesus’ power comes from truth.

This is the clash of two types of power: institutional power and charismatic power.

Institutional power, like Pilate’s, is imposed from the top down. It relies on force, fear, and control.

Charismatic power, like Jesus’, rises from the bottom up. It’s not enforced—it’s recognized. People follow because they see truth, justice, and love embodied in the leader.

When Jesus says, “Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice,” He’s pointing to the heart of His authority. Those who seek truth are drawn to Him—not because they’re forced to follow, but because they recognize in Him the very essence of truth itself.

This is the difference between Jesus’ Kingdom and the kingdoms of this world. In worldly systems, power is about dominance. In Jesus’ Kingdom, greatness comes through service. As He told His disciples in Mark 10: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.”

Jesus’ Kingdom turns the world’s values upside down. The greatest are the least. The weak are treasured. The lost are sought out and welcomed. And leadership is not about commanding others but laying down one’s life for them.

This is the Kingdom we are called to serve. But let’s be clear: following Christ the King is not easy. His Kingdom stands in stark opposition to the values of this world. And when we declare our allegiance to Christ, we’re making a revolutionary statement.

Jesus’ Kingdom may not come with armies or political campaigns, but it’s no less radical. His rule challenges every system of oppression, every ideology of hate, every pursuit of power that devalues human life.

So today, as we proclaim Christ as King, we must also ask ourselves: where do our allegiances lie? Are we serving the kingdoms of this world—systems that prioritize wealth, power, and self-interest—or are we serving the upside-down Kingdom of Christ, where love, humility, and sacrifice reign supreme?

The world needs this Kingdom now more than ever. We live in dark times—marked by violence, division, and fear. But as subjects of Christ the King, we are called to be light in the darkness. To stand for truth. To reject the ways of violence and hatred. To live as citizens of a Kingdom that is not of this world but is breaking into it through us.

Christ is King! His is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Let us proclaim it boldly—not just with our words, but with our lives. Amen.

Song: Come, my way, my truth, my life (565)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayers for ourselves and for our world

Lord Jesus, you rule in this world through your love. Receive our gifts as tokens of our love for you. Bless and multiply them through the power of the Spirit, so that they will spread your love in ways we have yet to imagine.

Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession

Holy One, the Source, Story and Spirit of love,

We praise you for the signs of your reign among us:

For hope overcoming despair, trust rising above hurt, love prevailing over hatred, and peace restoring harmony after discord.

Lord Jesus, Reign among us in love.

God of hope beyond fear,

We pray that you will comfort this broken world.

May the vision of your peaceable kingdom take root in your church, in our families and our community, and in countries marked by violence and struggles for power.

Lord Jesus, Reign among us in love.

God who mends the world,

We pray for a world where differences are met with understanding, and everyone can find a place of dignity and respect.

Shape our hearts with the kindness of your Spirit so that all our relationships honour each person as created in your image, and our actions demonstrate your healing intent.

Lord Jesus, Reign among us in love.

God of life beyond death,

We pray for all those who are grieving the loss of a loved one, the loss of hope, or the loss of a dream.

Be present with each one living through a time of sadness or discouragement.

Bring them comfort through your presence and show us how to be good companions on the journey to renewed hope.

Lord Jesus, Reign among us in love.

As we honour the reign of Christ this Sunday, we pray for the Church, his Body, living and working in the world.

Send your Holy Spirit to bring renewed life and commitment to each congregation and parish.

Enliven ecumenical action on needs in every community.

Open minds and hearts that have experienced disagreement to mutual understanding.

Refresh leaders and volunteers who have grown weary with a vision of the future you will create for us, with us and through us, in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son, our Saviour, Amen.

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

Sending out with God’s blessing
Jesus came into the world to testify to the truth.
As those who belong to the truth, listen to his voice.
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: Benediction (As you go)

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).

Called Near

Posted on November 17, 2024November 17, 2024 by John

Worship on the Lord’s Day
Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost
10:00 am Nov 17, 2024
Minister: Rev. Brad Childs Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Lynn Vaughan Reader: Sabir Aziz
Children’s time presenter: Courtney Vaughan
Welcoming Elder: Iris Routledge

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 God of wisdom calls us to worship;
P: In humility, we gather to offer our thanks and praise.
L: The God of peace calls us to let go of our cares and worries;
P: In faith, we turn to God for hope and guidance.
L: The God of past, present and future welcomes us into this moment;
P: In joy, we celebrate life in God’s presence!
L: Let us worship God together.
P: Hallelujah! Let us praise the Lord!

Opening praise: I lift my eyes up

Prayers of approach and confession

Great and wonderful are all your works, O God;

We lift up your name in honour and praise.

Your power is known throughout the earth.

Your greatness reaches beyond the heavens.

Hear our praises as we gather to worship you.

Receive our confession we make through your mercy and grace.

Merciful God, as we honour and adore you we recognize our own weaknesses.

You have sent your Son to guide us yet we refuse to listen.

We let the troubles and worries of life weigh us down.

We live as those without hope, we give into temptations.

We forget that we are a new creation. We forget that you have offered to take our heavy burdens. We forget that your grace is sufficient. We forget that you alone provide, that you alone cleanse and we attempt to provide for ourselves and work out our own salvation.

In your love forgive us and help us to walk more closely to you; to give our full trust to You and truly make you Lord of our lives.

We pray this in the name of Christ – Amen

Sung Response: We come to ask your forgiveness

Assurance of God’s love for us

When Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at God’s right hand For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

And the Holy Spirit adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Amen

We listen for the voice of God

Children’s Time

Sung Gradual: Jesus loves me (373)

Story: Talking with God

Prop: Cell Phone

Does anyone here like to talk on the phone?
Do any of you talk to people through the computer with emails, Skype or Zoom?
Who do you like to talk to? What do you talk about?
How often do you talk to others on the phone or through the computer?

Talking with people is important to us! Nowadays, it’s all very easy, and we make sure that we can call or connect others whenever we want. We also make sure people can reach us wherever we are.

Do any of you talk to God?
How do you do that?
How often do you talk to God?
Do you do it as often as you talk to your friends or family?

Talking to people is easy and we do it all the time, but I think that we sometimes find it hard to spend time talking with God.

Why is that?
(Invite responses such as: We get busy. We don’t see Him all the time, so we forget. We don’t know how. We might question whether God is really listening. We might think our problems are too small.)

It’s important to talk with God because:

God wants us to know Him.
God loves us through prayer.
We love God through prayer.
God really does answer prayer.

Today, we’re going to talk a little bit about HOW to pray because that is the first step. Remember that it’s just as simple as talking to someone you love. Let’s go through the letters for the word TALK. (Show the word TALK as an acrostic on a board.)

The letter T: TAKE the TIME: (Point to a pretend watch on your wrist.)
Find time in your day to talk to God. Maybe even pray at the same time each day, so it’s easy to remember, like at bedtime, or before meals, or first thing in the morning. Make it a habit, like brushing your teeth. You remember to brush your teeth, right?

The letter A: Ahhhhhhh …. Quiet: (Invite children to take a deep breath with you.)
Find a quiet place in your home. Turn off the TV, turn your music down, and maybe find a way to escape from your little brother or sister … just for a few minutes. Sit under a table, go into your closet if it’s big enough, make a fort, whatever! It’s easier to concentrate on talking with God when it’s quiet and you can focus.

The letter L: LEARN – from God’s Word. (Place hands palm side up as if holding a Bible.)
Read one bible verse a day. If you’re up for the challenge, read one chapter a day. Try to understand what God is saying to you. Ask a grown-up who knows more about Jesus for a little help, if you need it. We can ALL learn from the Bible at any age, young or old.

And finally,

The letter K: KEEP a Prayer Journal. (Hold up a small booklet/journal.)
If you’re old enough, write down how you like to pray. Write down your favourite praises, prayer requests, and special bible verses that mean a lot to you. Keep it simple and even have some fun with it, so it doesn’t seem like a chore and you’ll WANT to do it.

So, the main point here is that we just need to PRAY! We need to let God know what we’re thinking and just keep talking to Him. You can pray out loud or silently; at any time of the day or night; in any place; maybe with a journal or a book or a Bible. You can pray with groups of people or all alone. Remember that God is always listening and hears you whenever you talk to him. And don’t forget: prayer isn’t just about begging for things. We should praise God, too, and give thanks to Him for all that He does in our lives. Prayer brings us comfort and peace because we draw closer to our Lord and communicate not just to Him, but with Him.

So, what are we waiting for? Let’s say a prayer right now!

Prayer: A repeat after me prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for giving us prayer.
Help us to remember to come to you.
And to give thanks and praise

for all your blessings.
Thank you for hearing our prayers.
Thank you for your love.

We love you, God!

And now, we pray the prayer that you taught us, saying “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will … “

The Lord’s Prayer (535 )

Song: How great thou art (332)

Scripture readings: 1 Samuel 2:1-10; Hebrews 10:11-25; Mark 13:1-8

Sung Response: Glory to the Father

Message: “Called Near”

Hebrews 10:¹⁹Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰by a new and living gate opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, ²¹and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²²let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. ²³Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

The Jewish Temple was a very complex thing indeed. It was essentially one room inside another room inside a large courtyard. But it was a bit more complex than that. See around the outside was a wall with 8 gates. Inside was the area called Solomon’s Porch or the Gate of Gentiles. That is where non-Jews were allowed to observe. But only Jewish people were allowed beyond this point. As you came to the inner sections of the Temple structure (reserved just for the Jews) you came to another wall beyond the main courtyard which had thirteen gates. Each with its own rules and own intentions for who might enter through it and why.

On the south side, beginning with the southwest corner, there were four gates: Shaar Ha’Elyon (the Upper Gate) where most visitor were supposed to enter, Shaar HaDelek (the Kindling Gate), where wood was brought in Shaar HaBechorot (the Gate of Firstborns), where people with first-born animal offerings entered. & Shaar HaMayim (the Water Gate), where the Water was brought in.

On the north side, beginning with the northwest corner, there were four more gates: Shaar Yechonyah (The Gate of Jeconiah), where kings of the Davidic line enter, Shaar HaKorban (The gate of the offerings, where priests entered with kodshei kodashim offerings, Shaar HaNashim (The gate reserved just for women), and the Shaar Hashir (The Gate of Song), where the Levites entered with their musical instruments.

On the east side was Shaar Nikanor, between the Women’s Courtyard and the main Temple Courtyard, which had two minor doorways, one on its right and one on its left. On the western wall, which was relatively unimportant, there were two more gates and for some unknown reason they did not have any names on them and scholars have no idea who they were for or what rules visitors were to follow when entering through them. We just know, they were defiantly for a specific group of people and there were definitely rules on who could enter by them.

At this point visitors would read the edict inscribed in Greek and Latin both:

NO FOREIGNER IS TO GO BEYOND THIS POINT
OR TO THE PLAZA OF THE TEMPLE ZONE
WHOEVER IS CAUGHT DOING SO
WILL HAVE HIMSELF TO BLAME FOR HIS DEATH WHICH WILL IMMEDIATELY FOLLOW.

Going inside the actual temple sanctuary there would be one more gate. Inside these gates was the Court of the Israelites. Only the Jews were allowed to step here. Inside it was sectioned into two main area’s the Court of Women at the back and the Court of Men at the front facing the unseen Court of the Priests and the Holy Place.

To go to the Court of men, closest to the Holy Place one must not only be Jewish but one must also be male.

Now if that’s not complex enough… out in the court of the Israelites is a huge water basin called The Bronze Sea where ritual water was used for cleansing and there is also the bronze alter of sacrifice where the offerings were made. After the sacrifice was handed to the priests there would be no more contact between priest and patron accept a quick laying on of hands. Only the Jewish Male Priest would be allowed at the altar. When the sacrifice was completed the Jewish Male Priest would say the blessings given to Moses and Aaron “The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you His peace.” This would be a person’s request for forgiveness. But God sealed that forgiveness on just one day of the year. Rosh Hashanah (the Day of Atonement).

To go beyond this point would be to enter the Holy place. To do this one must be Jewish; one must be male and one must be among the priestly family. One must be chosen to work inside the Holy Place… Oh and one must also go through a number of rituals.

First you must partake in a ritual bath. Then you must put on your linen pants (which are purple and blue underwear) in fact one translation even calls them “britches” which were “to cover their nakedness” (ex. 28:42). Then you put on a body tunic covering the entire body from neck to calves and also had long sleeves. Next you put on a Priestly sash (all white). Next you put on the Priestly turban. And if you were Jewish, a male and from a priestly family and you were chosen to serve on a particular day and you were dressed in proper attire then you could enter the Holy Place.

Inside the Holy Place you would find the table of showbread (and replace the bread to keep it fresh). You would find the golden lampstand (the menorah) and you would trim the wicks and keep it fresh with oil and ensure that it never went out as a sign of God’s presence (much as we do with our Christ Candle). And you would replenish the scent offerings on the altar of incense which was present to keep the room filled with smoke just in case a priest accidentally saw God he would not see the full “Shekinah Glory” of God but rather smoky, hazy version of God instead and possibly live to tell about it. But the chosen Jewish, male, priest, in proper dress could not dare go beyond this space. Only one person, once per year could enter the Holy of Holies where the Ark of God was kept and where God was thought to sit upon the Ark like a thrown (so much so that it was commonly referred to as The Mercy Seat rather than The Ark).

But on one special day, one special Jewish, male, chosen priest, in proper dress, would be chosen and asked to serve as the High Priest (the greatest honor in Judaism). But only if he (the Jewish, male priest, chosen, and dressed, chosen again as high priest) first took 5 more ritual baths, put on a fancier version of the linen pants, an elaborate and embroidered body tunic, a priestly blue robe with tassels and fringe, an ephod with precious stones on it, a High Priests turban (that looked much like a huge chef’s hat, a breastplate covered in gems and a golden crown that read Holiness unto the LORD“ upon it and swore not to recite a blessing with his hands higher than the word `LORD` written on his crown.

Then… then… only then… if you were a Jewish male, from the priestly family, chosen to serve as high priests and having done the rituals required and wearing the proper attire, and swore your oath, on one day of the year (the Day of Atonement – the one day God sealed the forgiveness from all the sacrifices from the past year)… then… you could go beyond this point. Then you could go the curtain or more accurately The Veil; you could find the center seam and slip through it as long as no other priests were in the Holy Place who might accidentally see inside.

But first… first you must remove your shoes; you must see the other priests, who would tie a rope around your ankles for safety’s sake, just in case you accidentally insulted God while in the Holy of Holies and fell dead. This way, the other priests could pull your body out of the Holy of Holies without ever having to enter the forbidden space.

The Temple was a very complex thing indeed. And each level became more and more restricted as people came closer and closer to the presence of God. From the gates to the courts to the porch to the steps to the sanctuary, to the door, to the court of women, to the court of men, to the Holy Place and finally past the veil and into the Holy of Holies.

But why all this mystery. Why all this separation?

It`s simple really. The word “veil” in Hebrew means a screen, divider or separator that hides. See, each section was more restricted because each section was meant to hide God from people and people from God more than the last. Essentially, it was to shield a holy God from sinful people. Whoever entered into the Holy of Holies was thought to be entering the very presence of God. In fact, anyone except the high priest who entered the Holy of Holies was said to die. Even the high priest, (in the people’s own understand – God’s chosen mediator with His people) could only pass through the veil and enter this sacred dwelling once a year; just for the Day of Forgiveness and that day alone.

The picture of the veil was that of a barrier between humanity and God, showing people that the holiness of God could not be trifled with. As Habakkuk 1:13 puts it “God’s eyes are too pure to look on evil and He can tolerate no sin”. The veil and all the intricate rules and different sections were a barrier to make sure that people could not carelessly and irreverently enter into God’s awesome presence. Even as the high priest entered the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, he had to make some meticulous preparations: He had to wash himself, put on special clothing, bring burning incense to let the smoke cover his eyes from a direct view of God, and bring blood with him to make atonement for sins. It was a very complex and intricate system. The whole point was to keep what is profane (sinful people) apart from what is Holy (a perfect God).

But according to the author of Hebrew’s Jesus came to do just the opposite.

He writes, 10:^{19 “}Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰by a new and living gate opened for us through the veil, that is, his body, ²¹and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²²let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

In other words, the Author says, it’s not just the High Priest after his baths and dressed just right. He says, it’s not just the chosen priest from the right family on the right day. He says it’s not just the priests, not just the men and not just the Jews: he says that We, “brothers and sisters” can enter into the presence of God (and I love the King James Version here because it says, “With Boldness”. Not only are we gonna not hide ourselves away from God but we’re going to march right into the Holy of Holies, right into the presence of God and we’re gonna do so BOLDLY.

Instead of shying away from God the author of Hebrew’s says, “Let us draw near to God – with sincere hearts.

Pope John Paul II wrote, “After I came to faith, living things became precious to me. I wanted to pet them, hug them, – babies, dogs, lizards, whatever. For me the great fruit of belief is joy. Know this, there is a God, there is a purpose, there is a meaning to things, there are realities we cannot guess at, there is a big peace out there somewhere and you and I are part of it. God is good. Near him is where you want to be.” (Illustrations, 192)

“Near Him is where you want to be.” More to the point Near him is where we’re called to be.

Our scripture continues on it says, “Let us draw near to God – with sincere hearts… In full assurance of faith – clean from sin and washed pure.”

In his book “Listening to the Voice of God” Roger Barrier tells this story. He writes, “When I left for college, my mother – who had always done my laundry – made a canvas duffle bag for me. ‘Put your dirty clothes in this every night’ she said. ‘At the end of the week, wash them at the Laundromat.’ Seven days later, I took my dirty clothes to the Laundromat. I remember thinking, this is no big deal. Why is my mother always complaining about this? The machine does all the work. And with that I threw the full duffel bag into the washer, dumped some powdered soap in the top, inserted my change and turned the machine on. Moments later, a loud Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump rang out all through the building and the washing machine started to rock violently from side to side. Immediately a nice young co-ed approached me with a grin and opened the door of the machine to stop it. ‘I think your clothes might get a little cleaner if you take them out of the bag first’ she said. Years later I could not escape the fact that my life seemed to be spiraling out of control. I was hiding away a secret life and it was just getting worst and worst… until I remembered that day at the Laundromat. Suddenly it hit me. If I want to start over fresh and new and get my life together. I need to stop hiding my sins from God. I’d better take my life out of the bag (so to speak) and go marching up to God so God can clean it. (1001, 87)

The author of Hebrews says that we as a people spent far too long thinking of God as someone to hide from. Instead of hiding ourselves away he says, we need to run to God instead, sin and all, without fear.

There is no doubt about it. The Jewish Temple was a very complex thing indeed. And in a way not much has changed. In 1 Corinthians Paul tells us that WE as believers are the new Temple. And because we the people, complete with flaws and all… are the temple, the temple is still a pretty complex things. But what’s different now is that the gates and rituals and courts and veil are gone. The things that were designed to separate us have gone away. We have a new kind of life, with a new kind of High Priest, a new and eternal sacrifice by the blood of a first born sacrifice, and we are called to a life, not of fear and hiding, but to a life where we can run to God, anytime we wish, to be near God, to know God’s presence, and to never be afraid to do so.

Hebrews 10:¹⁹Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰by a new and living gate opened for us through the veil, that is, his body, ²¹and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²²let us ALL draw near to God.

Thanks be to Jesus Christ our Lord, one sacrifice for all time, forever and perfect. For nothing separates us from the Love of God in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Song: Jesus bids us shine (773)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayers of thanksgiving and intersession

Loving God, who is faithful in all generations; we come to you now with thankful hearts for all you have done for us.

You care for us when we are destitute.

You lead us when we are lost.

You correct us when we have made mistakes;

and you uplift us when we are filled with joy or sorrow.

Through your son Jesus Christ you have set your plan for creation in motion. His coming will change the world. His sacrifice will be, for eternity, our reconciliation with You.

To you O God most high we give you praise and thanks.

Loving God, your care for the world is evident in creation. We are grateful that you are always ready to hear us when we come to you with our petitions.

We pray for our world…

for distant countries where people struggle for food and water,

… in lands where there is oppression and injustice.

We pray for nations embroiled in war and political strife.

Bring justice and healing to the nations Lord.

Teach us to live peaceful lives and to never overlook the needs of others.

Help us to become committed to sharing our own wealth with those who are starving and homeless both abroad and in our own country.

Help us to be the temple you created us to be. Not a temple of restrictions and rules but a temple open to all in Christ.

Hear us now, O God, as we pray for those in our midst.

…there are many who suffer in silence.

We pray for those who are troubled by life…

….those confused, those facing pain and sorrow,

…those who are grieving..

Hear us, lord, as we name them to you in the silence of our hearts…

You know the troubles which afflict us every day…

…strengthen where weakness resides…

…encourage where defeat looms….

…comfort where despair haunts…

In the name of your holy and blessed servant Jesus Christ, who for us is the way, the truth, and the life – A light shining for all to see. Amen.

Song: Lord, the light of your love is shining (376)

Sending out with God’s blessing

May you always know that God is near
May you always come boldly into God’s presence
May you never be ashamed to take the laundry out of the bag
And may the Day of Forgiveness be for you, every day.

Sung Response: Go forth into the world

Music postlude

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Rememberance Sunday: Pursue peace…easier said than done! (Padre Ken MacRae)

Posted on November 10, 2024November 14, 2024 by John

Worship on the Lord’s Day     A Service of Remembrance
10:00 am November 10, 2024
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs
Service led by: Major the Rev. Kenneth MacRae
Music Director: Binu Kapadia      Vocalist: Linda Farrah-Basford
Welcoming Elder: Rom Rhoad     Children’s time presenter: Padre MacRae

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

The National Anthem: O Canada

Memorial Message: O God, we remember . . .
We remember today that you are the giver of every good gift, and one of your gifts is peace. You have blessed us with freedom, and you have met all our needs. We live in a country where we are not judged for our beliefs, where we may gather without fear, where we have mutual respect, shared rights.

O God, help us never to forget your gifts. They have not always come so easily.

We remember those who gave their lives in two world wars, the Korean War, and countless other conflicts. We remember them and also the families they left behind.

O God, help us never to forget the prices paid.

Lord, your son, said that people have no greater love than to lay down their life for their friends. You laid down your life for us, and you call us your friends. Those who were killed or maimed or scarred in wars laid down they’re or the pieces of their lives for us.

O God, help us to live lives worthy of their sacrifices and also yours.

We remember that you alone are the source of peace and justice. We pray with all our hearts for peace in our times. Bring true peace to those places where conflicts continue to smolder.

God, we beg you that you may find ways bring an end to hatred and senseless violence and give peace in our time that last long after we are gone.

We remember, God, that homes and workplaces, schools and streets are not always places of peace. Yet you have offered us the way of peace through the love of Jesus Christ.

God, help us to accept your offer and to find another way, the way of Love, the way of the Healer and Great Physician – Jesus Your son.

We hold up before you, all those who work for peace: For you have said, “Blessed are the peacekeepers”.

O God, help us to be peacemakers in our homes, our communities, and our world.

. . . may we ever pray: Lord God of Hosts.

be with us yet,

Lest we forget; Lest we forget. Amen.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields, the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you, from failing hands, we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

Each day, a bugle was sounded in military camps to begin and end the day; in the evening this was called the “last post” and was also sounded for those who had died. We will now hear the “Last Post” and have a minute’s silence to remember.

Last Post

(1 minute of Silence)

Reveille

Act of Remembrance

They shall not grow old,

as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them,

Nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun

and in the morning

We will remember them.

Response: We will remember them.

Call to worship:

L: Happy are those whose hope is in the Lord,

P: For God keeps faith with us forever.

L: Praise God who brings justice for the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.

P: We will praise the One who lifts up all those who bear heavy burdens.

L: God will reign in mercy and righteousness for all generations.

P: Let us praise the Lord with our lips and honour God with our lives.

Opening praise: Revelation Song

Prayers of approach and confession

Lord of goodness and life,

we in wonder and awe,

eager to praise your name.

You are the source of all that is good and true,

the essence of your love.

You bring gifts of peace and healing into troubled lives.

You show us the way to love friend and enemy alike,

and how to build a better world together.

In this time of worship,

inspire us to believe our work in Jesus’ name makes a difference.

So may we live to bring you glory, O God,

for the sake of Christ our Lord,

now and always.

God of justice and mercy,

you call us to take part in our community,

loving our neighbours and serving your purposes.

We confess this is easier said than done.

We often sit in judgment on those who serve in public life,

criticizing any who fall short of our expectations.

Yet we confess we too fall short of your loving purpose for us.

Forgive us when we have been too quick to criticize,

and too slow to join in what needs to be done.

Response: We come to ask your forgiveness

Assurance of God’s pardon

Hear the good news! Who is in a position to condemn? Only Christ – and Christ died for us; Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us. Friends, believe the good news of the gospel. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and set free by God’s generous grace. Share that forgiveness with others in his name.

Musical Offering: Dayspring Singers: Peace

‘Peace’ words and music: Dave and Jean Perry ©MCMXCVI by Alfred Publishing Co. Inc.

Song: My lighthouse

We listen for the voice of God

Children’s time and the Lord’s Prayer (535 )

Song: For the healing of the nations (736)

Scripture readings: (Lynn Vaughan Isaiah 2:2-5 ; Psalm 34:1-14; John 15:9-13

Response: Glory to the Father

Message: “Pursue peace…easier said than done!”

Prayer: Eternal God, prepare our hearts and minds to hear you speaking to us. Free us from the worries of our mind, and give to us the peace and comfort that you can give to us. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen

Text: “Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:14)

I believe and hope that everyone here in this room would agree with this verse, but…there is a part of us thinking “ya…right!”

We are not doing that good in the terms of “turning from evil” and “seeking peace”

Let us look at this globally.

All I need to say is: Ukraine! Russia! North Korea! Palestine! Israel! Iran!

Not a lot of peace going on over in those countries.

*****

How about the “turn from evil”?

One horror story that I heard about was when we were at war with Afghanistan.

I had been sent to Germany twice and Cyprus once to help people readjust from being on edge to life in Canada.

I met one person who was angry and very troubled with his experience.

He had experienced evil.

When he was in Kandahar he had been in a secure area but there were children who gathered outside nearby everyday hoping for candy or some other treats.

There had been a little girl who came most days who was roughly the same age as his own daughter.

So for many months when he was over there whenever he saw the little girl he would think of his daughter.

And then one day a bomb went off.

The Taliban tried to kill some of our personnel.

They didn’t come close to killing any of us, but many of the children were killed or injured.

They didn’t care who they killed.

Sadly, one of the children killed was the little girl who reminded him of his daughter.

That shook him up.

It was a senseless death in yet another global conflict.

******

How about closer to home?

How are we doing for turning from evil and seeking peace?

Anyone watch the US election?

I’m still trying to figure out how a person, who has made a lot of racist comments, and is a convicted felon, will become President again.

We won’t get into a political discussion, but we can see that it really didn’t matter who won, that nation is very divided.

******

Canada is not much different.

The liberals and conservatives and NDP say they care about the people of Canada, but it seems they care more about being in power.

Working together for the common good does not seem to exist in anyone’s play book.

******

Churches can fight with one another.

Either with other denominations and their beliefs or our own internal squabbles.

******

How many of us are going through our own battles?

We may smile around each other, but may be having marital issues.

Our children could be driving us up the wall.

*****

How about health issues.

My injury may be a little more visible as I walk around on crutches

How many people are struggling with depression, or anxiety?

How many are struggling financially?

******

There are many battles we face everyday.

And then we come here and listen to this verse that says, “seek peace and pursue it”.

For sure we want the peace.

As for pursuing it, often we don’t know how.

******

What can we do for global peace…not a lot.

What can we do for national harmony…not a lot.

As for church, and personal issues…well that may be the rest of this sermon.

*****

Let’s take a closer look at Psalm 34.

In many, most, Bibles Psalm 34 actually has a prelude.

It is titled.

In the NIV it states that this chapter was written when “David pretended to be insane before Abimelik, who drove him away, and he left”

Many translations use the same name.

The slight problem is that the reference is to the passage in 1 Samuel 21 where the priest Ahimelek. (with an h not a b) is mentioned.

To make a long explanation short, commentaries state that when you look at passages such as Genesis chapters 20, 21, and 26, Abimelech is used as the generic or tradition name for the title for Philistine kings which would have been the king that David encountered.

So lets not dwell on that too much.

So what was happening historically in 1 Samuel 21 when this Psalm was supposedly written.

David had run away from King Saul.

King Saul was becoming more and more jealous of David.

In 1 Samuel 18:5 we can read, “Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army.

Women would come out and sing “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands”.

Saul was not happy.

At one point Saul threw a spear at David, but David escaped.

Saul was conflicted.

On the one hand David was on his side and winning victories against Saul’s enemies.

But most of the credit was going to David and not to Saul which infuriated him.

To make a long story short, there came a time when even Jonathan, the son of King Saul, told David to run and hide because Saul was out to kill David.

David fled to the city of Nod.

He met a priest by the name of Ahimelek.

Ahimelek reluctantly feed David consecrated bread.

David then went to another person called Achish, king of Gath.

The king had heard about David and that people were singing, “Saul has slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands”.

Achish, also knew about King Saul, and about Saul’s wrath.

David probably wasn’t sure what side King Achish was on, so David pretended to be insane.

David didn’t have a whole army behind him, and was seeking safety somewhere, so he improvised.

1 Samuel 21: 13 “…he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard”.

King Achish seeing that David wasn’t really a threat to anyone, let David go and David went to live in a cave.

It was in that cave that David wrote this Psalm.

******

David, at first was alone, until others joined him (1 Sam 22)

Imagine his thought process.

He served faithfully God first, and then King Saul.

King Saul wants to kill him, and where was God?

David may have been a bit angry and thinking this was not right or fair.

I served God and King Saul faithfully and now I’m being hunted down.

Life is not fair.

David may also have been thinking “how can I make things right with Saul?”

“How can I convince King Saul, that I’m really not his enemy or after his throne.”

How can I “seek peace and pursue it”.

******

We have the same thoughts in our life.

Life is not always fair to us.

This summer was pretty hard for me.

My initial injury happened in 2011 – yes a military injury.

But I healed then.

But nerve pain eventually built up and got so back that it was recommended that I have spinal injury.

Supposed to be a simple operation, that the surgeon has done hundreds of times.

I was supposed to be in the hospital for 2 or 3 days and then recover the rest of the summer.

I was in the hospital for a month and a half.

I’m paralyzed in parts of my body and learning how to walk again.

My mind, to this day, says, “This is not fair”.

******

Have you ever said that.

You have tried hard to be a good husband or wife, or a good friend, yet the relationship breaks apart.

I have counselled more people in my career who would work late because they didn’t want to come home to whatever conflict was going on.

There are times when it is easier to just avoid a fight, then to try to resolve it.

We want to seek peace.

We just don’t know how to get it.

******

Interestingly enough Psalm 34 begins with praise and thanksgiving.

Verse 1 “I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips”

The rest of the chapter has phrases such as “glory in the Lord”; “those who look to him – the Lord – are radiant”; “the -Lord – saved him out of all this troubles.”; “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (we use that phrase during communion)

David should be ticked off at God, but it doesn’t seem that way.

******

How many times when we are in a bad situation, do we blame God?

Lord, I have prayed for help, and you are ignoring me.

Lord, I have asked you to smite down my boss, but he or she is still there on Monday.

*****

How many times have we imagined something terrible happening to the bullies at school, to our ex husband or ex wife.

It is wrong…but it feels so good to imagine something horrible happening to terrible people.

How many of us would like to see Russian President Putin put in front of a world court to be convicted for the lives he has ruined.

How many of us want to see Trump put in jail, for all the misdeeds he has done and been convicted for?

How many of us would like to see Trudeau held accountable for some of his misdeeds?

*******

Yet, David gave praise to God.

Before he could even think about “seeking peace and pursuing it”, David gave praise.

******

Is that where we have to start?

Sometimes we have to get past our anger and disappointment.

Easier said than done.

Sometimes we need to talk to a neutral third person.

Go talk to your minister.

I don’t know Brad’s degrees, but most ministers don’t hold a counselling degree, but we are trained for counselling and for listening.

****

When I was in Yellowknife, NWT, for the last 5 years, the military did not have a social worker up there.

People would be coming to the medical staff and to myself for many issues.

Last year, if I remember my stats, I had around 290 counselling sessions, on top of my other work.

I walked people through suicide, depression, criminal accusations, substance abuse, work place harassment, marital and family issues and much much more.

I would be doing referrals and helping people between counselling sessions.

All that also had an effect on me.

Add to that an injury that is ending my career, left me broken, which is when …I decided to go for help.

One of the recent activities that my counsellor has advised me to do is to focus on the positive thoughts.

I’m a bit bitter that I can’t curl this year, I haven’t golfed this year, I have a hard time walking distances over a kilometer, etc.

But I have a caring wife (most of the time).

I have friends…or fiends…depends on the day, across the country who call and support me.

The military has treated me royally throughout this.

I’m getting a lot of support and benefits from the military, that most civilians don’t get.

While there are a lot of things that I can be bitter about, there is a lot I can be thankful for.

******

Ok, so we may be ticked off about our political system.

Are we still glad we live in Canada?

Our health care system is not great, but it is better than many other places.

What did you have to pay to have a child in Canada. Nothing.

I googled the cost for United States.

It cost around $18, 865 on average to have a child.

If you have insurance, you still might have to pay $3,000.

I was in the hospital for over a month and a half this summer. I didn’t get a bill.

I don’t think twice about turning on the water for a shower.

Many countries, water is very scares.

I don’t like paying taxes, and I wonder where all our taxes go, however our roads are ploughed, we do have law enforcement, and children can go to school for free, and universities are cheaper here than the United States.

We can be thankful to live here in a good country.

********

Let’s get more personal.

When I do marital counselling, I often hear people accusing each other of doing things or not doing things.

I turn it around and ask them what are they contributing to the relationship that is good, and what are they contributing that is not so good.

To “seek peace” think about what are you thankful for with your husband or wife?

Tell them that.

Are you having issues with your children?

Tell them you love them, even though you may want to strangle them.

*****

If we want to “seek peace and pursue it.” maybe the start is to stop seeking the chaos.

Stop seeking the drama, and be the loving, caring, peaceful person.

*******

Even in a church we can have disagreements.

News flash.

We can have a difference of opinion and still love one another.

In fact, I can learn from people who have a difference of opinion from me.

I can learn from people from another culture.

I can learn from people who have a different religion.

I won’t always agree with other people, but I can respect and love other people.

So if we want to honour the words found in Psalm 34 and want to “seek peace” then start to pursue it by being peaceful and trying to be a little more loving to one another.

Prayer: Eternal God, you know the struggles we face in our own life. You know the horrors that we have seen and experienced. Sometimes it is our own sins and mistakes that have gotten us into trouble. Forgive us for our mistake. Forgive those who have hurt us. Help us to learn. If healing is possible in our relationships, in our health, in our financial worries or whatever ails us, then heal us. Help us to be thankful for our family and friends and for our brothers and sisters of Christ. Help us to be peacemakers at home, at work or wherever we are. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

Song: Make me a channel of your peace (740)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayers of thanksgiving and intercession

God of our past and our future,

God of healing and hope,

we come before you with grateful hearts,

trusting that you walk with us through all the times of our lives.

These are not easy times,

and we thank you for your faithfulness

and your guidance when things don’t seem to go the way we hope.

We pray today for those who are facing danger and despair:

We remember before you those living with hunger,

communities struggling with the impact of drought, storms and earthquakes,

and all those for whom adequate housing seems unattainable.

We remember people caught up in unrest and violence

and those whose lives are directed by forces beyond their control.

(Hold silence for 20 seconds.)

We pray for all those working to relieve suffering in these lives

and those who work to bring justice and peace to the most vulnerable:

God, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

We pray for all those facing fear or frustration,

wrestling with sorrow or discouragement in any area of their lives:

For those who live with illness or pain…

For those bearing up with chronic conditions or disability…

For those who know the grief and change of bereavement…

(Hold silence for 20 seconds.)

We pray for all who work to bring healing and comfort to others,

and agencies which offer support and care to those who suffer:

God, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

We pray for all who feel helpless or hopeless in this present time:

For those struggling to make ends meet or find employment…

For those caught up in misunderstandings or broken relationships…

and for those working through situations of conflict at home or at work…

(Hold silence for 20 seconds.)

We pray for all who offer guidance and support in the midst of such difficulties

and for those who have skills in reconciliation or mediation:

God, in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

God of our past and our future,

God of healing and hope,

Help our congregation and churches everywhere engage each day

with faithfulness and creativity.

Where we need correction, show us a new way;

where we need love and encouragement, draw near.

Whatever our challenges, stay with us on our way,

for we are the followers of Jesus praying in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Song: When the poor ones (762)

Sending out with God’s blessing

Keep the Lord always before you,

So that your heart will be glad and your soul will rejoice.

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: Benediction (As You Go)

————————————————————————-

The Rev. Brad Childs and Major the Rec. Kenneth MacRae retain the copyright (© 2024) on all original material in this service. As far as tney are aware, all of the material that has not been attributed to others is their own creation or is in the public domain. Unacknowledged use of copyrighted material is unintentional and will be corrected immediately upon notification being received.
An audiorecording of this service can be found by clicking here.

“Normal People”

Posted on November 3, 2024November 3, 2024 by John

Worship on the Lord’s Day
Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost
10:00 am November 03, 2024
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs
Music Director: Binu Kapadia Vocalist: Rom Rhoad
Welcoming Elder: Sam Malayang

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: Bless the Lord at all times;
P: God’s praise will always be on our lips.
L: Make great the name of God;
P: We will lift up God’s holy name together.
L: For the Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
P: We will love the Lord with heart, mind, strength, and soul, and praise God now and always.

Opening praise: Praise the Lord

Prayers of approach and confession

Creator, Christ, and Spirit: God of life and of blessing, you created all that exists,

In Christ, you redeem all situations and heal each soul, and so it is our greatest joy in life to be united by your Spirit in community to give you thanks and praise.

And so we join our voices with the angels and archangels, with the saints and disciples of every time and place in worshipping you as Creator, as healer, and as the source of all joy and goodness, now and forever the world without end.

Eternal God, we confess that we have been indifferent to your will and silent when we should have spoken for justice.

We have heard your call to faithful living, but fear holds us back.

There is work to be done, but we have been idle.

Forgive us, O God, and give us courage that we may be your saints in our own time.

Response: I will trust in the Lord

Assurance of God’s grace

The day is coming when the home of God will be among mortals. God will dwell with us, and we are God’s people. God will wipe every tear from our eyes, death will be no more, mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things will have passed away. Accept the newness you are offered in Christ and share that promise with others.

We listen for the voice of God

Song: Lift up the gates eternal (12: vss1-5)

Scripture readings: Nebat Marilyn
Psalm 24; Revelation 21:1-6a; and John 11:32-44

Response: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

Message: ‘Normal’ People

“If we join together, just imagine what we can do”.

Luke is a companion of Paul’s. He is a physician and historian by trade and is generally thought to be the only non-Jewish author in the New Testament. His book, which does not actually bear his name makes up what we call both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles (a history of the early church). While the stories in Matthew show Jesus as a new Moses, and Mark shows a miraculous healer, Luke’s vision of Jesus is of a man desperately calling the people into the service of others. Luke’s Jesus is constantly focused on the sick, the uplifting of women, the oppressed and the poor.

Early on in Luke’s gospel Jesus returns home to preach in the synagogues of Nazareth (his hometown) and Capernaum (the city to which Nazareth is a bedroom community). Neither instance goes very well.

In both places Jesus says essentially the same thing. He says (though in somewhat cryptic language) that he is the Messiah and that he has been sent to declare good news to the poor, freedom to captives, sight to the blind and the Year of the Lord’s favor.

Arminta Ross was born into slavery. Because records were few and far between and because her age was seen to be unimportant, we’re still not sure whether it was 1819 or 1820 when she first came into this world. Arminta Ross was born in Dorchester County, Maryland. She was the first person in her family not to be born on African soil – though this was not exactly a choice made voluntarily by her parents.

Arminta Ross was raised under harsh conditions and subjected to whippings even as a small child. Contrary to popular belief the severity of such instances has been exaggerated over the years though not because of the masters’ good nature. Rather the true reason is that if a slave is injured too badly the master loses a worker and so also losses money. In general slaves were very rarely beaten severely: but not because it would be immoral – rather because it wouldn’t be economical.

In any case Arminta did suffer quite horribly on occasion and had no real quarters to speak of. She slept as close to the fire as possible on cold nights and later reported that she sometimes would place her toes into the smoldering ashes to avoid the threat of frostbite. Cornmeal was her main source of nutrition and occasionally meat could be added to the mixture when her father later gained the rare privilege to hunt and fish (though this came with fairly extreme restrictions).

At age six (do you know any six-year-olds?), Arminta was considered by her owners to be an able worker. She was quite luckily loaned out to some neighbors for a short time and this more relaxed family did not demand Arminta to perform the rather harsh labor of the fields but instead sent to produce weaving work.

But Arminta was found to be a “day dreamer” and so was reassigned to the duty of checking muskrat traps. She didn’t do so for long though. Arminta caught the measles while performing this regular task and was quickly returned home to her owners as “damaged goods”. After recovering, Arminta would fill the role of both housekeeper and babysitter. The woman of the house though did not care much for Arminta Ross and did in fact have her whipped quite severely one night when it was believed that she had taken a single sugar cube from the pantry. She was 10 when the incident took place. At the age of 12 she lost her “basket name” and started going by the name Harriet. But Harriet’s life got worst.

When a young boy and fellow slave she knew had been caught running way, Harriet refused to take part in tying him to the large cotton wood tree in the front yard for a whipping. The boy was later killed and for her concern, Harriet suffered a severe head injury from the wrong side of a wooden club.

Just a few years later, Harriet would marry. His name was John. But they were not in love. Fearing that she might gain her freedom, John, her own husband (a freed slave) threatened to inform her master of any plans to escape and as a way of keeping control of her.

Courageously Harriet left her husband and made her escape at the same time. In the end Arminta Ross became one of the most successful and certainly one of the most famous Stationmaster of the Underground Railroad. Now going by her chosen first name and married last name, Harriet Tubman, (Arminta Ross), led over seventy slaves to Freedom.

It is an amazing story and certainly one that bears repeating. And at this point in my life, I have to ask… is this what Jesus meant when he said he came to free the oppressed?

I think sometimes when we read our bibles it’s easy to bring things down to a level we can handle. “It’s too much for God to ask us to really free the oppressed”, we reason with ourselves. And so, we say, “he must have meant that figuratively”. But did God mean that figuratively? Truth be told, if this story came from Matthew than I might be inclined to agree with that. But Luke doesn’t think that way. When Matthew’s Jesus stands on the hill and says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit”, Luke’s just says “Blessed are the poor”. His memories of Jesus are packed to the brim with in the present actionable things.

Luke’s Jesus, not to put it to plainly… is very practical. When he says he brings freedom to the oppressed, I think he means me literally. When he says, “take care of widows and orphans” or “feed the poor and give clothes to the naked”, I think he actually means, go care for a child, share with a widow, consider adoption, make a meal for the hungry and give clothes from your closet to someone in need. When he says, bring sight to the blind. I think he means that too, study, become a doctor – Jesus said together we could do far more miraculous things than he did. Well yes, Jesus made the blond to see but perhaps more importantly he inspired countless physicians and scientists to work throughout the entire world to provide sight to those who cannot see.

Anne was born on April 14^th, 1866, in Feeding Hills, Massachusetts. According to her baptismal certificate, her name at birth was Johanna Mansfield Sullivan however she was always called Anne or Annie. She was the oldest child of her parents Thomas and Alice Sullivan. When she was only five years old, she contracted a bacterial eye disease, which created painful infections and over time made it’s victim blind. When Annie was 8, her mother died, and her father subsequently deserted her and her little brother Jimmie. And so little Annie and Jim were sent to live at the Almshouse in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. Two months later Anne’s brother Jimmy died as well.

Annie was hard to control, and she became harder. She was such a troubled child that at times she had to be tied down. But there was another girl named Maggie who cared for Annie at the Almshouse. Maggie talked to her and fed her, even though Annie would throw her food on the floor, cursing and screaming with every ounce of her being. But Maggie would just say, “I am a Christian and it’s my Christian duty to care.” Maggie was determined to love this dirty, unkempt, spiteful, unloving little girl. It wasn’t easy, but slowly it got through to Annie that she was not the only who was suffering. Maggie also had been abandoned. That’s why they were both there together. They were the same.

Gradually Annie began to respond. And that’s when Maggie told Anne about a school for the blind and Annie began to beg to be sent there. Finally, consent was given, and Annie went to the Perkins Institute and School for the Blind. After a series of small operations Annie’s sight was partially restored. For the first time since she was 5 years old, she saw, light and dark, shadows and figures. Later she saw colors, shapes, faces and eventually almost anything anyone else could see as well. The doctors literally gave sight to the blind.

Annie was able to finish her schooling and graduate at the age of twenty. And yet, Anne remembered what it was like to have no one. But more than anything she remembered what Maggie had done for her, and she wanted to do the same thing for someone else. Having been blind so long she told the director of Perkins that she wanted to work with the blind too and particularly she said, she wanted to work with the most “difficult children”. After much contemplation and searching… Annie was hired. And that is when Anne was sent to meet a little seven-year-old girl in Alabama who had been blind and deaf from the age of two. So, Annie Sullivan went to Alabama and unlocked the door of Helen Keller’s dark prison and to set her free because that is what Maggie had done for her.

Jesus said that he came to set the captives free and to give sight to the blind. And we are told in his world that we are called to be imitators of Christ. In other words, we are told to set the captives free and give sight to the blind. And honestly, I think he really did mean those things literally. So now what? I don’t know about you but I can’t do what Harriet Tubman did. I can’t do what Maggie did for Annie or what Annie did for Helen Keller. I mean, we can’t all be heroes, can we?

In the late seventies, Firefighters in London, England went on strike. Thus, the British army was required to take over emergency firefighting for a time. As the story goes, one day, a squad of soldiers received a call from an elderly woman in London to come and rescue her cat, Bittsy. Poor Bittsy had gotten stuck in a tree. They arrived quickly and without much trouble saved Bittsy from her high perch. As they were getting ready to leave, the woman invited her heroes in for a victory spot of tea. Very British of her. After the tea break, and many fond farewells and waving of hands, the soldiers hopped on the fire truck and drove away. Thud! Only to find that they’d just run over sweet little Bittsy and killed her.

Okay so it’s a goofy story and it may or may not be fun, but, we can all relate. We all have those moments when we fail. Despite our best efforts, things come crashing down on us. We’re left holding the bag, or in this instance, the cat.

We all make mistakes and maybe in our attempts to make the world a better place we might just run over a cat or two. But that shouldn’t stop us from trying anyway.

When, in 1 Thessalonians, Paul tells us to be imitators of Christ, He uses the word “you.” As in, whoever is reading the text. It’s Me and You! And I think Jesus literally does mean that we are called to literally give sight to the blind, visit those in prison, set the captives free and on and on.

But the thing is, in Greek that word he uses (for you) … It’s plural. It’s not just the reader. It’s the reader and every other reader. It’s all of us. We are together called to do this work. We aren’t alone. We’re a team.

We are called to do all those things because we are many, because we all have tons of different talents, because we can gather together to do amazing things.

And no it’s not always easy, it will be scary, it will be difficult. When Jesus tried to do it they try to throw him off a cliff.

And yeah, perhaps I can’t heal blind eyes, but some of us can. And perhaps I can’t argue the cases of people unjustly persecuted or placed in prisons but some of us can. And perhaps I can’t do a whole lot, but together WE can!

At the very least, we can try. And we can start right here on 40^th Ave.

I bet everyone here in this room can bring good news to the poor in some way…

I bet everyone here knows someone oppressed by illness or sadness, or loneliness or suffering that they can call…

I bet everyone here can proclaim the year of the Lord

You know in the first chapters of Genesis how God calls everything good.

In Gen. 1:4 it says, God saw that the light was “good”

In 1:10 he divides the sea and land and then calls it “good”

In 1:12 he calls the fruits and vegetation “good”

In 1:14 he divined of light and dark by luminaries and calls it “good”

In 1:21 he creates everything that fly’s or swims and calls it “good”

In 1:25 God makes the beasts of the land and calls them “good”

And then, in verse 31, it says “And then when God saw all that he had made he called it טוֹב מְאֹד (towb m’od) “Very Good.”

And then in Chapter 2 God created the man and the man looks at all creation and see’s its goodness. And the bible says that the Adam saw the food was good and the trees were good and the gold was good and the onyx was good and the stones were good and then God (it says) looked at the man and said “It is NOT good”

In 2:18 God looks at the man that he has made and for the first time he is not pleased. Because the man is alone. And so God says, “It is NOT good for him to be alone.”

Human beings are finally called “good”, when we are brought together. He calls them “good” when he has made two of them.

We are good when we are a community. We are good when we are together, because we are meant to have relationships, meant to have an effect on each other’s lives.

Hellen Keller wrote, “Alone we can do so little, but together we can do so much.” This week I challenge all of us to serve others fearlessly. “If we join together, just imagine what we can do”. Amen.

*Song: Jesu, Jesu, fill us with your love (229)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

God of all things, source of all blessings; accept the gifts of our hands, the thankfulness of our hearts, the praise of our worship and the bounty of our lives. We pray that this offering will be used for the building up of your kingdom of justice, peace, love and reconciliation and that you bless us and our offerings to be a blessing. Amen.

Prayers of thanksgiving and intercession

God of blessing and loving-kindness; hear our prayers for those things your world and in our lives that cause us to rejoice and those things that cause us deep sorrow.

Eternal God, we give you thanks for the people in our lives who have shown us a reflection of your love and kindness; those who live with us now and those who now live in the peace of your eternal rest. Keep our relationships with one another healthy and life giving.

Loving God, we praise you for you have been a refuge to the poor and to those in need; protect those whose comforts are few and wants are many. Open our hearts and eyes so that we can see how we might extend comfort and actively pursue your justice.

Living God, you are new life for those turn towards you, a resting place for those who are tired, and joy to those who know you.

God of order and strength, bless those who lead this country and all the countries of the world; give judges and politicians hearts of service and the courage to do what is right.

God of creation, we praise you for the beauty of this world. Awaken our sense of responsibility towards the earth and strengthen our resolve to protect and care for it.

God of all wisdom, hear us now as we pray for the needs and desires that are close to our hearts in the silence of this moment.

The Sacrament of Holy Communion

Invitation

Come, not because you are strong but because you are weak.

Come, not because of any goodness of your own but because you need mercy and help.

Come, because you love the Lord a little and would like to love him more.

Come, because he loves you and gave himself for you.

At Dayspring any baptized person from any Christian tradition is offered Holy Communion. This is a gift of God for the people of God and for all those who love and serve the Lord.

Song: Worship the Lord (555)

The Lord’s Prayer

The Communion Prayer

Gracious God, we praise your holy name, giving thanks to you with our lips and our lives.

For the power and mystery of your Word by which you created us and called us to yourself, we give you thanks.

For the power and mystery of your Word by which you took flesh and lived among us

through your Son, Jesus Christ, we give you thanks.

For the power and mystery of your Word by which you choose common people,

forming the church to be the body of Christ in the world, we give you thanks.

Faithful God, we offer you our praise and thanks as we return to you these holy gifts of bread and wine.

Remembering our Lord’s command to take and eat we ponder the mystery of his promise that in this meal we are joined to him and to one another as a holy people uniting heaven and earth.

We offer you our praise and thanks for Jesus Christ, who took flesh and lived among us, was baptized for our sins, taught us your way of truth, loved us in our lovelessness and died that we may have life.

And now O God, we celebrate with great joy the resurrection of our Lord, his presence with us in this feast, and his promise of a new creation.

God of grace and power, you invite us to share in mysteries that are beyond our understanding. In straightforward trust we seek the transforming power of your Spirit

on this assembly of your people,

on these words and actions,

on this bread and wine,

in order that, by the miracle of your grace, we may be united to Christ and to one another– one in body, one in spirit, one in faith. Amen

Sharing of Bread and Wine

The Lord Jesus, on the night before he died, took bread, and after giving thanks to God, he broke it and said, “This is my body, that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

The minister may pour wine into the cup, then lifts it, saying:

In the same way, he took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant sealed in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do it in remembrance of me.”

Every time you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Song: Eat this bread (527)

Prayer after Communion

Loving God, we thank you that you have fed us in this sacrament, united us with Christ, and given us a foretaste of the heavenly banquet in your eternal realm.

Send us out in the power of your Spirit to live and work to your praise and glory, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Song: He’s got the whole world in His hands

Sending out with God’s blessing

The God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, make you complete in every good gift so that you may do God’s will. May God work among us all that which is pleasing in God’s sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Response: The blessing

Music postlude

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Welcome to Dayspring

Posted on October 28, 2024November 26, 2024 by John

Even though some people feel comfortable about in-person participation in worship services and other activities, Dayspring will continue to livestream our services on ZOOM and make other meetings and activities (e.g. Bible study) available online.

That is, we envision an ongoing “Mixed Presence” community for our worship, faith formation activities, community service, and governance.

For access to the livestream of our Sunday Worship Services, click here.

Cleanliness is next to what?

Posted on October 27, 2024October 28, 2024 by John

Worship on the Lord’s Day
23^rd Sunday after Pentecost     Reformation Sunday
10:00 am October 27, 2024
Minister: Rev. Brad Childs
Music Director: Binu Kapadia     Vocalists: Peter and Cheryl Sheridan
Welcoming Elder: Renita MacCallum      Children’s time presenter: 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: Praise the Lord, in every time and place.
P: We will tell of God’s goodness each day.
L: Boast only in the Lord.
P: We will praise God’s wonderful deeds.
L: Spread the news of God’s greatness.
P: We will give God glory everywhere we go. So, let us worship God together here and now, now and always!

Opening praise: Forever God is faithful

Prayers of adoration and confession

Great and holy and sovereign God, your glory is beyond imagination, your majesty infinite, and your power incomparable.

Your grace is strong enough to resurrect all that seems deadly; your love is wider than all the universe, your mercy greater than the heights of heaven, with our lips we sing your praises, with our work we give you our days and with our lives we offer you our worship and our adoration, Creator, Son, and Holy Spirit, three in one and one in three, yesterday, today and always.

We confess the evil we did and the good we let go undone, the right words not spoken, and the wrong ones too quickly said: the hatred and pain we have nursed and the callousness with which we have acted.

Forgive us, renew us, and make a fresh start in us; help us avoid the snares and pitfalls along the way.
Restore the joy and assurance of a right relationship with you and our brothers and sisters.

Free us from any guilt and make us free to do better today than we did yesterday and better tomorrow still.

Response: I waited, I waited on you, Lord

Assurance of God’s grace

Our God breaks the chains and sets the captives free. God’s grace is new every morning; unending is God’s kindness. Know that you are forgiven, forgive each other and live at peace.

We listen for the voice of God

Song: Jesus loves me (373)

Children’s time

Story

If you were on a big ship in the middle of the ocean, and you fell overboard, what might the captain of that ship do when he saw that you had fallen into the sea? What would the captain do?

* Would he tell you to start swimming and point in the direction of land? (Let children consider this and answer.)

* Do you think the captain, seeing that you were drowning in the ocean, might say something to you like: “I’ll throw you the life ring but only if you can prove to me that you’re really worth saving. What have you done with your life so far? Have you created any useful inventions? Have you won the Nobel Peace Prize or any other important awards?” Would the captain ask that of you while you were drowning?

* Do you think that the captain would say, “If you can climb halfway up the side of the ship, then I’ll pull you the rest of the way up.” Would the captain make you try to work your way up the side of the ship when she can see that you’re almost drowning?

Of course not! He would rescue you, right? The captain, or one of the crew, would probably throw you a life preserver or something that you could hang onto to keep you afloat. (You could show your prop at this point or even act out a rescue with one of the children.) Once you had a good hold on that flotation device, they would pull you back onto the ship and thus save you from drowning.

There’s a verse in the bible in the book of Ephesians that says: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God– not because of works, lest any man should boast.”

We are like that person drowning in the ocean and God rescues us, not because of anything that WE do, but simply because he loves us.

Today is Reformation Sunday. On this day, we remember how Martin Luther and other Christians of his time, long long ago, wanted to change the way the church taught people about God’s love. At that time, the church was telling people that they had to work their way into heaven. Some people even thought they could pay their way into heaven! Luther knew that this was not what the Bible said. He knew that all of us are sinners and we need to be saved by Jesus. So, Luther reformed, or changed the church for the better, by telling people what the Bible said. The printing press was invented around the same time, so lots of Bibles could be printed and people could read for themselves what the Bible said.

We are saved by grace, just because God loves us. It’s nothing that we can brag about. It is simply a wonderful gift.

Let’s bow our heads and thank God for this gift.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for sending Jesus to save us from our sins. Thank you for throwing us the life preserver and saving our eternal lives. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Transition music

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

Scripture reading: James 3:14-4:6 (Corrie Magdalene)

Response: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

Message: Cleanliness is next to what?

There are a lot of sayings that people commonly attribute to the Bible that aren’t actually in it.

Sometimes, like “spare the rod, spoil the child” they are sort of paraphrases of verses, but other times they just have nothing really to do with the scriptures.

Still, many will attribute them to the “good book” nonetheless.

We’ve all heard them before.

As it says in the Bible, “God helps those who help themselves.” Nope, not in there.

“Well When God closes a door he opens a window.” Nah. Not a verse.

“God helps those who help themselves” is from a Greek play called The Parisians and is nowhere found in the Bible.

Another one is “to thine own self-be true,” but this is actually from Shakespeare.

There are more of course.

“Love the sinner / Hate the sin” (a favorite recently) is not to be discovered in our sacred text. But it is from St. Augustine.

“The Lord moves in mysterious ways” is from a hymn which itself was based upon a poem by William Cowper but it’s not from the Bible.

“This too shall pass” is an Arabic proverb.

“God will never give you more than you can handle” is a mistake. It’s actually “you will not be tempted with more than you can handle” which is a very different thing.

In the same way, “Money is the root of all evil” is an omission. The verse actually reads, “The LOVE of [or the Obsession with] money is the root of all evil.”

But I think the one imaginary verse I hear the most is “cleanliness is next to Godliness” (which if you stop to think about it), doesn’t even sound like something you might find in the Bible.

Still, that odd little phrase does beg an interesting and a very important question… What (if anything) is close to Godliness?

In a sense, the answer is really… Nothing.

After all, what are earth could bring creature in the realm of the creator?

But… if you could ask James (the brother of Jesus and the author of our epistle reading from today) what he thinks is close to Godliness… I bet I know what he would say.

I bet James would say, “peacemaking is next to godliness.”

Or at the very least, “peacemaking is what brings us closer to God.”

This section of the book of James that we just heard from is about drawing closer to God. In it, James writes that “true wisdom is pure” and then he defines what he means by true wisdom and being close to Godliness. He says to be close to God, first, you need to “love peace.” And then he adds to that saying that after you “love peace” then you need to act on it… by being “gentle” with people. And next it gets a little harder because next James says, you need to “yield to others,” and then harder still, to be “full of mercy… for people you feel have wronged you,” and then by all this, you will “plant seeds of peace wherever you go.” That James said, is what true “righteousness” and “godliness” looks like. Godliness has nothing to do with being clean and everything to do with loving peace.

Being at peace with self and others is the key to being close to godliness.

Are you at peace or are you all mixed up inside?

Do you love peace? Are you gentle with people, “full of mercy for those who have harmed you?”

Mother Theresa once wrote, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” I like that.

I think we live in a very individualistic, anthropocentric and self-centred world.

And then we wonder why we’re lonely and bitter.

Well… it’s because we pit ourself against others, divide into Us/Them categories at the drop of a hat.

We live in contrast to the basic biblical understandings of community expressed throughout the Bible which holds to collective identity, focuses on collective joy and reminds the people that they live collectively in sin and later forgiveness.

But what if we got back into that kind of a mindset? What if we considered the possibility that “we belong to each other.”

Of course, that’s easier said than done.

From the time of Cain and Able, it’s been ingrained in us to do otherwise.

The United States declared its independence in 1776, making it 242 years old. But it’s been embroiled in some form of war for 215 of those 242 years.

The Kingdom of Great Britain is far worse. It dates officially from 1707, (so the time frame is fairly similar to that of the US). However, Britain fought far more wars than the US in this time period. It engaged in some form of military conflict in every year of Queen Victoria’s reign, fighting an incredible 230 wars in just this 64-year period alone.

Battles rage the world over.
Not to mention personal issues.
The wars we wage within us.
The wars about – the slow car in front of us or the ones we wage – with family members or with – our own minds.

Peace with self and certainly peace with others isn’t just something that happens on its own. It takes work. We have to do it. James writes that the first thing we need to do in order to know peace “is to be gentle.”

I Love this story: Jake Kessler writes –

“I once questioned a state trooper who was presented with an Outstanding Trooper Award about what the Governor said when presenting the award to him. He replied The Governor asked, ‘You haven’t once roughed up a drunk or used excessive force on anyone? How can you be a state trooper for 15 years; dealing with the kind of things you deal with and never have anyone write a single complaint about you? It’s unheard of.’

So I answered him. ‘Two things: I said, First, if I am called to break up a fight at a bar, I never say to myself ‘there’s a drunk’; I always pause for just a second say to myself, ‘there’s a man, someone’s husband, someone’s son, someone’s brother, someone’s neighbour, someone’s grandchild… who got drunk. I try to think of him as a man involved in a crime and not a criminal who is someone defined by crime’. ‘Secondly,’ I said, ‘The Bible says that “a soft answer turns away wrath.” And so whenever I walk up to the window of an automobile or speak to someone in any fashion, I always and very intentionally speak just a little bit softer than the person I’m speaking to. Being gentle with people creates a ripple effect where people respond in kind’.” (228)

You don’t find peace by being aggressive or impulsive. To find peace, we have to be peaceful. We have to be gentle, and not just when it suits us. But as the Bible says, “at all times.”

And you know what, that is not fun.

We have this 15-year-old kid living two doors down from us. And he twice now has sat in the alley cleaning a car with the doors all wide open while we sit waiting for him to let us go by and on both occasions, he looks at us until we back all the way out of the alley the other way, because he’s too rude or too lazy to close the door for the 10 seconds, it might take for us to pass. And there is no reason for this. He is obviously just trying to be a little jerk. AND you know what… I don’t want to be gentle.

The other night I looked up the kid’s address, and for more than a moment, I seriously contemplated going to the Mormons website to tell them that I was him and that I really, really wanted a team of missionaries to come to the house to speak with me about the time Joseph Smith met the moon angels.

(I was this close)

But I didn’t.

But I bet you can relate!

James adds, be gentle and “willing to yield to others.”

Castle Ward, a stately home, was built in the 1760’s in Northern Ireland. The original owners of the home standing today were Lord Bangor and Lady Anne Bligh.

One of the most striking features of this now famous house is its two very distinct styles of architecture. See the rear of the house is built in an obvious dark Gothic style, while the front is a neoclassical form; complete with large, white, Roman columns. This pattern continues throughout the inside. Down the center of the house one half is dark and gothic with gargoyles and the other side sort of resembles a clean white bank.

So why?

It’s built that way because Bernard Bangor and his wife Lady Ann could never agree on one style of home; so they built one half of the home her way and the other half in a completely different way. Not only did they differ on their architectural preferences; they apparently had other differences as well, because eventually, (as you might have guessed) Lady Ann walked out on the marriage leaving Lord Bangor with this strange home as a constant reminder of a real life “house divided amongst itself.”

Depending on your point of view, some see the house as a celebration of diversity and defiance, most, however, see it as a huge monument to two peoples stubbornness and an unwillingness to yield even at the cost of a marriage.

In contrast, we are called to something very different… to something radical… to something unnatural to us, something that gives more than it takes and hurts and has a cost. We are called to peace even if it means yielding to someone else when we would really rather not.

It’s a tall order to be sure. But it gets worse. James goes on to describe what being next to Godliness looks like by telling us that we not only must seek peace through gentleness and being willing to yield but we need to do so for the very people we don’t believe deserve it.

Real godliness is to be “full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds”; not showing favouritism to some but by granting mercy to all.

But here is the crazy thing. The thing about mercy… is that always you give to people that don’t deserve it. That’s the whole point. That’s what makes it mercy. They don’t deserve it.

That’s why it’s not easy. That’s why it is noble.

If your best friend steals a dime from you and has never done anything remotely wrong to you before, forgiving them means nothing.

Forgiving those that have actually done you real harm on the other hand – that does something grand. That is what takes pain in life away and brings real peace.

Now I don’t want you to get me wrong here, because I am not saying that we have to let everyone just walk all over us all the time. But what I am saying is that we need to be honest and upfront when we are hurt and willing to move on.

Garry Sinclair tells this amazing story. He writes, “When my mother-in-law was first married, she was in a serious car accident that threw her into the windshield of her car. It was in the days long before the mandatory seat belt, and it was a nasty crash. Still, long after the glass had been removed from her face and the scars had healed, she would still periodically find small pieces of glass rising to the surface of her skin.

Although the shards of glass didn’t hurt her while they lay beneath the surface of the skin, it became very painful as it moved towards the surface.

In a similar way, we all have tragedies, accidents and times when we “hit the windshield” in life. We have all loved people that hurt us. We go through the healing process and fight through the pain that accompanies it. We think all the pieces of glass are gone, only to have some new event, person, holiday, or something else simply bring another piece of glass to the surface and then we suffer all over again because we never really dealt with it.

Complete healing often takes longer than we think. And we need to be honest with the people that hurt us, or we’re really just burying it down just below the surface where it will certainly just rise again.

During World War II Zenaida Botswana of Ukraine was sitting by the window sewing. Suddenly she heard a whistling noise. Then she was struck by a blast of wind. When she came to, her sewing machine was gone, and there was a hole in the floor of her bedroom.

She told the authorities there was a bomb on the floor, but she couldn’t get any officials to check it out. So she simply moved her bed over the hole and lived with it for the next 43 years.

But one day a phone line was being laid in the area, and demolition experts were called in to probe for buried explosives. Batswana waned the men she had a bomb in her house. “Where’s the bomb grandma,” asked the smiling army lieutenant. “No doubt it’s under your bed,” he said. “Yes, it is” Botswana responded, “it’s under the bed.”

And sure enough, the military found a 500-pound bomb under the bed. After evacuating over 2000 people from the surrounding buildings, the bomb squad detonated the bomb on site. Only then were people safe.

Sometimes I feel like I live with a bomb under the bed.

I think lots of people do.

They cover up some terrible little secret, anger, a great hurt, some righteous indignation, while everyone just goes on about their business; never told and not realizing it. But no one is truly safe. No one, not the person or the neighbours are safe until the bomb is uncovered and revealed for what it is.

When you are hurt, you have to make sure you are honest about it with the people you feel hurt you.

But what you can’t do is hold on to it.

I am very fond of the old saying I was reminded of from one of our Alpha videos. It says, “Bitterness is like drinking poison and then waiting for the other person to die.” (504)

You have to be honest, but you also have to let it go. And you have to forgive the very people that deserve it the least. That is what mercy is all about.

Victoria Ruvolo age 45 of Brooklyn, New York, was driving to her niece’s voice recital when she passed by a car driven by Ryan Cushing, age 19. Cushing was with 5 other teens at the time and had just used a stolen credit card to go on a spending spree in a stolen car. One of his purchases was a frozen turkey, which Cushing had decided to toss out the window into oncoming traffic. The 20-pound bird smashed through Ruvolo’s windshield, crushing her face on impact and sending her car flying sideways onto a restaurant patio that was luckily vacant at the time and into the brick wall.

Ruvolo survived. Though it took 10 hours of initial surgery to repair the damage to her face, and months of painful rehabilitation, on October 17th, 2005, Ruvolo was attending Cushing’s sentencing hearing and was asked to speak. In return, Victoria Ruvolo asked for leniency for Cushing whom she referred to quietly as a “lost boy.” Part of her statement reads “Despite all of the fear and pain, I have learned from this horrific experience that I have very much to be thankful for. Each day when I wake up, I thank God simply for being alive. I sincerely hope you have also learned from this awful experience Ryan. There is no room for vengeance in my life, and I do not believe a long, hard prison term would do you, me, or society any good in any way.”

Cushing who wept almost uncontrollably expressed his remorse, mumbling “I’m so sorry” through gasps of air and falling tears. For his actions, he was sentenced to six months in prison. He was expected to receive 25 years before Victoria Ruvolo intervened. (88)

James says that true peace comes from gentleness, from yielding, from showing mercy to all. And then he reminds us of this great truth: “Those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.”

My prayer for you all this week is this,

May you find peace with God, peace within yourselves through forgiveness and mercy and peace with all those around you – for if anything is next to Godliness, it is a peacemaker. Amen

Song: Sometimes a healing word is comfort (768: vss 1, 2, 3, 5)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

The offering is not for the lights to be on. It’s so that our children come to know Jesus. It’s so young people have a safe place to come to learn and share. It’s so we can introduce people to Jesus. It’s so we can reach out. That is why I (we) give to God. So let us worship our Lord and be a light to the world. Let us Worship our God by making an offering to Him and to his Church in order to do his work.

Prayers of thanksgiving and intercession

Song: We are one in the Spirit (471)

Sending out with God’s blessing

I am no longer my own, but yours.

Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will; put me to doing, put me to suffering; let me be employed for you, or laid aside for you, exalted for you, or brought low for you; let me be full, let me be empty, let me have all things, let me have nothing:

I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things to your pleasure and disposal.

And now, glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you are mine and I am yours. So be it.

And the covenant now made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven.

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” Amen.

Response: Go forth into the world

Music postlude

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Free Income Tax Preparation Clinic

Posted on October 26, 2024November 26, 2024 by John

But to Serve

Posted on October 20, 2024October 20, 2024 by John

Worship on the Lord’s Day
22^nd Sunday after Pentecost  Students & Colleges Sunday
10:00 am October 20, 2024
Minister: Rev. Brad Childs
Music Director: Binu Kapadia     Vocalist: Vivian Houg
Welcoming Elder: Gina Kottke     Children’s time: Lynn Vaughan
Reader: Judy Smith

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: Bless the LORD, O my soul, for the Lord our God is very great.
P: God is clothed with honour and majesty, wrapped in brightness
like a garment.
L: God stretches out the heavens like a tent, riding on wings of the wind.
P: O Lord, in wisdom you have made each unique creature. With all of them, we come to praise you.
L: Let us praise God’s holy name together!

Opening praise: O come to the altar

Prayers of approach and confession
God of all time and of all creation,
you are eternal and unchanging,
you are the same yesterday today, and tomorrow
and yet you are new each day.

You are the source of all things:
you are radiant in splendor,
you are filled with honour and majesty,
you laid the foundations of the earth and set the limits.

Your love cannot be measured, and so we offer you our worship and our adoration.
You have called us to discipleship and to follow you, but we often stray from you and your path.

Hear us as we confess our sins to you and one another.
God of mercy, your loving kindness endures forever: we confess that too often our love has been fleeting, our devotion shallow, and our pride without limits.
We have nursed anger, nurtured suspicion, and failed to forgive and to accept forgiveness.
Hear us, O God, as in silence, we make our private confession to you.

Response: We come to ask your forgiveness

Assurance of God’s grace: God is kind, patient, and gentle with us when we stray. Know that your sins are forgiven, forgive those who have sinned against you, and work for peace in this world. Amen.

Musical Offering: How deep the Father’s love for us
(Sam and Ann May Malayang)

We listen for the voice of God

Response: Open our eyes, Lord (445)

Children’s Time

Story
Last weekend, we celebrated Thanksgiving and many of you might have enjoyed turkey during your special dinners. One of the best things about that is the “wishbone”. Do you know what that is? After you finish eating, two people each hold one side of the wishbone, close their eyes and make a wish. Then, you pull on the wishbone until it breaks apart. The one who gets the biggest piece is supposed to have his or her wish come true. What kind of things would you wish for?

Do you ever make a wish to be more like Jesus?

One of the most popular wishes, I think, at least when I was a kid, would be to wish about what your life might be like if you were a king or a queen. Let’s talk about that.

A king or queen is the head or leader of a country. We think of them as being rich, perhaps living in a grand palace. They have all the clothes they need and more. They may wear a crown and own many jewels. We think of them sitting at a long, beautiful table enjoying a feast. There are servants who wait on them and bring them what they need or what they want.

What kind of king or queen would you be? What would you ask for? What would you do? How would you treat people? Would you be a kind leader or a difficult one?

Here is what Jesus says about being a leader: “…whoever wants to become great among you shall be your servant.” (Mark 10:43) This sounds kind of upside down, doesn’t it? A king or queen needs to be a servant. Sounds a bit backwards, right?

Jesus teaches us that the very best leader is the one who cares about all people and wants to do what is best for them. Even though a king or queen may be very powerful, they are most powerful when they serve the people of their country and make sure those people have what they need to be happy and successful. That makes the kingdom better!

Jesus has been called the King of Kings – powerful above all, and he tells us, “The Son of Man (Jesus) came not to be served, but to serve.” (Mark 10:45) Jesus comes to each one of us as a servant, offering his gift of God’s love.

So, when we make a wish to become more like Jesus in our lives, we need to think about what HE considers most important as a leader and how he lived his life for others.

Prayer
Dear God,
Help us to mean it when we say, “I wish I could be more like Jesus.”
Please show us, each day how to become better leaders by being a greater servant to those around us.

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Transition music

Song: Brother, sister, let me serve you (635: vss 1,2,4,5

Scripture readings: Judy Smith Job 38:1-7, 34-41 & Mark 10:35-45

Response: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

Message: “But to Serve”
Gregory Tolle has a great story about complaints; I’d like to read a little of it now.

In 1995, when my wife Jenny and I moved from Fort Worth, Texas, to a small town in rural southwest Oklahoma, we discovered the cable service had inadvertently been disconnected before we moved in, even though we had pre-arranged for it to be set up the previous owner we still had no cable. After moving in on Thursday, we called the first thing Friday morning to get the cable all set up (which, at the time, seemed a terrible nuisance). We were told, however, that the worker responsible for servicing our particular area only came to town on Thursdays. We had just missed him. We would have to wait a week to get our cable hooked up.

Coming from Fort Worth, we were used to outstanding service, and more than that, we were used to instant gratification. The competition was so fierce in the Dallas/FortWorth Metroplex (with 7 million people) that businesses went to ensure the customer’s happiness. At the time, the thought of another week seemed like a very long time to us. We decided to “make do” with an old 12-inch black and white television and its old TV antenna. Thinking back now, I’m unsure why that thing made it through the Keep it Or Toss it packing we had just done. But it did. We had to place that little thing in just the right spot in the house to get a fuzzy picture and one available ABC affiliate channel streaming in from 40 miles away. We decided we could tough it out and “rough it” for a while.

So then, Thursday rolled around, and Jenny waited at home patiently for the cable guy to come and flip the switch that would connect us to the outside world again. But he hadn’t arrived by 4:30, so I called the cable company. Bad news. They didn’t show a work order for the job. They also asked with whom we had spoken because whoever it was didn’t seem to know what they were talking about. The guy scheduled to come out to our little area of the sticks didn’t come in on Thursdays; he came on Wednesdays. Once again, we missed him by one day. We would have to wait another six days for the service person to arrive.

The next Wednesday, my wife waited again for the now very much anticipated visit by the cable guy. But then came a phone call from the cable company at 3 o’clock… the end of their workday in the office. More bad news. They were calling to tell us that they had forgotten the man responsible for service in our area, who worked on Wednesdays but was also on vacation. He will be back the following week to hook up our cable. 7… more… days!

Knowing it would be another seven days, Jenny called me at the office, and I stormed home as quickly as possible. I was very much displeased. I was tired of that fuzzy little television and miserable about one more week with it. I found the cable company number, and I called. The office was closed, and one more day was lost. So I called first thing in the morning (now very angry) and asked for the “person in charge.” I told that person exactly what I thought about their terrible customer service.

Truth be told, it didn’t do any good at all. Nothing could be changed.

Just under a week later, the cable guy showed up to hook the cable. However, when we discovered the quality or lack of quality the cable system gave us, it was clear that the cable matched the customer service very well.

Later, we learned the reason for this poor-quality cable. The cable company was pirating the signal from a satellite and charging us for a bad signal that they had been stealing all along. The whole thing was a scam.

Have you ever had a situation like that?

Gregory Tolle doesn’t have a monopoly on receiving lousy service. He’s certainly not the only dissatisfied customer in the world. I think we have all received bad service at one time or another. It may not have been the cable company. Maybe it was a restaurant, a grocery store, or an auto repair shop.

The bottom line is that we generally expect quick and decent service.

I believe that good service happens when management sets the tone.

Jesus was talking about that in our story this morning from Mark 10:35-45. In the scripture, James and John are concerned about a promotion (for lack of a better word). They asked to rule beside Jesus and His Kingdom, which they still mistakenly believe to be an earthly kingdom, thinking that Christ would sit up on some big silly throne somewhere in Jerusalem or Rome. To put it bluntly, they were looking for power, perks, priority, privilege, and position. They were trying to get their piece of the pie, calling for their just desserts. But they never would have asked who could take this seat if they only knew what the just desserts would be like. If they only knew what it meant to be on the right hand and the left hand of Jesus, the day he came into his kingdom. If they knew that on that day, the one at Jesus’ right and left hands were also hanging on crosses… they wouldn’t have been so eager.

So, Jesus used this moment to discuss leadership. He told them that leadership in his kingdom requires suffering and service. He told them that to be great, they must first become servants. Jesus reminded them that discipleship is not a direct ticket to some eternal easy street.

Instead of ruling over people, authentic leadership means giving good service.

Our goal as Christians is not to gain a good seat of power in the kingdom but to provide good service to those in need so that the Kingdom is built here on earth.

Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be Done – what? On Earth… as it is in Heaven.

To paraphrase John F. Kennedy, we should ask not what our church can do for us but rather… what we can do for our church. Or, to put it more broadly, we should ask not what the kingdom can do for us but what we can do for the Kingdom of God in this world.

What a different world this would be if that were most often the case.

I love the way that NT Wright put this. He said, “We have seen in our century what happens when people dream wild dreams of world domination and use the normal methods of force and power to implement them. What we have not seen… is what might happen if those who worship the Lord and Servant-King were to take up his image seriously and follow in the servant’s footsteps.”

What a world it would be if we gave the world the service it needs. If, like the unknown author, we could say, “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I will hope that I will not have a single bit of talent left within me, and I can say with all certainty, ‘I used everything you gave me, Lord.’

Bishop Bruce Blake offers a different analogy in his book Power, Partnership and Passion: The Marks of a Faithful Congregation. Blake says, “We should spur a bib-mentality in which we wait to be served, and instead, we should embrace an apron-mentality in which we do the serving.” There is a discernible pattern in moving from serving – to serving others. It’s called growing up. When we are young, we must be served. We demand it. However, as we mature, we tend to become servants somewhat naturally. Children, of course, don’t start out feeding and clothing themselves. Only in those short-tempered moments of anger with the person on the other end of the customer service line do we regrettably revert back to whinny babies with nothing but the thoughts “fed me” on our minds.

But genuine faith demands adulthood – faithful ministry and discipleship – demands servanthood.

This takes place in more ways than one in our lives. It has implications for everything from how we live to what we do with our money, to our politics, to what our church services look like, to how we act towards others the world might perceive as somehow “less than.”

When we serve, people see the God we serve within us.

So, do people see the God that I serve? Do they see that God when I call customer service, when I go to a restaurant, when I pick my car up from the shop, or when the grocery store line is long?

For me, the answer is, “I bet a lot less often than I would hope.”

Likewise, the world is crying out for good service. It is crying for good service from the disciples of Jesus Christ, who were told to provide just that.

The only questions left are: For whom… and how will you provide a good service today? Amen.

Song: Called as partners in Christ’s service (587)

We respond to serve God: Our time of giving

Prayer of gratitude, and for others and ourselves
Gracious God, we offer you these gifts, small tokens of our love for you. Bless them with the power of your Holy Spirit so they may accomplish more than we can even imagine, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and our Friend. Amen.

God of each and every life, you open our eyes on the world you love to show us your presence and purpose in all creation.

We thank you for the wonders of the seasons as they change, and for gifts of love and compassion you offer us through friend and stranger.

We pray for the earth as it struggles to support your many creatures.

Make us better stewards in creation, and kinder neighbours to both friend and stranger.

God, in your deep mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God of justice, you open our eyes on the world to show us its struggles and conflicts.

We see the burdens many are carrying, and the way differences create division.

We pray for all those struggling with daily expenses these days and for those feeling stress over hard choices.

Show us how to support those in difficulty and mend relationships in our community.

God, in your deep mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God of compassion, you open our eyes on the world to show us suffering and despair.

We see challenges for health care all around us, and share the impatience to improve access to needed treatments in so many communities.

We pray for those who are suffering in so many places in the world you love.

(Keep silence for 15 seconds)

Give strength and compassion to all who provide life-giving care, and courage and hope to all who wait for healing.

God, in your deep mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God of wisdom,

You open our eyes on the world to show us its complexities.

We see countries locked in old animosities and communities overwhelmed by fresh upheaval.

We pray for the millions displaced in current conflicts and by natural disasters.

Open the eyes of leaders here and around the world to the suffering of the earth and those in their jurisdictions.

And open all our eyes to ways we can participate in solutions to situations which break your heart and ours.

God, in your deep mercy,
Hear our prayer.

(For Students and Colleges Sunday)

God of the generations, you open our hearts to receive your calling to serve in an ever-changing world.

We give you thanks for the students and teachers in our Theological Colleges as they study together and explore new ways of serving the church and the world you love.

This morning, we pray specifically for our own Rom, who will be beginning a candidacy process this very week.

Provide confidence in you, calm, wisdom and understanding. Bless Rom and the many others with deep faith and hope as you lead them to take up the callings you prepare for them in the name of Christ, our teacher and your servant. Amen.

Song: Help us accept each other (632)

Sending out with God’s blessing

Remember – God is your refuge, watching over you to guide you on your way.
So may the God who made you,
The Christ who mends you,
And the Spirit who brings you life
Bless and keep you now and always. Amen.

Response: Go forth into the world

Music postlude

————————————————————————-

A Re-Run – Stop giving me snakes!

Posted on October 13, 2024October 13, 2024 by John

Worship on the Lord’s Day
21^st Sunday after Pentecost Thanksgiving/Harvest Sunday
10:00 am   October 13, 2024
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs                Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Lynn Vaughan        Welcoming Elder: Darlene Eerkes
Children’s time presenter: 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: God blesses us with gifts of love,
P: In relationships that bring joy and gratitude.
L: God blesses us with talents and opportunities to serve,
P: All we need for faithful living.
L: God protects us in times of danger,
P: And guards us from the time of trial.
L: So, we gather to offer thanksgiving to the Lord our God.
P: Praise be to God for all good things, now and always!

Opening praise: Bless the Lord, oh my soul

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

God of mercy and grace,
In this time we pray.
We are good people.
We try to do the right thing.
However, if we think deeply on our lives and connections, ee see that we fall short of being the best that we can be a lot of the time.
We seek to love others, but really just can’t seem to help it and we get caught up in our own problems and issues so much that we forget about others.
We seek to love ourselves as we should, but at times get too caught up in other’s problems and issues and we don’t take care of ourselves.

God, we get off balance. Because it’s a hard job you have given us.

Lord, help up to find balance. Help us to care for self and others. Help us to know how far to go and push us just a step further than we think we can go.

Also grant us forgiveness.

Grant us forgiveness for things that we have done that need forgiveness.

And grant us forgiveness for the things we didn’t do but must do next time we get a change.

But also, Lord, help us to find forgiveness for things that others have done or failed to do for us, and for which we have been left wounded or disappointed. Help us find forgiveness so that we can give it away to them.

May each of us be transformed so that the whole world might be transformed with us and through us as we live your love.

Response: Glory, glory Hallelujah

Assurance of God’s Pardon

God has opened our ears and our hearts to know God’s love and forgiveness. Go forth knowing You have been forgiven and You always will be. Be at peace and please now also pass the peace to your neighbours. Amen.

Musical offering: The Dayspring Singers

We listen for the voice of God

Response: Jesus we are gathered (514)

Children’s time

Back in 1860, there was a boat on Lake Michigan that ran into a freighter. It was a big giant boat carrying all kinds of stuff, boxes and things and it crashed into it, ripped a hole right through the middle. Both ships started to sink.

There were hundreds and hundreds of passengers. People were screaming. They were excited. They were scared. And then people were jumping into the water, and it was very cold.

Edward Spencer was a seminary student. He lived just across the water from the collision, and he saw the accident happen.

He was a strong swimmer. In fact, he was the top guy for the swim team that they had. So, as a very strong swimmer Spencer swam out and then back in again for six and a half hours – every time pulling people ashore- battling the strong waves. He took fifteen trips out collecting people and bringing them back.

Spencer swam out again and again, then came back to shore and collapsed, when somebody screamed, “There’s a couple out there.” So he got up again. jumped into the water, swam almost a quarter mile out, and grabbed a husband and wife off a piece of the boat that they were holding onto, pulled them into shore and collapsed again.

Now, 480 people went into the water that day. 50 people were saved or rescued overall, and Spencer pulled 17 of them into shore.

Later, Spencer developed a serious health problem. It became chronic and he couldn’t return to school. Instead, he went into nursing care.

About 20 years after the event, a newspaper reporter went to talk to Spencer about what had happened.

Spencer’s comment was this. He said, “What I remember most is that, of the 17 people I rescued, not one said thanks.”

It’s a pretty powerful thing to not hear thanks.

I would say, though, that it’s equally powerful to hear thanks.

When somebody does something for you, even if it’s little, to say thank you is a big, big thing.

And it changes people.

I wonder if Spencer would be a gung-ho to go out and rescue people again, knowing that It wasn’t appreciated so much, or at least he didn’t hear of it.

I’m going to encourage you this week to be as thankful as you can for everything that you can.

And Thanksgiving is a good time for that. We’re going to say a little prayer, and then I’m going to ask you guys to collect some things. Anything that you have we’re going to give to the food bank saying thanks for all that we have. We can bring it up front and put it here.

Prayer

My Lord, I thank you for all that you have done for me and for these, the little ones that you call your children.

We pray that we would be a people of thanks to take nothing for granted

And to let no one go unanswered with their greatness. We need to say thank you, Lord.

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Congregation gifts/offerings

Song: Now thank we all our God (457)

Scripture readings: Godfrey Esoh
Joel 2:21-27; Matthew 6:25-33; Luke 11:1-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Response: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

Message: A Re-Run – Stop giving me snakes!

We have been through a lot when it comes to our house in Regina. It was brand new along with every appliance in it when we moved in. I remember the first night we stayed there. It felt so odd, like I was living in a beautiful new hotel or something. It took a few weeks actually to get used to it.

When we moved out it was a pretty sad thing (for me at least) but things quickly went from bad to worse. Trouble with the original real estate agent, a rental that went bad, raised taxes and a market crash… and things went from worse to heart-breaking. Two years later, and we had lost the entire down payment, everything we put into building the basement out, some of the money it cost in repairs after the renters punched holes in the walls and ripped the center island out of the floor, every penny we’ve paid on the mortgage – gone too.

Additionally, I was no help at all. I could barely talk about it, so my poor wife had to be the one doing everything on her own. I was in a bit of a mental breakdown.

By the time the sale went through, we were still paying thousands of dollars every couple of months because we owed the bank for than the home sold for. All that money and hard work just for someone else to live in the place that made me feel like I was finally an adult rather than merely pretending to be one.

I know… it’s just a house… but it’s a devastating thing for me. And I have never in my life felt more like a failure as a spouse and more like a failure as a father. To go back to not just nothing but less than nothing sure hurt.

Driving to work and back I generally pray. This is especially true on the motorcycle. And I can remember one morning heading into the church. This particular morning, I’d had that verse on my mind where Jesus asks the disciples, “What kind of a father, when asked for bread, would give his child a snake instead?”. Is a story we probably don’t hear too often in worship services but it sticks out for me.

And I don’t know what happened, but that parable really started to hit home with me. And I don’t know when it happened exactly, but one day I got this really-honest David-like Psalm-writer-like spirit in me. You know – Passion. Anger. Honesty.

It was the kind of backbone it took for David to cry out to God saying, “My God. How long will you make me suffer? My heart is like wax melted within my chest”.

And I just started praying over and over again. “God, please. God just please. Stop giving me snakes. I am Your child. I’m not even asking for bread. I’m just asking, please, stop giving me snakes.

After a while this became my only prayer on my drive there and back. An hour a day just begging God for something better. An hour a day – Stop giving me snakes. Don’t you love me???

I remember the day extremely well. I went to pick up a woman named Marion from her home. Marion is one of those kind-hearted people who visit anyone and everyone. On the way to her place I remember praying, God please stop giving me snakes. I was self-absorbed a bit.

And folks, here’s the thing… I know God doesn’t give you snakes. God is the one who helps when the world gives you snakes. But it doesn’t always feel like that does it? Sometimes, maybe right now, the world just dumps them on you.

On this particular day, Marion and I were going over to a certain young woman’s home. The young woman had terminal cancer. She had just celebrated being called cancer-free when the mass returned with a vengeance and entered into practically every part of the torso. There would be no miracles this time. Her husband and little 7-year-old girl were going to have to go all the way with her this time.

Marion and I would go once a week for an hour or so to visit the family along with a few close friends. We would sing a praise song together in the living room and talk and pray with her and several others.

This particular day, I’d taken the guitar to play a song for her that Marion and I had practiced. And when I got up off the floor, I made a seemingly innocent comment. I stood up, and my back hurt, and my leg had fallen asleep, and I just said, “Oh, I’m getting so old.”

And that is when this young lady said the words that I will never forget. She said “How old are you” [with a smile]?

Now I don’t know about you, but I can never remember my age and so it took a minute. Finally, I said, 40 or whatever I thought was probably right.

And then out of nowhere she started to bawl. Really bawl. It was an explosive moment. And the tension and sadness in the room hit everyone like the walls had just come collapsing down. And through her tears she cried, “I’m 35. And I’ll only ever be 35.” Her parents, daughter and husband sat in the front row about a month later. She missed her 36^th birthday by a couple of months.

Paul writes, ^“16Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray continually, ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I love this verse.

Rejoice (always)

One translation renders this “rejoice in the Lord at all times.” But it can just as easily be rendered “Rejoice in all kinds of times” or “all kinds of circumstances”. That’s a pretty big statement. “Rejoice always”; “in all kinds of circumstances?”. Truth be told it’s not that hard to rejoice when things are good but… rejoice when your car is stolen? “Rejoice” when you’re in the hospital? Rejoice when your parent is sick? That’s not quite as easy a pill to swallow, is it?

But then again it wasn’t easy for the church in Thessalonica either. This isn’t just some haphazard statement made off the cuff. When this was first read in the church around the year 51AD it was read by people who were being murdered… just for attending church services. But see, for Paul, rejoicing isn’t just about being happy. It’s about choosing to praise God even when you’re unhappy. For Paul, Christian life is to be lived in an atmosphere of continuous joy, prayer and thanksgiving. And the early church took this seriously just as we should.

In Acts 5:41 there is a great example of this. After being arrested for being Christians the Jerusalem apostles were flogged with a whip that had 9 tails. Bloodied and abused they were released and as they left the council chambers, we’re told they went “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Christ.” Now I don’t know about you but that wouldn’t be my first reaction.

In his book Forged by Fire Bob Record writes of something perhaps a bit more applicable to our times. He writes, “I had a severe cervical spinal injury. The pain was so excruciating that the hospital staff couldn’t do an MRI until I was quite deeply sedated. The MRI showed significant damage at three major points. Because of the swelling, the only way I could relieve the pain was to use a strong, prescribed narcotic and to lie on flattened-out bags of ice. Sleep (what little there was) came only by sitting in a reclining chair.

Approximately 48 hours from the onset of the injury, doctors estimated I had already lost about 80% of the strength in my left arm and three fingers on my left hand totally lost feeling. The slightest movements would send pain waves hurling down my left side and shoulder. I had to step away completely from my work and wear a neck brace 24 hours a day for 6 weeks. About halfway through the experience I was sitting on the screed-in porch behind our home. The day was cold and damp, but I needed a change of scenery. Suddenly a bird landed on the railing and began to sing.

On that cold, rainy day I couldn’t believe any creature had a reason to sing. “I wanted to shoot it” he writes. But he continued to sing his little song. And I had no choice but to listen. The next day I was on the porch again, but this time it was bright and warm. I was tempted to feel sorry for myself when suddenly the bird (at least it looked like the same bird to me) came down from the fence and started singing again. “Where’s my shotgun”, I thought! But then it hit me. The bird sang in the cold rain just as it did on the warm sunny day. His song was the same, not altered at all. I felt like God just quietly said to me ‘You can let your condition determine your attitude or you can let your attitude determine your condition. So, you choose’.” (1001 Illustrations, Number 200)

Rejoice Always. Pray Continually. Pray (continually)

Paul, like any good, converted Pharisee, pictures the Christian life as a journey. He knows full well that life itself is like a conversation with God and that we have prayer Not because God is some cosmic Genie ready to grant all our wishes if we pray hard enough, but because it’s hard to claim you love someone if you never talk and never listen to them. You have to talk to God like you do a spouse or a best friend. And you have to listen too.

There’s this rather ridiculous story. “An atheist was walking through the woods. ‘What majestic trees! What powerful rivers! What beautiful animals!’” He said to himself.

As he was walking alongside the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. With the bawl of his foot crumpling the leaves, he turned to see the origin of the sound. That’s when he saw it… he saw a 7-foot grizzly bear charge towards him. He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder once more and saw that the bear was closing in on him. He ran harder.

He looked over his shoulder again, and this time the bear was even closer. But one should never look back when running from a bear. With his eyes turned the wrong way the man tripped and fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up just in time to see that the bear was right on top of him, raising his right paw to strike. At that instant the Atheist cried out, “My God!”

Time Stopped. The bear froze. The water stopped flowing. The forest was still. It was as if the whole world was a movie and somewhere, someone… hit the pause button.

As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky. “You deny my existence for all these years. Do you expect me to help you now? Am I to count you now as a believer”?

The Atheist looked directly into the light, “It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask You to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps You could make the BEAR a Christian”?

[I told you it was ridiculous.]

“Very Well,” said the Voice.

The light went out. The sounds of the forest slowly resumed. And at the moment, the bear dropped his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head and spoke: “Lord, bless this food, which I am about to receive.” (1001 Illustrations, number 477)

As God’s children, we are called to a life of prayer… not just prayer when we get caught in the thick of things… not just prayer when we’re in trouble – but called to pray continuously.

That means when things are bad we say “God help me” but when things are good we say “God thank you”. And all the time we say, “I know you’re with me. And I know you love me”.

In a collection of rabbinic wisdom there is this great teaching moment about prayer.

Leaning back in his chair the Rabbi looks at his many students. “Experiences of God cannot be planned or achieved. They are spontaneous moments of grace, almost accidental,” the Rabbi said. (X2)

His (talmudim) student bothered by the words of a rabbi whom had demanded so much time in prayer from them understandably asked, “Rabbi, if experiences of God are just accidental, why do we spend so much time in prayer?”

“Ah” said the Rabbi “Ah”… “to be as accident-prone as possible”.

We experience God in prayer. And we experience God more and more the more and more we pray. Rejoice Always. Pray Continuously.

Give Thanks (… in all circumstances)

Thanksgiving is closely associated with prayer. In Philippians 4:6 Paul (the same author) writes, “in everything in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” As it says in Col. 2:7 the children of God are expected to “abound in thanks”. Giving thanks and praise to God is basic to who we are.

… “I’m 35. And I’ll only ever be 35.” Those words hit me with such an amazing force.

“Snakes?” I thought.

“What snakes exactly has God really given me?”

I’m still sleeping indoors.

And… I’m not worried about making my next birthday.

What a whining baby I was.

I live in one of the greatest places in the world to live. I have access to some of the finest medical care in the world. I have a family to love and that loves me. I am surrounded by people that care about me. I am generally healthy. And yet, with all that, I had been so focused on this house that I was about to lose that it consumed one of the most important parts of my every day (prayer time).

What foolishness, I realized, had befallen me that I should ever say “Woe is me”?

And all of a sudden, my worries meant nothing.

Back at the house with Marion and the young woman, pale and worn. Tears gave way to embrace. Hugs filled the room. And we sat down again to end our time with a short prayer.

And that’s when this young woman, (with probably less than two weeks left to live) started praying prayers of thanksgiving for us. She thanked God for the husband she’d been given and the daughter she’d had 7 years with. She thanked God for her close friends and the time they shared and for Marion and I for being a part of those last few months. She thanked God for the joke she heard the day before and the family she got to have stay with her for support, and for the love she felt from Jesus, and for the hope of seeing all of us together again someday.

I have no idea what is happening in your life. Maybe you also just have two weeks to live. Maybe you’re gonna lose a house. Maybe there is something seriously wrong in life and health. The truth is, this world is full of snakes. But our Father isn’t the one handing them out. He’s the one helping us deal with them. And with a little perspective, Paul’s words make perfect sense. We should be thankful in all things.

May you always find time for Joy, for Prayer, and for giving thanks for all you have. “Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray continually, ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Amen.

Song: For the fruits of all creation (802)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayer of gratitude, and for others and ourselves

God of inspiration and imagination, you are the artist of our lives.

You have filled your world with gifts, expressed through the creativity and dedication of so many.

We give you thanks for a new season of opportunity to gather in worship and witness, learning from you and from each other.

Artist of our lives.

Awaken our gifts to serve you. …

Today we give you thanks for the artists among us, offering their inspiring gifts.

Thank you for painters and poets, for lines on a canvas and lines on a page, which inspire us and leave us wondering.

Thank you for sculptors and storytellers who fashion faces in stone and scenes in words to outline the profile of your truth for us.

And thank you for the art on our fridge doors.

Artist of our lives,

Awaken our gifts to serve you.

God of grace and goodness,

We know your creativity in the arts of fabric and foodstuff, in hands that work with wood and keep machinery humming.

We give you thanks for those who stitch patterns with thread, and those who set patterns on our plates, mixing colours and flavours.

Thank you for those who build and repair, refinish and restore the things we need and the things we cherish.

Artist of our lives,

Awaken our gifts to serve you.

God of music and movement,

We know your beauty in the gifts of keyboard and composer, in the blending of voices and the bending of dancers.

We thank you for these sounds and sights that can touch our hearts once more and open our souls to praise you.

We pray for artists of every kind, that their work will find appreciation and support throughout our community.

Artist of our lives,

Awaken our gifts to serve you.

God of hope and healing, we thank you, too, for the healing arts, for the care and relief offered by professionals in our health care system and for support given by friends and volunteers.

We pray for all who seek healing – for body, mind or spirit.

Give each one your presence and peace through our prayer and friendship.

Awaken us to all to our creative potential to serve you in serving each other.

Song: For the beauty of the earth (434)

Sending out with God’s blessing

As we leave the church today, we go with the assurance that God is with us in every possible situation. May our hearts and minds be open to his presence. And my God’s grace, the love of Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen

Response: Amen, we praise you name

Music postlude

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