Worship on the First Sunday after the Epiphany
Baptism of the Lord
10:00 am       12 January 2025
Online & Onsite (Mixed Presence) Gathering as a Worshipping Community
Minister: The Rev Brad Childs     Worship Service led by Lynn Vaughan
Music director: Binu Kapadia     Vocalist: Rom Rhoad
Elder: Renita MacCallum     Reader: Leah Eisen

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
Silent preparation for worship

Call to Worship
L: Beloved, God chooses us and calls us by name.
P: We belong to God. Alleluia!
L: Our lives have purpose because we belong to God.
P: We are called to be like Christ and follow him.
L: We will find joy, peace, and restoration through God’s amazing grace.
P: Let us worship God who claims us and loves us! Praise be to God!

Opening praise: Holy Spirit, you are welcome here

Prayers of adoration and confession

Creator of the sun and moon and stars, you stir in our midst to reveal your light.

By the work of your Spirit, you lead us in new directions.

Your beloved Son has called us to new life and by his grace, reconciles the divisions among us.

Holy One, we praise you for the blessings you give us in our baptism into Christ, and through your love that surrounds us day by day.

To you, we give all praise, glory and honour, through Jesus Christ, who is one with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and always.

Merciful God, in baptism, you promise forgiveness and new life, but we confess that we prefer our old, familiar ways.

We cling to destructive habits, we harbour grudges, and we are reluctant to welcome a stranger or forgive one another.

Nostalgia for the past prevents us from exploring new possibilities.

In your loving kindness, forgive us.

Have mercy upon us and move among us so that we might pursue new life in Christ together. Amen

Response: Glory. Glory, hallelujah!

Assurance of God’s pardon

Do not be afraid, for Christ has redeemed you.
Baptized in the deep waters of death, he has washed away your sins.
Risen from the dead, he invites you to be washed in the cleansing tide of God’s mercy. Your sins are forgiven; be at peace with God, with yourself, and with each other.

We listen for the voice of God

Children’s time

Response: Jesus loves me (373)

Story: Baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:13-17)

I’m sure you recognize what I have in my hand. It’s a photo album. Most parents have several photo albums that are full of pictures taken of their children as they were growing up. We have always been very pleased with our children.

We took pictures of our children in school, at church, playing, at Christmas time, on their birthdays, and many other occasions. We were pleased with them as they grew up, and we are pleased with them today.

Do you think God was pleased with His son, Jesus?

I know He was, because it says so in the Bible. When Jesus was baptized, the Bible tells us that there was a voice from heaven that said, “This is my Son, and I love Him. I am very pleased with Him.” Why do you think God was pleased with His son?

What did God say first? That’s right! God said, “This is my Son!” He wanted everyone to know who Jesus was. Then, God went even further by saying, “This is my Son, and I love him.”

So, what’s the second thing God said? That’s right! God said, “I love him.” God loves His son!

These pictures show a lot of things that our children did. But more than anything, these pictures show that these are OUR kids. They belong to us. And we love them! We are a family!

When we trust in Jesus as our Saviour, we become the children of God. When we are baptised, God accepts us into His family. God loves us from the very beginning when we become His children, because that is what He wants us to be.

God says to us, “You are my son. You are my daughter. And I love you!”

God loves you! That’s pretty awesome, isn’t it?

I wonder if God has a photo album in heaven with your pictures in it. I know He has a book with all His children’s names in it. God is pleased with you when you become His child. It’s wonderful to hear God say, “You are my child. I love you. And I am pleased with you.”

Prayer: Let us pray: (This is a repeat after me prayer.)

Dear God, thank You for making us Your children. Thank You for loving us so much!

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Transition music

Song: O Holy dove of God, descending (392)

Today’s Message

Scripture reading: Isaiah 43:1-7; Acts 8:14-17; Luke 3L15-17 & 21-22

Response: Glory to the Father

Message: All in the family

Do you ever feel invisible? I DO. Quite a bit of the time, actually. I sometimes think invisibility might just be my superpower!!?!

I know that it’s probably hard for some of you to believe this about me, but I’ll tell you a little secret: outside of these Dayspring walls, people don’t usually notice me much. For instance: If I’m standing in the checkout line at the grocery store, someone often steps right in front of me like I’m not even there. Like, they didn’t even see me, apparently. And even more frequently than that, cars will pull out onto the roadway just as I’m approaching them, causing me to slam on the brakes to avoid a rear end collision. It’s like my superpower transfers over to whichever vehicle I’m driving. I used to tell my kids when they were little that it’s because I had pressed the ‘cloak of invisibility’ button in the vehicle – and they believed me!?! Even in my own house, I sometimes feel like my family doesn’t even know I’m there. I say things or do things – and get no reaction at all. I’m pretty sure I could actually rob a bank and get away with it. Nobody would be able to give a description, ‘cause they wouldn’t have registered anything about my appearance!

When enough incidents like this happen to us, it’s easy to start to feel like you’re invisible. Like you don’t matter. Like nobody even knows … or cares … that you’re here. It’s like you’re invisible to the world.

Well, I’ll let you in on another secret: You are NOT invisible, especially not to God. You are a precious member of His family!!

Today, on this first Sunday after the Epiphany, we are celebrating the baptism of Jesus. Baptism is a reminder that each one of us is special in God’s eyes and is embraced in His circle of love. We are ALL beloved children of God. The beautiful thing about the sacrament of baptism – whether it’s a baby, an older child, a teenager or a senior – is that it is a pure gift. You don’t have to earn the promise of God’s love. It is yours. It is mine. It is ours. There’s no need to strive for it or earn it or act in a certain way to get it. God’s love is a pure, absolute gift to each and every one of us. And in our world where there is a price attached to pretty much everything, or where people have to do something or be a certain way to be accepted, this is priceless.

In the gospel of Mark, the writer gets straight to the point as to what he believes is most important when it comes to the life of Jesus. It actually begins with the story of Jesus’ baptism. There is no Christmas narrative. There are no angels or shepherds or dreams or a long list of genealogies, because none of that matters to Mark. The gospel starts off, chapter 1 verse 1, with the words: “This is the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Then, we meet John, clothed in camel hair and eating nothing but locusts and honey. He is a teacher and a prophet, called to prepare the way for Jesus. In this morning’s reading, we heard how John preached about a baptism of repentance and for the forgiveness of sins.

It sounds a bit daunting, doesn’t it? Repentance and sins are words with a lot of baggage and weight to them. But repentance is really about turning in a new direction and living in a new way. Sins are all those things that separate us from the love of God. This shows itself in different forms for each one of us, but they are the things that prevent us from remembering that we are God’s beloved children. John the Baptist is teaching and preaching to all who will listen about a new way of living and a new way of drawing closer to God.

The next part of the scripture reading recounts what happened next with Jesus’ baptism. Luke 3:21-22 states: ^“When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, saying: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you, I am well pleased.”
And with that, Jesus begins his public ministry of teaching and healing.

THIS is the starting place for all of us, as well. We are God’s beloved children and God is well pleased with each one of us. None of us are invisible to God!

This past month or so, we have been fortunate enough to celebrate a few baptisms and baby dedications here in our sanctuary. We hear the hopes and prayers of parents as they bring their children for baptism. Each family offers something different, but they are all grounded in a deep love for their children and wanting what’s best for them. Just as God wants what’s best for us.

Well known author, David Lose, writes: “In Holy Baptism, God just chooses us. In Holy Baptism, God says that we are enough. Already. That we are pleasing to God and deserve to be loved. And that identity of being God’s beloved child – precisely because it is established by God – cannot be taken away from us or, for that matter, lost by us. Rather, God continues to come into our lives to call us beloved and blessed and promises to be always both with us and for us. That promise and that blessing, in turn, helps us face all the challenges we encounter. Problems at home or in the community, concerns about the world or our personal lives. We can face whatever might be plaguing us with greater confidence knowing that God is on our side.”

Think, for a moment, of all that will happen in the coming year – the decisions that will be made, relationships started (or ended), careers changed, schools entered, illnesses endured, challenges surmounted, risks taken, adventures dared, love shared. So much will come down the pike in the coming weeks and months. Some of it, we may anticipate and be prepared for, but much of it, we simply can’t imagine. Daunting. Until we remember that God is with us through all of it. God is on our side. God will not abandon us but will walk alongside us, strengthening us, encouraging us, granting us grace sufficient to become the people God wants us to be.”

(http://www.davidlose.net/2018/01/epiphany-1-b-powerful-words-for-a-new-year/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+davidlose%2FIsqE+%28…In+the+Meantime%29)

As each one of us meets the challenges of this day / this week / this month / this new year, we are reminded that faith is not a magical cure-all but is the constant reminder that God is with us, lightening our burdens and providing hope. Any challenges we face, we do so with God’s help and the support from our community of faith, our church FAMILY. With the words “beloved” ringing in our ears each and every new day, we are called to be about God’s work in the world. There are so many ways to respond, but they are all grounded in a new way of living that is rooted in God’s grace. This makes all things possible. Rooted in God’s love, Jesus showed us what that new way of living looked like. It was the face of compassion. It was mercy. It was grace. It was life giving. It was healing. It was hope.

We are invited to be about that work of compassion, mercy, grace, living-giving, healing, and hope. When we feed those who are hungry, we proclaim the good news that God is with us. When we walk in the shadows with those who are lost and hurting, we offer the light of new life. When we support our brothers and sisters in Christ, our lives proclaim the good news that we are all God’s beloved children. This is the promise that comes with baptism and that has called us and claimed us as Christ’s own.

Baptism is a new way of living. Mark knew that. He knew that there could be no better way to start the story of Jesus’ life than on the day of his baptism. Today, we are God’s beloved and with each and every one of us, God is well pleased. You are NOT invisible to God; you are a precious member of His family! And … You are a precious member of our faith family! Amen

Song: Spirit of the living God (400)

We respond to serve God: Our time of giving

Reflection on giving

In this time of Epiphany, God’s gift to us in Christ is revealed to the world. Our gifts to God in Christ’s name reveal our commitment to the love and mercy, the forgiveness and hope we have received. Our gifts proclaim that we are beloved to God and God is beloved to us.

God our Maker, we bring our gifts to you in thanksgiving for your gifts to us in Christ and in creation. Bless what we bring and who we are, so that our gifts will bless the world you love in Christ’s name.

Prayer of gratitude and for others and ourselves

God of time and eternity: as the new year stretches before us, we thank you for the time you give us and for all those things that are still possible and precious in this gift.

We thank you for each new day and its possibilities; for each night, its rest and reflection.

We thank you for words of forgiveness and the chance to make a new start, for words of invitation to explore new opportunities.

Give us the courage to try something new and the conviction to finish things leftover from last year.

Make time spent this year your time, O God.

Bless our time with you.

God of moments and memories we remember before you people facing difficult times in the months ahead.

We pray for those struggling with illness, and for those facing treatment or surgery with uncertain results….

We pray for those who are grieving the loss of dear ones and for all who remember what was, but can no longer be…

God of hopefulness and helpfulness, we remember those who are seeking new opportunities this year:

Those training for new employments and those looking for work;

Those developing new businesses and seeking the right employees;

And those who provide services to improve life in our communities amid the uncertainties around us…

Give us wisdom and perseverance in what we undertake as a congregation in the face of all the changes in our community.

As we work together with the vision of your kingdom before us this year, fill us with love and generosity that can change the world because of your blessing.

We pray we can make a difference in even the most challenging situations because we are the people of your beloved Son and your own Beloved children. Amen.

Song: Amigos de Cristo (Friends of the Lord) (476)

Sending out with God’s blessing

May the God who gives us this new year and the Saviour who walks at our side each day, and the Spirit who fills us with life abundant, continue to grant us His peace, hope and joy.

Response: God to enfold you

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).

Lynn Vaughan retains the copyright (© 2025) on all original material in this service. As far as she is aware, all of the material that has not been attributed to others is her own creation or is in the public domain. Unacknowledged use of copyrighted material is uninten

Worship on Epiphany Sunday
10:00 am January 05, 2025
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs, Communion     Service Led by Rom Rhoad
Music Director: Binu Kapadia     Vocalist: Lynn Vaughan
Welcoming Elder: Shirley Simpson     Reader: Darlene Eerkes

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: Psalm 47: 1-2, 5-9 (ESV)
L: Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with joy! For the LORD the most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth.
P: God had gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
L: Sing Praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King sing praises!
P: For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm!
L: God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.
All: The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham; for the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted!

Opening praise: Forever God is faithful

Prayers of approach and confession

Almighty God, we come to you this week recognizing the many ways we have fallen short of your commands. Maybe we have called siblings fools, we have hated our enemies, we have not treated our neighbours as ourselves, we have not turned the other cheek or prayed for those who hate us, we have not lived up to what Jesus has taught us. We are but people, full of fault and sin. Forgive us Lord.

Response: Glory, glory hallelujah

Assurance of God’s pardon

Fellow followers of Jesus, hear these words and take assurance- “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God has forgiven us of our sins, he has given a single great sacrifice for all time. Recognizing this, let us go forth and sin no more. Come now Lord Jesus. Amen.

We listen for the voice of God                    

Song: Blessed assurance (687)

Scripture readings: Genesis 19:23-25; Luke 12:4-12

Response: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet           

Message: “Fear Him”?

As Jesus said according to Luke “But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he was killed, has the authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!”

What does this mean? What is Jesus asking us?

Fear God, the Father?

Fear Him, the Son?

This does not sound like good news.

Is this really, in the Good News?

Often when people are confronted with this sort of question, they ask-

“Why would a loving God ask us to fear him?”

That’s a difficult, but reasonable question.

Why would a loving God do this?

Let’s take a step back. Let’s first examine how Fear is used and understood here on earth. Fear an important tool in the human understanding of how governments derive their power and authority. For governments like our own, theoretically it is a ‘fear’ of the people that our government derives its power. This is expressed by our ability to vote (3), and thus keep politicians “in fear” of our power to remove them from power.

Other forms government rely more overtly on fear, like that of the Roman Empire (4), the very government that Jesus was technically a subject of. In this empire, fear was the tool that maintained the empire, subjects of the Romans would fear the might of the empire’s military forces and pay taxes and worship the emperor as signs of their submission. By the reign of Emperor Trajan (5), this threat of force was a necessity for the Romans to govern.

Trajan, like other emperors before him, played to a veneer of maintaining Roman Tradition, insofar as it helped him keep his throne. Of these traditions, adherence to the traditional gods of Rome was required, and he used this to justify his rule. This was done as it was believed that the gods of Rome would destroy the Empire if the people were not maintaining their sacrifices to them. So, the Roman Emperors took control over expression of religion as to maintain the good will of these gods. So, a surface level of piety was required, and faiths that openly undermined this had to be suppressed, such as Christianity.

Our Faith fundamentally undermined the Roman State religion. Our beliefs taught us that sacrificed pigs to Jupiter appeased no such being, our faith taught that an emperor could not become a god after death, due to an edict from his successor, which had to be confirmed by a majority vote by the senate. Our faith that taught that spilt libations of wine honoured nothing and changed nothing either here or in the afterlife. These meaningless rituals were essential to maintaining Roman rule for centuries, rituals believed to have been started by Rome’s second King, Numa, almost a thousand years before. As the Emperor feared the gods, the Romans should fear their emperor. This was one of the ways in which emperors would maintain their position. That and the threat of death, was enforced by legions. (6)  That fear was symbolized by the painful execution by Crucifixion. The very method by which Jesus was executed.

The Roman Empire, differing from the Republic that preceded it, relied much more on the threat of legions, than the relationship with the gods. Fear of death kept the subjects of the Roman Empire in line. All one had to do to stay alive under the Romans was pay their taxes and worship the divine spirit of the emperor.

Roman men such as Pliny the Younger were loyal and obedient servants to his emperor, Trajan. He was directly appointed to be a governor over the rich and commercially prosperous Province of Bithynia, which is in modern Turkey. At any moment, if Pliny even had a hint of disloyalty to Trajan, he could be easily removed from his position, especially since he had no legions directly under his command. So, it was for his own health and his wealth that he stayed loyal and ‘in fear’ of his emperor.

In Pliny’s Province, there had been a growing problem, a group that Trajan had declared as subversive as they undermined the traditional faiths of the Empire. In his enthusiasm to please his emperor. Pliny had captured and tortured two slave-women apart of this group, a group identified as Christians. These slaves were deacons (lay leaders) in their church. From them he sought to gleam more information about these Christians and their subversive faith. These women Pliny tortured for their faith, and they taught Pliny that their beliefs in this Jesus were not evil, cannibalistic or corrupt as many rumours at the time had stated. By the Holy Spirit they testified the Truth, that Jesus was Christ, the Son of God, who had died a human death for humanity’s sin and had risen on the third day, eventually ascending into heaven after declaring his intention to one day come again. They refused to renounce Jesus Christ or worship the emperor. So, they suffered for it.

These women had no fear of their emperor as Pliny did.

Fear was a necessity to Trajan’s rule, after all he had seized power from

Nervus, a weak old man who was unpopular with the army, a man who he ironically deified after his death. Trajan had sized power by forcing Nerva into adopting him as his son and heir. Nerva valued his life enough to accept this new order, and Trajan rewarded him with deification by motion of Senate. Trajan was a man, clever, conniving, politically apt, a skilled general loved by his soldiers and feared by those under his rule, but nonetheless he was nothing more than a man.

God does not rule like this at all, God does not need to rely on other gods or legions of troops to maintain his rule over the earth. (9) The inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah were not destroyed by God as a means to put people into fear of His divine power, of His ability to smite the entire world like what we might say at the wave of His hand. This punishment was not born out of malevolence, but rather righteousness. Even in this act of wrath we do see God’s mercy.

After God had determined to smite this evil valley and its inhabitants, His Wrath does not consume the entire valley, (10) “’Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.’” (Genesis 19:17b.)

God spares the city of Zoar. It is within the same valley as Sodom and Gemorrah, guilty of the same sins, but at Lot’s request God spares it. There was no other special reason for God to spare this city, as it was included in the depravity found in the entire valley. God spares it out of love for Lot and Abraham, both very imperfect people.

Emperors, Kings, and Dictators rule through fear. Their power is in this world, and it is fleeting. God’s rule is not justified by fear. Fear is what kept the Roman gods in power, it’s what kept the Romans blindly and faithlessly sacrificing to the gods, and when those gods failed and the Republic fell, a new god arose for the Romans, the Emperor, who could quite literally become a god, ruling jointly with his fellow gods from their own thrones up in the heavens. (11)

But these soon to be divine emperors could not tell anyone to the exact detail everything that there is to know about their empire. How many soldiers they have under their command at an exact moment, how many of their courtiers wanted them dead and how many of their subjects loved them. Emperors, for whom thousands would pray for every day, would struggle to say exactly how many of their Imperial Subjects prayed for their spirit, and how many of those that prayed believed that their words, that their incense, that their spilt wine did anything.

I imagine to these earliest Christians, especially as they were being spat on in the streets, as false rumors were being laid against them, as they were chased from town, kicked out of their homes by relatives, or when they were sporadically tortured, crucified, maimed, and murdered, this passage from Luke was one of the passages of which they could hear and find much comfort in. They feared God, the only god worthy of fear.

How we have conceived of fear, fear for our governments, our government’s fear of us, much of our lives can be said to be predicated on fear. Fear of our standing in society, our relationship with our friends, our family. In our lives we all fear constantly. In some way it is no different with our God. But He is not just like those people in our lives. He forgives, and he asks us to forgive each other. (12) “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” Isaiah 55:8. God is unlike us, yet not unlike us at all. God knows us for who we are, and will render justice in His own timing, for reasons only fully understood by God.

On Earth, no power, no Emperor, no ruler, no government, no priest, no human, can ever claim to have such power as the judge our souls, to judge us worthy of election into heaven or for us to be condemned to Hell. That alone is in God’s hands.

My Friends in Jesus- Fear God, but fear not.

God is Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipresent.

And God is Good.

Our God is Benevolent.

Our God is a loving God.

Our God is forgiving.

The fear we have for God, is not a fear of Damnation, but rather a recognition that God did not have to give us a way into Salvation. (13)

God did not have to send His Son.

But God, in his mercy, in his love, did just that.

Yes, my brothers and sisters, Fear God, and Fear not.

That seems to me[1], to be how we should understand Luke’s message.

Do not fear those who kill the body…

Do not be Afraid. Trust in God.

Birds are a dime a dozen, and God remembers and accounts for each and every one of them.

God will remember you. As God remembers the birds. As God remembered Abram. As God remembered Lot. As God remembered those two deacons, tortured for His sake. God knows us for who we are, and we should give thanks that it is God who judges us. Not an emperor, not an elected leader, not the world, not a human, not anything else.

Fear not, for God holds us to being worth much more than even those many trillions of birds. God loves us. God remembers us. God accounts for each and everyone of us.

Fear not, for the All-Powerful and Only God is Just, and He knows all and remembers all, and His Kingdom has no end.

God be praised. Amen.

Song: To God be the glory (350)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Lord God, although these offerings we give will not guarantee our salvation, they represent our devotion to our Saviour and our will to continue to assist in the ministries done by this church in Jesus Christ’s name. Let us give what we are able to, whether that is our time, our patience, our love, or some of our money. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Prayer of gratitude, and for others and ourselves

Eternal God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth, accept the prayers of your people, Lord you alone know what we are all suffering, what we grieve in this life you have given us. Lord, strengthen us to do your will and love our neighbours, even when we feel that we cannot. Even as we come out of this Christmas season, help us to not forget the benevolent love you have shown us by sending us your son, Jesus. In his Holy name we pray, Amen

The Sacrament of Holy Communion

Invitation

Friends in Christ, this is the joyful feast of the people of God. They will come from east and west, from north and south, and sit at table in the kingdom of God.

This is the Lord’s Table. Our Savior invites all who trust in Him to share the feast which He has prepared. Here, in the bread and the cup, we remember Christ’s sacrifice, celebrate His presence, and anticipate His return in glory.

Come, not because you must, but because you may; not because you are strong, but because you seek God’s strength. Come to this table of grace, where Christ meets us with forgiveness, peace, and love.

Song: All who hunger (534)

The Lord’s Prayer (sung: 469)

The Communion Prayer

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Gracious God, Creator of heaven and earth, with joy we give you thanks and praise. You spoke and the earth was formed; from chaos, you brought order; out of darkness, you brought light. You made us in your image to live with one another in love.

Even when we turned away from you, you reached out again and again, calling us back to your embrace. Through the prophets, you promised a Savior to redeem your people and set them free.

And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

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

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, and blessed is your Son, Jesus Christ. In the fullness of time, you sent him to live among us. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and reached out to the lost. His life, death, and resurrection opened the way to eternal life. Remembering his promise to be with us always, we await his coming in glory.

By your Spirit, make us one with Christ and with all who share this meal, even as this bread is Christ’s body for us. Empower us through this sacrament to live as Christ’s faithful disciples and show the world your love.

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

Sharing of the Bread and Wine

On the night of his arrest, our Lord Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks to God, he broke it and said, “This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

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

Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the saving death of the risen Lord, until he comes.

Song:   One bread one body (540)

Prayer after Communion

Gracious and loving God, we thank You for feeding us with the holy mystery of the body and blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ. In this sacrament, You have nourished our souls and strengthened our faith. We are filled with gratitude for Your love, which unites us with Christ and with one another.

Empower us now, by Your Spirit, to go forth into the world as bearers of Your light and love. May we embody the grace and compassion we have received, sharing the hope of Christ with all whom we meet.

Guide us in our journey of faith, that we may serve You with joy and dedication. Help us to respond to Your call with open hearts, loving our neighbors and working for justice and peace.

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Song: A mighty fortress is our God (315)

Sending out with God’s blessing – Jude 24-25 (I do?)

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Response: Gloria in Excelsis Deo

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).

Romulus Rhoad, a candidate for the ministry in the PCC, retains the copyright (© 2025) on all original material in this service. As far as he is aware, all of the material that has not been attributed to others is his own creation or is in the public domain. Unacknowledged use of copyrighted material is unintentional and will be corrected immediately upon notification being received.

[1] δοχομαι

Worship on the first Sunday after Christmas
10:00 am December 29, 2024
Minister: Rev. Brad Childs     Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Vivian Houg     Reader: Sam Malayang
Welcoming Elder: Heather Tansem     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 from the heavens in the heights.
P: Praise god, all the earth and everyone.
L: Praise the God above us all.
P: Praise is on our lips.

Opening praise: Graves into gardens

Prayers of approach and confession

God of all generations, you are the Source of all life and the strength of our lives. In Jesus Christ, you entered our lives and showed us how to live with hope and generosity. Through the Holy Spirit, you nourish our lives each day so that we can offer hospitality and kindness to those we meet.

As we worship you, lead us to drink from the goodness of your well, so that we may become a blessing to others in the name of Jesus Christ you son and our Lord.

Generous God, we confess that we often fall short of the kindness and compassion we meet in Jesus. You have blessed us in so many ways and yet we want more, always more. You have welcomed us like guests to a banquet, yet we find it hard to welcome a stranger, to meet new people and extend more than a quick smile. You have shown us what matters most in life, but we are distracted by our worries, busy with things that do not really matter.

We scurry about our business and forget that love should be our business, care our currency. Forgive us, God, and teach us to honour you in all that we do and say, for the sake of Christ, our Saviour and our Friend. Amen.

Response: Glory, glory, hallelujah

Assurance of God’s grace

While it is true that we have sinned and fallen short of God’s hope for us, it is a greater truth that we are forgiven through God’s amazing love. To all who humbly seek the mercy of God, I say, in Jesus Christ, our sin is forgiven. So be at peace with God, with yourself and with one another. And now please extend that peace to those around you.        

We listen for the voice of God.

Response: Jesus loves me (373)

Children’s Time Theme: How does the Bible say we are to clothe ourselves?

Object: Articles of clothing. A shirt, pants, and a hat or cap.

Scripture: Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV)

Well, I hope that everyone had a merry Christmas. Did anyone here get any new toys? Did anyone here get any new clothes for Christmas? I know you may not get as excited about new clothes as you do about the toys you received, but I do know the good feeling that you have when you wear some new clothes that you really like.

One of the very first decisions that you and I have to make every day is the decision about what we are going to wear. The clothing that we wear is very important to most of us. Most of us want our clothes to be a style that is popular. To some people, even the brand is important. We want our clothes to be in good condition – with no holes or missing buttons – and, of course, we want them to be clean.

The clothing that we wear says a lot about us. Sometimes I see little girls wearing T-shirts that say, “Princess” or “2 Cute.” Traditionally, boys often go more for football jerseys, Spiderman T-shirts, or something like that. Sometimes, you need just the right hat or a cap to complete your outfit.

As you are choosing what you are going to wear each morning, do you ever give a thought to what the Bible says about how we should clothe ourselves? Well, the Bible doesn’t tell us which shirt or pants to wear, but it does have something to say about how we, as God’s children, should clothe ourselves.

The Bible says that we should clothe ourselves with kindness, gentleness, and patience. It says we should put on a forgiving attitude. Finally, the Bible says, we should top it all off by putting on love. That brings it all together in perfect unity. The great thing about this outfit that the Bible describes is that it fits us all — boys or girls — young or old. Do you know what else is great about it? It never goes out of style!

The next time you are trying to decide what to wear, why not put on a little kindness, gentleness, and patience? Add some forgiveness, then, top it off with love.

Prayer: Dear Father, we are always careful in choosing what clothes to wear. Help us to be just as careful about choosing our attitudes. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Song: See amid the winter’s snow (168: vss 1,4,5)

Scripture readings: 1 Samuel 2:18-20,26; Colossians 3:12-17; Luke 2:41-52

Response: O come, let us adore Him

Message: Above all… love

The book of Colossians was probably penned by a young man named Timothy, who was acting as Paul’s secretary during his imprisonment in Rome. This would be in the early period of the early 50s. This letter was sent to Colossae, one congregation within a group of cities built along the Lycus Valley Road, leading up to the foot of Mt. Cadmus in modern-day Turkey’s highest mountain.

At the time, the city was quite famous for its syncretistic tendencies. People there tended to combine religions together, sort of like present-day Hoodoo, Santeria, Rastafarianism or most similarly like Bahaism, which tries to combine the best parts of different religions together but at the sad cost of what makes them unique and honestly renders them nothing more than human moralistic positions while ignoring the most foundational parts that seek to speak to Who God is).

In Colossae, people took paganism to its ultimate conclusion by combining all the known major religions they had seen. This made systems of ethics but was devoid of God. For this reason, there weren’t a lot of hard and fast rules for ethical behaviour in Colossae outside the traditional Jewish communities. However, this openness to different beliefs made the people in Colossae quite amenable to Christianity as well, not to its distinctive exclusivity. In other words, they were in a somewhat similar situation to the one we are in now in Canada. People got the moral part of it (for the most part), but that was about it, so they generally didn’t see much need for a church. But a small church had begun to meet together in someone’s home.

Today’s reading is a whole new chapter and section in Paul’s letter, and it starts like this: “Since then, you have been raised with Christ.” Now, here’s a helpful hint. Whenever you encounter a verse like this when reading your bible, you first have to investigate the past. A passage like this can have no meaning apart from its previous section. “Since, then”? So, the question has to be asked, “since when?”. To find that answer, we have to go back to Chapter 2, verses 20-23. That reads as follows, “Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why (as though you still belonged to the world) do you submit to its rules… based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom… but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

In other words, there are many things that seem wise in this world that aren’t and seem right, but they just aren’t.

At this point, Paul is not too concerned with the particulars. He will deal with that a little later.

He writes, “Since, then, (in other words the way you used to live before you believed) you have been raised with Christ, (So) set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life (your new life) is now hidden with Christ in God.”

You’re supposed to be different now.

Many people justify a variety of habits by calling them natural. For example, it’s not uncommon these days to hear someone say that males aren’t meant to be monogamous because they only rarely appear to be so in the animal kingdoms of nature. But this is a well-known classical fallacy titled the Fallacy of Nature. Calling these things natural does not mean it is essential, beneficial, or unchangeable behaviour. Yeah, monogamy isn’t natural. BUT… who, for example, could deny that it is also natural to go to the bathroom in your own pants, to be naked, to steal other kids’ toys or leave your teeth unbrushed for your entire life? Arsenic grows naturally while growing, but that doesn’t mean it’s good for you to eat. We often need to change ourselves to do unnatural things until the unnatural itself becomes second nature. 403

Paul’s point is just the same. He says, ‘If you say that you follow Jesus, then you have been raised with Christ. So, set your mind on the things above, not on earthly things (the things you used to do). ³ For you (your old self) died…”

The world asks that we own ourselves and embrace ourselves. But in the Bible, we’re told the opposite. We’re told to deny ourselves, not let ourselves be defined by the world around us, but to rise above it, leave it behind, and become new.

But that’s not easy to do. Whether you are a long-time Christian or like the people in Colossae and have just met Jesus, that’s not easy. It’s hard to “rise above” ourselves.

A recent study showed that 70% of nearly 70,000 American college and high school students admitted to cheating on tests (70%). What exactly is going on with our youth? The Duke University report also indicated that internet plagiarism had quadrupled in the same 5 years. A separate poll of nearly 25,000 high schoolers found that almost half of the students (Half) agreed with the following statement: “A person must lie and cheat to succeed in life.” 484

This year, half of all high school graduates think they must cheat to do well. I wonder how many of them claim to be followers of Jesus.

What was true 2000 years ago still holds true today: People (even good people) find it very hard to leave the bad parts of their lives behind.

A great example of this can be found in the odd case of Vladimir Villisov of Russia, who had a heart attack that made him reevaluate his life. But instead of throwing off bad eating habits or adding some exercise into his morning routine, he decided to do something different. So, in 2006, Vladimir (age 66) built for himself a specialized coffin of enormous size, specially designed to accommodate both his rather large body and his vast collection of pornography. “The girls in those have been my companions for years,” he said, “and I want them to accompany me into my life.” 455

Yeah, it’s pretty easy to judge, but you must ask yourself… what vices do you hold on to? What parts of your old life before Christ are you trying to catty into this next one? What sins of the world are you refusing to give up? What old life were you supposed to bury when you came to Christ, but you just can’t or haven’t seemed to close the coffin on yet? You have ‘em. I promise you that. I do. What kinds of things unpleasing to God will you take to the grave with you?

Max Lucado has this excellent quote that sums it up. He writes, “God loves you exactly how you are, too much to let you stay that way. God loves you, but God also has a plan for you to make you better because he loves you.

Paul writes with a specific list of items commonly referred to as a “vice list.” He says, ⁵ Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature: (and then he lists many things). He says, “sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.

This may seem odd but don’t focus too much on the specific items on Paul’s vice list. The first part of that sentence is the most essential.

In the New Testament, Paul gives six different vice lists filled with things that people need to put behind them. None of these lists is meant to be seen as exhaustive, and I’m sure each one has to do with the context of the individual situations in the congregations he is writing to. A vice list was commonly used to say “many bad things.” He’s just saying that if we understand that our sins are paid for, we should be dead to sin.

Envying your neighbour’s vacation, putting that work project above taking your kids to the game, thinking you’re so good at your job nobody could ever replace you, lying to your boss, getting angry at your coworkers, sharing that dirty joke, talking bad abut that lady, gossiping behind someone’s back, pretending you don’t see that guy on the corner who probably wants eye contact as much as a quarter… it could all be on Paul’s list.

From his hospital bed on the eve of open-heart surgery, pastor Bruce MacGyver asked his cardiologist, Dr. Lee Johnson, “Can you fix my heart?” The Physician said, “Sure,” and then walked away. Following the 12-hour surgery, MacGyver asked Dr. Johnson, “In light of the blocked arteries that I had when I checked in, how much blood supply do I have now?” “All you’ll ever need,” replied the surgeon. Before MacGyver was discharged from the hospital, Bruce’s wife Lana asked the doctor, “What can you tell me about my husband’s future quality of life?” Dr. Johnson paused and then said this… “I fixed the heart; quality of life is up to him.” 404

To die with Christ is also to put to death “the former self” and to aim for something new.

Paul worked diligently for the sake of the gospel but did not remotely believe that his work ended when someone accepted that Jesus had died for their sins. Instead, that was a part of the discipleship journey. The idea here is pretty simple. God loves you exactly the way you are. I’m going to say that again. God loves you exactly the way you are. But He also loves you too much to let you stay exactly as you are. People today love that first part. But we all often forget the second part, don’t we?

In the end, Paul has one final point to make, and it’s often taken wildly out of context. He writes, “Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, enslaved person or free, but Christ is all and is in all.

Paul tells a group of Jews and Gentiles that they are loved. He says it doesn’t matter if you are a part of the “chosen people,” or you grew up in the faith, or you are from a “high” or “low class,” or even if you are a Scythian (a group thought of as the most barbaric and violent clan in history at the time), if you come to Jesus, then you are all the same… forgiven sinners trying to do better. And every one of you is welcome to come just as you are. But at the same time, we must be willing to put some things in the tomb with our old selves. We all have to. That is what calling Jesus “Lord” means. Amen.

Song: Spirit, Spirit of gentleness (399)

We respond to serve God.

Our time of giving

Prayer of gratitude and for others and ourselves

Thank you for what we have accomplished through the work we do, and for what each one of us contributes to the wellbeing of our community. Inspire us to work together on the challenges we face and surprise us with the solutions to problems that once seemed overwhelming.

Today we pray for all those who labour in difficult situations:
for children who work in terrible conditions and are paid very little.;
for migrant workers who are far away from their families.;
for those who are underpaid or unjustly treated in their workplace.
God, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

We also pray for those who cannot labour:
for those who are unemployed or underemployed.;
for those who have become injured on the job or too sick to keep working;
for those who are denied the opportunity to earn a living because of war or discrimination or just plain overwhelming poverty.
God, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

We pray for those who labour in our community.
for those who must work today and tomorrow instead of enjoying this long weekend;
for those who must work several jobs to care for their families;
for those who work at jobs, we wouldn’t want to do ourselves because they are messy or unpleasant.
God, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

God, we offer gratitude for laws that protect children,
for health and safety practices that prevent tragedies in the workplace,
and for generations before us who advocated for vulnerable employees.
Thank you for the work that goes on behind the scenes,
delivering things we enjoy and services we rely on.
Help us to look beyond these things
to picture the faces of those whose work provides for all our needs.
Through their faces, let us see your face, Creator and Sustainer of all that is.
God, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

Lord above all else, help each of us to labour as one devoted to you. In our words and deeds make us upright. Help us put to death those things that wish to control us, whatever they might be and help us to put our minds on things above.
In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

Song: How Great Thou Art (332)

Sending out with God’s blessing

As you leave this place
may the Living Lord go with you;
May he go behind you, to encourage you,
beside you, to befriend you,
above you, to watch over you,
beneath you, to lift you from your sorrows,
within you, to give you the gifts of faith, hope, and love,
and always before you, to show you the way.

Response: Gloria in Excelsis Deo

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).

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.

Worship on the Lord’s Day: Fourth Sunday of Advent
10:00 am December 22, 2024
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs
Music Director: Binu Kapadia     Vocalist: Lynn Vaughan
Welcoming Elder: Darlene Eerkes
Children’s time: Brad

We gather to worship God

Music Prelude

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

Welcome and announcements
Preparation for worship
Call to worship: David Burnett, Thandi Chaponda and Angel Castell
L: As we prepare for Christ’s coming, we remember that Christ modelled love by seeking justice for those on the margins.
P: We come with a desire to love everyone, even when it’s hard.
L: We light the fourth candle of Advent, a symbol of God’s love, which knows no boundaries.
(Light the candle of love)
L: May the light of this candle inspire us to act towards our neighbours near and far in loving and justice-seeking ways
P: Holy One, we love because You first loved us. By the power of your Spirit, commit us to love in action in service of our neighbours. Affirm within us a dedication to show your love to the world, in both word and deed. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen

Opening praise: Hope is a star (119)

Prayers of approach and confession

Our Lord, we gather together to praise you for your incredible work.

We praise you for this world, and all that’s in it.

We praise you for a free country to gather without fear of persecution.

We praise you for a beautiful country, beautiful people, and your beautiful grace. But Lord, though you are perfect, we are not. We are flawed people striving to improve, so now, in unison, we confess our shortcomings to you.

God of our past, present, and future, we confess the evil we have done and the good we have failed to do, the words not said, and things spoken in anger or out of carelessness, the harm we have done to others and the harm we have done to ourselves. We acknowledge that our love has been shallow, our joy thin, and our hope fleeting. Forgive us for all these things and help us to do Your will. And remind us that when we fail, Your grace has already forgiven us through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Response: We come to ask your forgiveness

Assurance of God’s love

By God’s will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all. Know that God’s love has already restored you. Believe that you are forgiven and forgive one another. Amen.

We listen for the voice of God.

Response: Jesus loves me (373)

Children’s Time: Luke 1:26-31; 2:8-12

Book The Visit of the Wise Men by Martha Jander (Concordia Press)

For me one of the most special things about this story from the bible is that no person starts out knowing who Jesus is and every person is invited to know. The Shepherds were busy in the fields, the Magi were from another religion and land They didn’t really even no quite Why they were there, some were wealthy, some had almost nothing, but all are welcome.

I love this passage from 1 Timothy. It goes like this: “We work and struggle for this, our hope. For our hope is set on the living God, who is the savior of all people, especially those who believe.” – 1 Timothy 4:10

I love that verse because it reminds me that Christ is the saviour of all, whether they believe it or not. Sometimes, in life, we are tempted to think that Christmas is too commercial or non-religious, but I say bring it on. Everyone, no matter what they believe, is invited to celebrate the Savior’s birth, whether they know him or not. I pray that the whole world will find a way to celebrate Christmas, even if they don’t quite get it.                   

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for Christmas miracles. For the birth of Jesus and the invitation to come and meet him. Thank you for his life, example, offering, and glorious return. Amen.

If I don’t see you before the 25^th, Merry Christmas to all of you.

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Song: My soul gives glory (123 vss 1,2,3,5)

Scripture readings: Micah 5:2-5a; Luke 1:46b-55; & Hebrews 10:5-10                                  

Response: My Lord, he is a’ comin’ soon

Message: “Love”

Luke 1:45 says, “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her!”

The Roman Catholic Church has almost always stressed the “Blessed is she” portion of scripture concerning Mary. It has been largely responsible for her elevation despite scripture containing almost no information about her. But I have always wondered, as probably many of you have… is what Mary believed exactly.

What exactly did Mary believe in, and how did she believe in whatever it was she believed in?

Elizabeth is John the Baptist’s mother and Mary’s cousin. But here, Elizabeth says that Mary is blessed because she is (pi-stu-o) pisteuō.

This original Greek word from this passage means most literally, “To think to be true.”

So, Mary is blessed because she “thinks” something to be true? Well that doesn’t solve much. It seems pretty subjective. You got to wonder… how much confidence are we talking about here? What did Mary Believe exactly? Did she 70% believe it?

For me, it’s interesting to ask and I think there are spiritual implications for just how much faith one needs.

However, I must say that, at least, simply believing Something to be true is all good and acceptable… But that belief doesn’t make it a reality.

The fact is people all over the world believe all kinds of things. Some are true. Some are not. And while belief is important… simply believing something – doesn’t make it so.

Now often, the world will tell us (and it does so more and more) that it doesn’t really matter what you believe in, just so long as you earnestly believe in something. Countless TV programs and films push this agenda, probably because the writers don’t have any particular beliefs to speak of and, quite frankly, don’t understand what that feels like. Partly it’s probably well-meaning because they don’t want to single any group out. Partly it’s about money then. Why offend when you can just claim that everyone is right.

But is it true? Recently internet videos and memes have brokered the idea that “biblically accurate angels” have been hidden from them, and that angels in the bible are actually described as big swirling light orbs. Now to be clean, even though no theologian agrees with those silly internet pictures of angels everyone seems to believe it. But let’s be clear here. Angolos means messenger. And in the bible angel is not as much a type of being as it is a job description. And angel brings a divine message.

Angels appear in scripture often, but not one of them has wings – ever. Now it’s true that two other beings in scripture are described as having wings. These are the Cherubim (with 4 wings) and the Seraphim (with six wings), however these are never referred to as angels, they are just titled Seraphim and Cherubim. Cherubim also have four faces and attend to guard or guard things. Seraphim are likely serpent like and covered with fire. Most of these descriptions are probably more about a rolling thrown or the moving of the tabernacle worship space – we can talk about that later, BUT… for now, let’s just agree that far too many people are out there walking around believing unintelligent garbage they saw on TikTok although Bibles are pretty easy to come by.

Just because people all of the sudden believe that angels in the bible are whirling fire balls of wheels within wheels (a mistake combining a number of events into one), does that make it so?

More bluntly, if you get on an airplane earnestly and believe wholeheartedly that you’re headed for Hawaii, but the plane is scheduled to land in White Horse, guess what? You had better have a coat.

The fact is, It can’t just be about belief in something. Believing in the right things is essential.

I wrote for The Presbyterian Record magazine for about eight years. Once I wrote about a group called the Prince Philip Movement. It’s a Yohanan tribal religion on the southern island of Tanna in Vanuatu. The Yohanan believe that Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the consort to Queen Elizabeth II, is a divine being, the pale-skinned son of a mountain spirit and brother of John Frum. According to ancient tales, the son travelled over the seas to a distant land, married a powerful lady and would, in time, return. The villagers had observed the respect accorded to Queen Elizabeth II by colonial officials. They concluded that her husband, Prince Philip, must be the god of their legends. The group was formed sometime in the 1950s. And their beliefs were strengthened by the royal couple’s official visit in 1974. Prince Philip was made aware of the religion and, as a result, arranged to exchange gifts with its leaders, even visiting them for worship. He allowed himself to be worshiped by them and never did anything to dissuade this false belief.

The Church of Euthanasia (CoE) is a political/religious organization started by the “Reverend Chris Korda” of Boston, Massachusetts. According to the church’s website, it is “a non-profit educational foundation devoted to restoring the balance between Humans and the remaining species on Earth as well as nature herself.” The CoE is notorious for its conflicts with Pro-life activists. According to the church, the greatest commandment is “Thou shalt not procreate.” The CoE further asserts three major principal pillars to a decent life: suicide, abortion, and cannibalism (strictly limited to consumption of the already dead”). Slogans employed by the group include “Save the Planet, Kill Yourself”. But Chris Korda believes she and her followers are right, moral people.

Nuwa-ubi-an-ism is a quickly growing religion that claims that Satan collects unburied after birth and is a space alien who makes seven evil clones of each person at any given time on earth where each one is constantly trying to replace you, meaning the person right next to you at any given moment might be an alien demon clone rather than the person you think they are. Now, while I’m not a Nuwa-abi-anist, I must warn you… If your spouse appeared particularly kind this morning or your children calmly ate their breakfast and got ready for church today without issue – this one might have more credence than it first appears to.

Incidentally, they (and they have thousands of members) also claim that the Illuminati ushered in, Satan’s son, who was born on the 6^th of June 1966 at the Dakota House on 72nd Street in New York City to a woman named Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. They further purport that the Pope was present at the birth and performed necromantic ceremonies. Former U.S. president Richard Nixon then raised the child and now lives in Belgium, where he is hooked up to a computer called “The Beast 3M” or “3666” as they sometimes call it.

No, before you think I’m bashing other people’s traditions, I’m just gonna come out with it. Let’s remember that Christian beliefs are not all completely logical, either.

Christianity says that an all-powerful being created humankind for his loving pleasure, only to offer us free will, thereby allowing us to reject him and choose to do bad things. When we sinned, he then promised for thousands of years to count us as sinless and perfect anyway, if only we asked for forgiveness using a sacrificial system that he would someday make unnecessary by fulfilling it in a new way… that being by sending himself (as 100% God but also 100% human) to be born from a virgin (presumably with 23 miraculous chromosomes created out of nothing) so that he (God) could then live a perfect example of life for us knowing that he would be murdered by the ones he came to save and because of that was able to take the punishment we deserved; thereby calming us free and innocent if only we trust in him. Oh, and then he asked us to drink his blood and eat his flesh symbolically (because that seems totally like a normal thing) and then live lives of peace and generosity, giving our whole selves over to others even if it means our death as well.

When I say it that way… it all sounds kind of…… Crazy. But here’s the catch. It’s actually what I believe. Moreover, I believe it’s the right thing to believe. And for me, there’s no question that it’s the right thing. I think every single word of it is true. And I can’t talk myself out of it. I believe it. It is as innate a belief to me almost as if I were chosen to believe it and can do nothing about it.

In a way, that’s probably true for all of us. Belief is often seemingly outside us. Like John Calvin’s view of Irresistible Grace, I think, for the most part, that belief, or unbelief for that matter (like attraction or love at first sight) is not something we choose; it’s not something based on logic or reason at first, but rather something that happens to us (as if guided by some tremendous external force).

Think about that for a second. If you have ever been in a discussion group or Bible study with me, you’ve probably heard me say this before, but… Here it goes: If I got out a suitcase with 1 million dollars in it right now and said, “I will give this money to anyone in this church who can make themselves believe they can fly.” Nobody in this church would be able to do it. Someone might say they believed it, hoping to trick me, but it would be a lie. Someone might even get up enough nerve to climb up on top of the roof and jump off to try and convince me that they believed it, but that would be a lie, too. The fact is, there is nothing you alone can do to make yourself believe or disbelieve. You can investigate and draw conclusions, but ultimately, belief is something that happens to you. We are all working on a priorie ideas and taking in evidence we like as a result.

When it comes to the Christmas story, maybe belief has already happened to you, maybe it hasn’t, or perhaps it’s about to.

But trust me, what you believe in… matters, just like what you do with those beliefs.

And how you believe also matters. Sometimes, we hear this story and believe Mary is some superwoman with unshakable faith. But I bet right after that angel left, Mary started looking for the pomegranate that might have dropped on her head from some tall tree nearby. While Mary is blessed for her belief that what God has told her will come true, I don’t think that’s the same thing as blind faith, complete certainty, or a life utterly devoid of questions or doubts.

The Bible doesn’t talk about belief that way. Instead of a mountain of faith, it says we need “faith the size of a mustard seed.” And with that, we can move mountains.

Mark chapter 9 has a fantastic story about a boy and his father. In it, the father believes that Jesus is a miracle worker and comes to him begging. The man tells Jesus that his son has strange fits where he convulses and rolls around on the ground, foaming at the mouth and that it comes at random. He cries that his son has even fallen into fire or water. It’s a father that wants his child to be safe. In the verse, the Father says to Jesus, “If you can do anything, please take pity on us and help us.” Jesus’ response is odd. He repeats the man’s words, “If you can?” and then continues, “Everything is possible for one who believes.” And I love this verse. In Mark chapter 9, verse 24, the man says, “I do believe; help my unbelief!” Then, the boy is healed.

See, it’s not a blind faith God’s after. It’s certainly not perfect 100% belief at all times; he anticipates from us. Belief and faith are not a rejection of facts. It’s not belief without some measure of caution. It’s not belief without ever having any questions or doubts.

This father doesn’t know it will work. He hopes it will work. And he HOPES with anticipation and action.

I guess the writer of Hebrews had a point when he said, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen.”

This father believes just enough to hope it’s true. And so, he considers just enough to want to consider more.

What a beautiful image of the Christian faith: a group gathered together with the same issues in the same flawed world, trying to see something more behind it all, catching the tiniest glimpse of the divine, and hoping upon hope in faith together that God’s words to us are true.

In the season of Advent, we light candles representing Peace, Hope, Joy, and Love. On Christmas, we light the Christ candle to represent the birth of Jesus, whom we believe to be (as the gospel says) “a light shining in the darkness that the darkness cannot overcome.” We do these things because, like Mary, we believe enough for God to do something powerful with us.

God is love.

If you are here today and believe, may it be a genuinely blessed and Merry Christmas.

What we believe matters.

But if you’re here today and don’t think you believe it just yet… remember this: for Jesus, “I believe help my unbelief” is more than enough to start with. Have a blessed and Merry Christmas to you as well. -Amen

Song: Come let us sing (706)

We respond to serve God.

Our time of giving

Prayer of gratitude and for others and ourselves

Lord God, thank you for the blessings You have given us year after year.

For a beautiful and fertile world, for a secure nation, for loving people around us, for friends and neighbours, for a time of prosperity, for minds leaning towards generosity, for the gift of sharing, for years of health, for the gift of breath and beating hearts, singing birds and new babies.

Every moment is an offering from you to us.

And now, Lord, we thank you by offering up a small piece of that gift.
Please help this church use these offerings for You alone.
Please help us by doing only what is true and correct.
Multiply these gifts for our use, bless the hands of the givers, and
Lead us in new ways of service to you and your kingdom here on earth.

Spirit of Hope, You pierce the darkness with light, hope, and renewed vision when the world is confusing and bleak. We thank you for lessons learned, changes of heart, discoveries made, and hope restored. We pray this day for those who are ill and dying, for those who are bereaved, and for any who mourn any burden of loss. God, make our time a time of hope.

Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

O God of Peace, Conflict and antagonism often exist within our relationships, communities, world, and ourselves. We pray for all places where violence and cruelty appear to win the day and where injustice cuts people down.

God, Make our time a time for peace.

Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

O Creator of Joy, We thank you for moments of joy and celebration in our lives, the pleasure given and received, and the quiet evenings spent in reflection and happy gatherings.  In these days of cold and darkness, we remember those who feel left out, who feel bitter while others rejoice, who are challenging to love, and those who walk in dark valleys; be their light and be their warmth and melt our hearts so that we might love more deeply all people in difficulty. God, make our time a time for joy.

Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

O Love Come Down, You call us to live in communion with you and one another, and you have formed us into families and circles of friendship.  We remember before you our families, whether we are close or estranged, and our friends, whether they are near or far away, and we ask your blessing on our partners, children, parents and elders. Let us not keep our gratitude and concern for them bottled up, but let us express our love and concern through words and actions. God, make our time a time of love.

Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.  

Song: Go tell it on the mountain (133)

Sending out with God’s blessing

May you depart knowing the invitation of God to move
– from comfort to insecurity
– from what we know to what we have yet to discover
– from where we have been to where we have yet to go
– from safety to a place of risk
– from questions to more questions

Go in the example of the saints before you, the Israelites in the wilderness, Paul is blind in Damascus, John in the desert, Mary to Elizabeth.

Go in the name of Jesus, our Christ, who said ‘follow me’ without saying where he was going, just promising transformation and relationship with the Triune God along the way.

And may we all believe even amidst our unbelief. Amen

Response: Gloria in excelsis Deo

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).

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.

Community Church Service: Christmas Isn’t Always Merry
7:00 pm December 19, 2024
Dayspring Presbyterian Church Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs
Greenfield Community Church Lead Pastor: Tyler Williams
Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Singers: Lynn Vaughan, Linda Farrah-Basford, Caley Tse and Brad Childs

We gather to worship God

Music Prelude

Welcome: Brad Childs

Lighting of the Christ candle
L: We light the Christ Candle knowing that Jesus is the Light of the world
P: The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it.

Call to worship
L: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
P: The Word became flesh and lived among us, full of grace and truth.
L: In him was life, and that life was the light of all.
P: The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never been able to extinguish it.
L: Then Your light will break forth like the dawn,
P: And Your healing will spring up quickly;
L: The Lord will always be with you to save you,
P: God’s presence will protect us on every side.
L: When you call the Lord will answer;
P: When we call for help, God will say, “I am here.”

Musical Offering: Somewhere in your silent night

Reading: (Isaiah 9:2)
Response: People in darkness (124: vs 1)
Reading: (Romans 12:15)
Response: People in darkness (124 vs 2)
Reading: (Romans 8:16-17)
Response: People in darkness (124 vs 3)
Reading: (Revelation 21:4)
Response: People in darkness (124 vs 4)
Prayer for ourselves and our world
Gracious God, we thank you for those we love and who loved us. We are grateful that they were part of our lives. We pray that nothing good in their lives will be lost, but will be of benefit to the world; that all that was important to them will be honoured by those who follow. We thank you for the friendship they gave and for the strength and peace they brought. We thank you for the love they offered and received in life. We thank you that in Christ we are forgiven for those times when we failed those we love, in word and by our actions. We ask for healing of those deep wounds, for the times when our trust was betrayed, or when we felt abandoned, or we were angry. We ask that through our family and friends, through our hearts and our minds, in our courage and our consciousness, that which needs to be set aside, forgiven, and forgotten can be released and redeemed by your grace. We pray for ourselves, who are tested by sorrow and the changes that have happened in our lives, that we do not try to minimize our loss, or seek refuge from it in words alone, nor brood over it so that it overwhelms us and isolates us from each other. God, grant us courage and confidence in the new life that you have promised. We ask these prayers in the name of the Risen Christ.

Song: In suffering love (696)

Readings – Reflections – Prayers

Reading: Hebrews 2:16-18
Reflection: Brad Childs
We aren’t and can’t ever be alone. Even in our suffering, Christ is there, and no matter what pain we feel, ours is a God who knows the pierce of the nails and what it is to be with us, for us, and be us.

In 1988 an earthquake hit Armenia. From Canada, it’s hard to imagine. Yet, there were over 130,000 injuries, and more than 30,000 human beings were killed in a matter of minutes. After the Quake, a father left the safety of his home and rushed to the school where he knew his son had been at the time of the earthquake. When he arrived, he found that the building had been completely levelled.

The father had once made a promise to his son, saying that no matter what, “I’ll always be there for you,” and for some reason, the father could not get that promise out of his mind. As he looked at the pile of debris, he felt hopeless, and tears filled his eyes. What could he possibly do? One man? But he kept remembering that promise. “I’ll always be there for you.”

Recalling where his son’s classroom had been, he ran to the back right corner of the building and started digging through the rouble and tossing chunks of concrete behind him. The air was thick in dust and smelled like burnt electrical wires. As the father was digging, other heartbroken parents arrived. The scene was nothing but: twisted metal, broken bricks, wires and smoke. Everyone was crying out “my son” or “my daughter” head in hands.

Others tried to pull the father away, saying. “It’s too late,” “Everyone is already dead,” “You can’t help,” or “There is nothing we can do.” But the father kept digging and responding the same way by moving stone after stone behind him.

Eventually, the fire chief tried to pull the man away as well, knowing that there were fires about to start breaking out and small explosions we’re still taking place all around them. But the Father wouldn’t stop.

Courageously the father preceded on alone. He dug for 8 hours, 12 hours, 20 hours, 30 hours and then on the 40th hour he quit.

“Dad, it’s me,” he heard back. “I told the other kids not to worry. I told them you would always be there. I told them you promised you were coming.”

There were 13 other children still alive underneath the rubble and surviving inside a small area braced by what used to be part of a door frame collapsed within what used to be a storage closet.

1 Promise and 14 lives were kept that day.

As much as we wish it to be, this story is not the only one to be told of that day. In reality, a lot of people died. A lot of people lost loved ones. And the world, despite this miracle, was not yet set entirely right.

But at the same time, it’s easy to give up, believing that things are beyond hope. And still, none of us knows what blessings might await us. No matter what happens this side of paradise, our God is the father who never gives up. The God and Father of Jesus Christ promised to be with us and to take us home. As it says in 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxieties on Him,” for he can handle it.

Our Father comes too, with a promise to always be there and to save. It may not always appear that way, but it’s true. And this is hope.

Advent Candle Lighting

L: We light the candle of Hope as we await the coming of Jesus, who is the source of hope.
P: We give thanks for the gift of hope in a time of despair.

Reading: Luke 2:8-11

Reflection: Tyler Williams

Advent Candle Lighting

L: We light the candle of Joy, knowing that our comfort and help come from God.
P: We give thanks for the gift of joy in a time of sadness.

Reading: John 8:12-14

Reflection: Lynn Vaughan

Advent Candle Lighting

L: We light the candle of Love, knowing that God is Love revealed to us in Jesus Christ.
P: We give thanks for the gift of love in a time of loneliness.

Musical Offering: O come all you unfaithful

Reading John 14:25-27

Reflection: Sara-May Cardy

Advent Candle Lighting

L: We light the candle of Peace, knowing that Jesus is the Prince of Peace.
P: We give thanks for the gift of peace in times of uncertainty.

All are invited to come forward and light a Candle of Hope.

Song:  Hope is a Star (119)

————————————————————————-

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 presenters retain the copyright (© 2024) on all original material in this service. As far as they 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.

Worship on the Lord’s Day
Third Sunday of Advent      Annual Christmas Pageant
Sacrament of Baptism
10:00 am     December 15, 2024
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs
Music Director: Binu Kapadia     Vocalists: Cheryl & Peter Sheridan
Welcoming Elder: Jane de Caen     Readers: Loretta Lee and Maddie Childs

We gather to worship God
Music Prelude

Greeting
L: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you
P: and also with you

Welcome and announcements
Silent preparation for worship

Call to worship: Innkeeper, Shepherd, and Wiseman
Innkeeper (Rom): As we prepare for Christ’s coming, we remember your calling to be filled with joy.
Congregation: We come, knowing that our actions can help alleviate
the burdens of others.
Shepherd (Vivian): We light the third candle of Advent, a symbol of joy that uplifts the spirit.

(Clare – light the candle of joy)

Magi (Wesley): May the warmth and brightness of this candle
encourage us to act with compassion and courage.
Congregation: Holy One, strengthen us by your Spirit to commit ourselves to being people of joy and justice. Fill us with all joy and peace as we trust in you, so that we may overflow with hope. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Opening praise: Hope is a star (119: vss 1-3)

Prayers of adoration and confession
Loving God,
You fill our hearts with joy and are our strength and our song.
In this season of Advent, we are reminded of how you came to us as a tiny baby, bringing hope and light into the world.
You gather us close, especially when we’ve wandered away, welcoming us back to your side with so much love.
You bring healing to those who are hurting, mending our broken hearts and lifting our spirits.
You walk beside those who feel alone, reminding them that they are never by themselves because your love never leaves us.
Through your amazing love and mercy, you help us grow into the people you’ve created us to be, showing us that with you, we can be more than we ever thought possible.
We trust in you and find courage in your goodness, knowing you are always with us.
With joyful hearts, we sing of your glory and share your saving power and love with friends and family near and far.
You are our wonderful Creator, our Redeemer in Christ, and our guiding Holy Spirit, who leads us every day.

Merciful God,
In your loving presence, we admit the times we’ve made mistakes and the times our world has gone astray.
We confess that even when we know true joy and peace come from having faith in you, we often look elsewhere for happiness and fulfillment.
In searching for comfort, we sometimes chase after our own desires and forget your wisdom.
In seeking love and acceptance, we may hide from our true selves and ignore our faults.
In wanting approval and praise, we often spend too much or fail to see what truly matters.
We ask for your forgiveness, O God, for looking in the wrong places for what only you can provide.
Turn our hearts back to you, our true source of joy and light.
Guide us to discover what is honorable, just, and pleasing in your sight, so we can reflect your love in our world and make choices that bring your peace.

Help us to live with grace and kindness, sharing the love and joy of this Christmas season with everyone we meet. Amen.

Response: I waited, I waited on you, Lord

Assurance of God’s grace
Hear the good news: In this season of Advent, we celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ, who is the light of the world and our source of peace and joy. Through His life, death, and resurrection, He has conquered sin and brings us forgiveness.

As we confess our mistakes and turn back to God, we are reminded of His promise: If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

So, rejoice and be glad! Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and renewed. Let us live as people who are loved and freed, sharing His love with everyone, and walking in God’s light this Christmas and always.

Thanks be to God! Amen.

Musical offering – Dayspring Sunday School
Advent is a time to wait, not quite time to celebrate. Count the candles one by one, until advent time is done. Day by day, we work and play to prepare for Christmas Day.

Baptism: Lucy Elaine Wypych

By the waters of baptism and the power of the Holy Spirit, God claims us and calls each one by name.

God unites us to Christ in his death and resurrection and grafts us into the body of Christ as members of the church.

God washes us clean by forgiving our sin; commissions us to be a royal priesthood with Christ in his ministry to the world; empowers us to live in newness of life as people of the Word; and invites us to be renewed at the Lord’s Table until we feast with him in glory.

By grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of your own doing; it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8)

The Presentation

Who comes to receive the gift of baptism?

On behalf of Session, I present Lucy Elaine Wypych, to receive the sacrament of baptism.

Renunciation and Affirmation

Trusting in the gracious mercy of God who has been faithful to us in all generations,

do you turn away from sin, renounce evil and all powers in the world that rebel against God or oppose God’s rule of justice and love?

Parents: I renounce them.

Do you renounce the ways of sin which separate you from the love of God?

Parents: I renounce them.

Do you turn to Jesus Christ, accepting him as Lord and Saviour, trusting in his grace and love?

Parents: I do.

Do you desire, in dependence on the power of the Holy Spirit, to mature as a Christian in the church, to seek the guidance of Christ as you listen for his Word, to celebrate his death and life at the table he provides, and to engage in his mission to the world?

Parents: I do.

Do you, on behalf of the church of Jesus Christ, promise to guide and nurture Lucy

by word and deed, with love and in prayer, encouraging them to follow the way of Christ and to be a faithful member of his church?

Parents: We do.

Let us profess our faith in the words that are common to the holy, catholic church.

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

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

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

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Water is poured visibly and audibly into the font before the prayer begins.

Lord, we give you thanks, O gracious God, for the gifts of water and your Spirit.

In the beginning, when your Spirit moved over the waters, you gave order and life to your planet earth.

By the waters of the flood you cleansed the earth, and established with Noah and his family a new beginning for all people.

In the time of Moses, you led your people out of slavery through the waters of the sea, making covenant with them in a new land.

In the fullness of time you sent Jesus Christ, who was formed in the water of a woman’s womb.

In the water of Jordan, Jesus was baptized and anointed by your Holy Spirit.

Gracious God, by the gift of water and your Holy Spirit you sustain all life.

The prayer continues as the minister raises a handful of water and pours it into the font.

Almighty God; by the power of your Holy Spirit, and by the sign of this water,

you cleanse from sin through the death of Jesus Christ, those who receive this sacrament; you raise them to new life through his resurrection, and you graft them into his body, the church.

Pour out your Spirit upon Lucy, that she may have power to do your will and continue forever as (a) servant(s) of Christ to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit be all honour and glory now and forever.     Amen.

The Act of Baptizing

The minister pours or sprinkles generous amounts of water on Lucy’s head, while saying:

Lucy Elaine Wypych, you are baptized, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

The minister lays a hand on Lucy’s head.

May the Spirit of God dwell in you and uphold you, now and forever. Amen.

LUCY is carried around the congregation for presentation and handed to a member who will return Lucy to her parents.

Declaration and Welcome

See what love God has given us that we should be called the children of God; and so we are. (I John 3:1)

Lucy Elaine Wypych you are now received by Christ’s appointment into the holy, catholic church. Through baptism, God has made you a member of the household of God to share with Christ in the priesthood of all believers.

Remember your baptism and give thanks.

Be one with us in the church.

Song: Come, thou long-expected Jesus 110)

We listen for the voice of God

Scripture readings: Philippians 4:4-7 & Luke 3:7-18

Response: My Lord, he is a’ comin’ soon

Pageant: “A Joyful Advent-ure!”

Innkeeper, Shepherd and Wiseman process in from back doors, each with a lit candle. Narrator processes behind the other three. Andrea and Narrator move to lectern. Innkeeper, Shepherd and Magi move to the Advent wreath to complete the Call to Worship/Advent wreath reading. The three do the reading and the Magi lights the third candle. There is a basket to place the extinguished candles they carried in after they are used.

Introduction (Andrea)

This morning, you are going to hear testimonials from some of the first people of God to see the Christ Child. Their reflections circle around the theme of how everyday distractions can impact our joyful presence at the birth of Christ. But before our Dayspring Players present our pageant, I thought it was important to give a little preamble with some spoiler alerts. When I was reading the scriptures this reflection is based on (which are Luke 2:1-20 and Matthew 2: 1-12), I was surprised to learn that some characters in the Christmas story that so many children’s pageants have been based on – and that I thought were biblical facts! – are actually not in the scriptures at all. Here’s some of what I learned about who and what has been added or changed to spice up the story over the years by pageant directors, such as myself:

First of all, there is no actual reference in the Bible to an Innkeeper. There is an anonymous person with some space in his shed who was probably a distant relative of Joseph’s, since there was a Census happening at the time and everyone had to travel home to get counted. Remember that, when you start to grumble about completing the next Canada Census from a comfy chair in front of your computer.

There is also some discussion about the shepherds. Some bible scholars suggest the shepherds were either disrespected, disrespectful and illiterate farm hands in the middle of nowhere or they were highly educated priests caring for the sacrificial sheep used in nearby temples. Take your pick.

Finally, the wise men may not have been wealthy leaders from far away kingdoms but possibly itinerant astrologers making their living by telling fortunes and while they were visiting Herod and while telling his fortune, the whole Messiah thing just sort of slipped out.

So, it was a bit trickier to write this story than I first thought, but I do hope you find it interesting and hopefully insightful. I think it’s a good idea for our faith journeys to take some ideas that we have accepted and shake them up and see if they still come out looking the same.

This morning, please listen to three eyewitness accounts from the Nativity story: the anonymous stable owner (aka, the Innkeeper), shepherds and a wise… man – all chosen to be the first to meet the Christ Child and who were changed by Joy. Once again, God took human expectations and assumptions and turned them inside out and upside down.

Narrator – (Leah)

Deitrich Bonhoeffer, a Christian theologian, suggested God sent Jesus in the way He did because God’s people had forgotten, or at the very least, had lost confidence in His promise to them. They had turned to taking care of themselves. God saw his people had become too busy with worldly things and too tired from worrying about them. People were frightened and divided and, in that confusion, they had begun to fight with each other. It was as though Joy had been placed in a very small box and put on a shelf to gather dust.

They needed help to remember God’s promise to them and so, He sent Joy back into the world in the form of His son, Jesus. But God didn’t send Joy as a powerful king … because Joy isn’t like that. It comes from a sense of well-being, of feeling safe and cared for. Of being loved. God sent Joy when it was cold and dark and needed the most. A time when Hope felt more like doubt. When Peace felt more like noise. When Joy seemed more like despair. When there was more hate than Love.

od arrived where Joy would be unexpected, yet desperately needed. He provided directions and sent messengers, so Joy could be found by anyone who was waiting and watching for someone who could – and would – change the world. And then, He waited for us to notice – from that very first time until today! He waited for us to remember that there is always a place for Joy, especially when it is the last thing we are feeling … because it is a gift from God to His people. Because we are loved, we are safe, and we are cared for.

Have you ever thought about the “other” people in the Nativity story? The people we really don’t know much about – the owner of the stable whom we’ve come to call the Innkeeper, the shepherds and the travelling wise men. What was it like for them, people just like us, whom God chose to be the first to know that Jesus was going to be born right where they were? People struggling with their own worries and fears yet called by God to spread the news of Joy to their world?

Advent is a time to reflect on our own preparation for Christ’s birth and what distracts us from having the joyful life God wants us to have. This morning, we will hear stories from the owner of the stable, a shepherd and one of the wise men after their visits to Bethlehem. They were regular people in an amazing time, and each one’s journey to the manger contained personal worries and fears that distracted them. Perhaps their stories will help us consider what is distracting us from living the joyful life God wants us to have. To help remind us that we, too, live in an amazing time as we wait and watch for the Second Coming of Christ.

Carol – O little town of Bethlehem (vs 1)

Innkeeper (Rom) – Sweeps the ground during the carol then places broom against the stable then takes out a piece of paper from his pocket and comes to the microphone:

Thank you for letting me tell you a little bit about what it was like to be one of the first people to meet the Christ Child. First of all, you need to know that the scriptures don’t mention me at all – it’s all just about my stable! Bethlehem is a very small town, and we don’t have any actual inns; therefore, no innkeepers. When Bethlehem was chosen for King Herod’s Census, it became a festival town overnight. I was so busy; I didn’t notice that something important was about to happen and I don’t think I got more than a few winks of sleep that entire time. I remember crowds of people and animals everywhere and there was always something happening day or night – and not all of it good, if I may so! And then, that star – oh my gosh, it was so bright! The sky was as bright in the middle of the night as it was at noon!

Imagine … in all of this confusion and chaos, a man and his very pregnant, young wife knocked on my door in the middle of the night and asked if I have room for them! He said they were here for the Census. No reservation, no money. Can you believe it? Well, if you’re coming to Bethlehem for the Census, you must be from here and as I said, we’re a small place so you’re either related by blood or marriage so, either way, he must be family. Well, I run a respectable house, and all my rooms were taken for the Census. I’d even rented out the servant quarters. But whether you’re a relative, friend or stranger, my family is big on hospitality, so I offered them my stable – this very place you’re looking at right here – free of charge! True, there were a lot of animals and my servants were sleeping in here, too, but it was safe and out of the cold. I think I did the best I could for them considering everything else that was happening at the time.

I didn’t really think about the whole event until the Census was over. Until those shepherds and very wealthy but rather strange men arrived and talked about visiting angels and following that ridiculously bright star here to Bethlehem. According to them, this child is our long-awaited Messiah. To be honest, it’s hard to believe this baby really is who they say he is. Who ever heard of a king being born in a stable? A king who gets visits from both shepherds and scholars? I thought at first it was just a coincidence that Jesus was born here, but now I’m not so sure. It made me wonder if I did enough. It made me wonder if I am giving my best for God or am I just giving whatever is left? And do I give grudgingly or with a joyful heart?

Finishes sweeping, places the broom against the structure then leaves.

Carol – While shepherds watched their flocks by night (vss 1-2)

Shepherd (Vivian/Clare) –The shepherd(s) steps up in front of the large screen and the video of the flock begins. She is talking loudly to the sheep trying to corral them. Might have couple of “real” sheep nearby that romp around a bit (avoiding the lit Advent wreath!). Shepherds step to the microphone and pull a crumpled piece of paper out of Vivan’s cloak to read their story:

I understand you would like to know what it was like to have a host of angels suddenly appear out of nowhere in the sky in the middle of the night and scare us and our sheep half to death. First of all, the sheep just went berserk! It took us hours to catch them and calm them down again, so at first, we weren’t even sure what the Angels were saying with all that commotion. I think we told them to dim their lights a bit so we could see where the sheep went. And then they just waited. And when we did look and listen to them and they told us what God wanted us to do, well, we became really scared. I don’t know why God chose us as His messengers – we’re very much alone out here and we like it that way. Caring for our sheep takes all our time and energy. By the end of the day, we’re exhausted, and all we want is a quick meal and some rest before we start our watch for predators during the night. Then it starts all over again the next morning. People think sheep are sweet-natured, soft fluffy animals but I can assure you they are not. Our herd keeps us busy making sure they have enough food and water, staying out of thorny bushes, not falling off cliffs, getting lost or sick or getting eaten by a predator or stolen by thieves. We take care of our sheep 24/7/365! We never have a moment’s rest!

So, when the Angels came to tell us we would need to leave right away to proclaim the news of the Messiah’s birth, we told them to just keep on flying and find somebody else. We told them we couldn’t leave our herd because they needed us. We said they won’t stay together, eat the right things or be safe, if we aren’t there. But they just kept saying we had been chosen and that we had to go to Bethlehem. And so, we did. I didn’t think I could do it but as we got closer to Bethlehem, God lifted the exhaustion and doubt from my shoulders and replaced it with this incredible feeling of joy that I had never experienced before. When we saw the baby, we noticed he was wrapped in swaddling clothes. Those are special blankets we use for lambs to keep them warm and clean. That was yet another sign we were truly in the presence of God. In the end, we felt that sharing the Angels’ message was a precious gift from God rather than an impossible task. How wonderful it is to know the Messiah has come!

Shepherd follows the sheep down the piano side aisle and out the back.

Carol – We three kings (verse 1 only)

Magi (Wesley) and scribe (Cohen)- Magi enters cautiously from the main sanctuary doors and looks expectantly around as he travels down the centre aisle. Scribe follows behind with a bag of maps. Wesley or Cohen pause to ask someone where they are. With the answer (“Dayspring” or “Edmonton”), the Magi asks the scribe to find the map – discussion about where this is on the map. Maybe Wesley announces, “we’re lost…again!” They start walking again and end up at the microphone, centre floor between front pews.

Greetings, I am a journeying scholar, on my return trip home after seeing the Messiah. It has been a long journey. Sometimes, I didn’t know where I was going or when, or even IF, I would find the Child. And although travelling with others like myself provided comfort and community, we did not always agree. This journey has been difficult – bad weather, sick camels, bandits, squabbles between servants – I must confess I sometimes had regrets about starting this journey in the first place. Sometimes, we wandered for weeks, lost and confused, in unfamiliar lands and considered many omens, prophesies and myths to find the Messiah. Ultimately, it was our genuinely seeking hearts that found the way to Bethlehem, but I did not expect to find Him in a cold, dark and crowded stable in one of Herod’s small, uninspiring villages. However, following the Star served not only as a compass for our navigation, but also for our faith. This journey gave us a deeper understanding of God’s plan to unite all people into one nation and one house of prayer through his son, Jesus.

On our way to Bethlehem, we spoke with King Herod about our search for a new king … but one not of this world. At first, he seemed very excited, but I now believe Herod is worried. And a worried king is a dangerous king. I am doubtful of the motivation behind his plans to find the Child and now that he knows I know where he is, I am fearful for my own safety and that of my scribe. Thus, we will not return to Herod’s courts, but we will go home another way.

Truly, it was a wondrous moment when I lay my eyes on the Child. God led us to Bethlehem with a Star that was as constant as God’s love and faithfulness. The quiet beauty and holiness was a balm to my troubled and confused soul. I wish you could have been there. I really do. Melchior and Balthazar agreed with me later that the gifts we gave the Christ Child appeared to the locals to be a bit over the top for the place in which we found Him, but we know that God calls us to give cheerfully and joyfully from our hearts. So, we were honoured to give gifts fit for a king. My message for you is to remember that your lives are a gift from a joyful God. So, come with an open and joy-filled heart and bow down before the Lord Jesus and worship him.

Magi motions to scribe to leave and they process quietly and thoughtfully up the aisle and out the doors.

Narrator – (Leah)

When we celebrate Advent, we are waiting and preparing for the time when Jesus returns. When is that going to be? We don’t know. The Bible tells us that only God knows, and it will be a surprise when it happens. How can we be ready for something when we don’t know when it will happen? How can we watch for something when we don’t know what it will look like? And what do we do in the meantime, while we’re waiting? This week, think about Joy and its place in our lives, both individually and as a Dayspring family, during Advent and throughout the year.

How are you doing? Are you feeling Joy or are you like the owner of the stable who is too busy? Are you like the shepherd whose responsibilities and worries lay heavy on your shoulders? Or are you like the wise man – lost, confused and searching for something? Our message today is that despite being too busy, too tired or too full of questions, we hope you find Joy because it is a gift to you from a joyful and loving God.

During Advent, try not to get caught up in thoughts and things that shift your focus from living a joyful life. Remember how much God loves you. Remember that God will make sure you have everything you need. Live your life in a way that pleases God: use your heart to love, your talents to serve and your gifts to praise God. Pray for help to keep your eyes and ears and heart open. Pray for hope, peace, joy and love and make space to feel each one, today and every day. That is the path to Joy. And God will take care of the rest.

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayers of thanksgiving and for our world

O God, our Strength and Salvation, we come to you with joyful hearts, full of thanks, as we see the beauty of this special season all around us.

We are reminded of the colors, lights, and kindness that make this time of year so bright and meaningful.

Through your Spirit, help us discover new ways to understand and support each other, especially when we disagree.

Refresh our community and church with a sense of joyful anticipation, knowing that your greatest gift, Jesus, can change everything.

Generous God, send joy to the world again, and let it begin with us.

Tender God, we are grateful for the joy you bring into our lives, homes, and neighborhood through our time together in Jesus and through the love of family and friends.

These blessings have supported us through difficult times, and we thank you sincerely.

Help us to always show appreciation for these gifts and to share them freely with others.

We pray for those who are facing illnesses, whether in their body, mind, or spirit, for those waiting for medical answers or treatments, as their worries grow.

May your healing presence comfort them and bring peace to anxious hearts.
(Keep a brief time of silence)

We remember those who feel lonely or are in mourning, and all who have been impacted by sadness, tragedy, or violence.

Surround them with your love and give them strength through troubled times.
(Keep a brief time of silence) We lift up those searching for work, struggling with rising costs, worried deeply about their security and their future.

Grant them hope and open doors to new opportunities and stability.

(Keep a brief time of silence)

We also pray for those who are dedicated to bringing justice to the discouraged and defeated, and those doing their best to care for the earth you love, despite the challenges they face.

May their efforts be blessed, and may we support them through our actions and prayers.

(Keep a brief time of silence)

Help us, O God, to bring joy to others through our gifts of friendship, generosity, and understanding.

Generous God, send joy to the world again, and let it begin with us, as we strive to live with kindness and compassion.

We bring these prayers in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who is our hope, our peace, and our joy.

He taught us to come together and pray these words as one family:

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Song: Hark the glad sound (118: vss 1,3,4 )

Sending out with God’s blessing

Go into the world in joy.
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, Creator, Christ and Spirit, be among you and remain with you this day and always. Amen.

Response: Gloria in excelsis Deo

Music postlude

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 baptismal liturgy is from The Book of Common Worship of the Presbyterian Church in Canada (1991).

The Rev. Brad Childs retains the copyright (© 2024) on all of his 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.

Andrea Gartrell retains the copyright (© 2024) on all of her original material in this service. As far as she is aware, all of the pageant material that has not been attributed to others is her creation or is in the public domain. Unacknowledged use of copyrighted material is unintentional and will be corrected immediately upon notification being received.

Worship on the Lord’s Day
Second Sunday of Advent     10:00 am December 08, 2024
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs     Welcoming Elder: Lynn Vaughan
Music Director: Binu Kapadia  Vocalist: Linda Farrah-Basford
Guitar: Lorraine Wheatley
Children’s time presenter: Brad

We gather to worship God

Music Prelude: Binu and Lorraine

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: Jafarijam family.
L: In a world too often filled with problems, we come to this place to search for peace.
P: We come with hearts open and ready to be loved.
L: We light the second candle of Advent as a symbol of God’s peace for us in a troubled world. (Light the candle of peace)
L: May the light of God’s peace be with us all.
P: In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Opening praise: Hope is a star 119: vss 1-2)

Prayers of approach and apology

We honour you for your beauty and magnificence. You give us life and dwell among us. You are the living water that cleanses us, the voice that calls us back when we stray, and the one who sends us into the community to serve others.

We thank you for empowering us to participate in your excellent plans for our world through your love.

God of Forgiveness, in Baptism, we are washed clean from our sins. It marks the beginning of our new life in Christ and the blessing of your Holy Spirit. Yet, we acknowledge that we sometimes fall short—we hurt others and ourselves through our words and actions and neglect the good we could do.

We often slip back into old ways instead of embracing the new life you offer, and we sometimes don’t fully utilize the gifts you have given us.

Please help us to remember that we are forgiven. Guide us to live each day with the freshness of the new life we’ve received. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, who always was, is, and will be. Amen.

Response: We come to ask your forgiveness

Assurance of God’s love

Brennan Manning shares a touching story about a woman who visited her priest. She told him that she had a vision of Jesus when she prayed.

“He appears to me as real as you are standing here right now, Father,” said the woman. “And he speaks to me. He tells me that he loves me and wants to be with me. Do you think I’m crazy?”

“Not at all,” the priest replied. “But to be sure it’s Jesus you’re seeing, ask him a question the next time he appears. Ask him to tell you the sins I confessed to him in confession. Then come back and tell me what he said.”

A few days later, the woman returned.

“Did you have another vision of Jesus?” the priest asked.

“Yes, I did, Father,” she answered.

“And did you ask him about the sins I confessed?” the priest asked nervously.

“Yes, I did,” the woman replied.

“And what did he tell you?” the priest inquired.

“Jesus said… ‘I forgot.”

This beautiful exchange reminds us of God’s incredible grace. As Isaiah 43:25 says: “I, even I, Am He who blots out your transgressions… and remembers your sins no more,” says the LORD.

In Christ, our sins are as far away from us as East is from West. Know forgiveness and forgive your neighbours in kind.

Musical offering (Dayspring Singers): One Single Light

Words and music by Dave and Jean Perry ©MCMXCIII Alfred Music Co. Inc.

We listen for the voice of God.

Song: Jesus loves me (373)

Children’s Time

The Giving Tree by Shell Silverstien! Do you know this book? Oh, it’s really good. We don’t have time to read it all now, maybe later we could, but for now I want to point out how the Tree in the book and the boy are friends. The book moves through the story with the boy getting older and returning each time to take something more from the tree.

First, he collects the leaves. He would climb up her trunk, swing from branches and eat her apples. When he got tired, he slept in the tree’s shade.

As the boy got older the tree was more and more often alone.

“Come boy, swing from my branches and be happy.”

But the boy felt too old. He wanted money instead. But the tree had no money. So the tree offered all the apples.

The boy took away all the apples and sold them for money.

But again, the tree was alone.

After a long time, the boy came back.

“Climb me” she said.

What I need now is a house for my family.

So, the tree offered to have to boy cut off it’s limbs to build a house.

Again, the boy was gone for a long while.

“Come play,” said the tree.

I’m too old and sad said the boy. I want to make a boat and sail away.

“Cut me down said the tree and make your boat”

After a very long time the boy came back,

“I’m sorry I have nothing left,” said the tree. She was sad but had nothing to give. I am just an old stump now.”

Next the boy sits on the stump and again the two were together. And the tree was happy.

One of the interesting things about this story is the idea that the tree represents God. God gives and gives and gives, and for everything we need, He provides. Like the boy, we all grow, and slowly, we become less interested in God and more interested in what God might be willing to do for us or give us. But in the story, the Tree keeps giving until it has nothing left to give. And yet, when the boy finally returns, the tree still loves him and wants only one thing… to be together.

The tree is a little like God. But the lesson is this – No matter what, God loves you, even if you take and take and take because all God really wants is to be together.

Prayer

Let’s pray. Our God, we thank you that you give and give and we’re sorry that we take and take too much. We ask that you help us to leave something for those who come behind us. God, we thank you for your forgiveness, your love, your care, and for everything

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Song: There’s a voice in the wilderness (128)

Scripture readings: Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 1:68-79; Philippians 1:3-11; Luke 3:1-6

Response: My Lord, he is a’ comin’ soon            

Message: “Peace”

Somewhere around the year 58 AD, the apostle Paul is falsely accused of bringing non-Jewish Messianic followers of Jesus (a subset of the Hebrews at the time) into the inner sections of the Jewish Temple. At the time, these followers of Jesus coming from outside Judaism would be considered God-fearers or proselytes. Officially, the temple system would consider them to be at the outset of converting.

As you may recall from a previous service, that would be problematic, to say the least. The cultural issues would be massive. Certain sections of the court were meant for the Highest high priest alone, areas for the high priest, areas for men, areas just for women, areas for priests doing maintenance work, areas for the regular priests, a section for children, a gate for Levites, a gate for sacrifice, a gate for each of the many major offerings, and all manner of other separations.

They didn’t enter the temple, however. The accusation is frivolous, and yet, Paul is nevertheless, very ill-treated, bound, and chained. He is led in shackles to the fortress in Antonia. After refusing to buy his way out of imprisonment, Paul seeks to plead his case as all Roman citizens are allowed to do. During the transition, he waits nearly two years until Governor Festus arrives, who will hopefully send him to Caesar’s court. For two years, he waits in prison under house arrest. He is allowed certain privileges (like the secretary who scribes all his prison letters), but he is nonetheless a prisoner of the state. By the way, just as a side note, Paul probably never wrote more than a few lines of scripture himself.

Now, I said Paul doesn’t pen the letters. But, in fact, at a few different points, Paul seems to feel the need to sign a letter intentionally where he has put pen to parchment. If you would take out your bible and find Galatians 6:11 and we will read that together. It’s maybe a little odd and perhaps silly to some, but also, it’s not. In Galatians, Philemon, 2 Thessalonians, and 2 Timothy, Paul himself adds, “See [as proof of it being me] what large letters I use to write.” Apparently, Paul has a very large penmanship.

Personally, I believe that whatever happened to Paul before the event on the road to Damascus, I feel that he not only lost his sight but also never fully recovered from it. If you read that story about him being struck blind and having to study with, I think it’s fair to say something was never the same after that event where he was stuck blind only to later have “something like scales drop from his eyes.” And I think because Paul’s vision was poor, he couldn’t write the letters himself. And if he did, the printed words would be massive on the page, taking up a lot of space and at great financial cost.

In any case Paul is in prison writing to the churches. And like anyone would, Paul becomes homesick and misses friends and loved ones, and this is when he writes what can only be called a “love letter” not to a woman but to a church he began with the assistance of a woman named Lydia in the city of Philippi (in what is now northern Greece). It is the letter to the Philippians read this morning.

It’s interesting to picture – a prisoner writing about Peace and Joy – but that is precisely what we have here. For those of you who opened the Bible to read along with today’s conversation, you might have noticed that Paul’s letter is easily lost in the vastness of the scriptures. It’s easy to miss. For some, it’s hard to find. That’s not your fault. The letter from Paul we are talking about is short. It’s a letter from one person to the congregation he feels most at home with and most loved by. The entire message Paul pens (with the assistance of his scribe) is only about 3 pages long in today’s print. On a papyrus scroll, it wouldn’t have been much longer due to the size of the measurements of the scroll. It’s short. And yet… no matter its brevity, the word “Rejoicing” or “Joy” appears 16 times in this small space of words and ideas. Philippians, the biblical book, despite Paul’s circumstances – is a book of absolute and pure joy in thanksgiving and, surprisingly, even more about perfect peace.

Paul loves this congregation. The letter is particularly and passionately personal. When Paul refers to the people in this particular church congregation, he repeatedly uses words and phrases like “you are my brothers and sisters in faith” or “You who are my true Family”. Theologians have had much to say about Paul’s letter to the family in Philippi. Still, the concept of the Apostle Paul’s love for them as individuals and as a church has never been a difficult discussion. Beyond this, Paul is also very impressed with this congregation because they mean what they say. They have been persecuted, yet they are sending large amounts of funds to other congregations that they see as struggling more than they are. In many ways, Philippines is the letter I would write to Dayspring.

I would be remiss if I didn’t just mention that I was shocked to hear that Dayspring had not received an absolute onslaught of applications from potential ministers in the PCC interested in serving here.

Feel free to ask if you know those involved, but I was highly adamant when I attended The Presbyterian College at McGill. Whenever we were asked to speak about our sponsoring congregations and presbyteries, people always knew I would be the rather braggadocious one. It was well understood at the college as well as the United Theological College and at the Anglican Diocese as well as among all of the professors – that Dayspring, Edmonton, was an absolute GEM of a congregation. For a time, you were unknowingly famous.

I remember one day quoting our previous minister, John Dowds, to the class: “If the congregation cannot care for its staff, then it should not ever even attempt to pretend it cares for the people. And if the church can’t care for the people, then it certainly can’t care for the outside world.”

I think that is one of the three most important lessons I ever heard from another minister in the church.

Paul, a big fan of wrestling, next says, you are “my crown,” meaning that they represent an outstanding achievement to him, similar to winning the victor’s crown in the Olympic Games. When Paul guides them, he points to the benefits of the proper behavior. Instead of orders, the Apostle Paul says, “I ask you,” and even “I beg now.” When he speaks fondly of the church from his confinement, he says, I feel as if you are “with me.” He says, “I long to return to you.”

He calls them “agapatos” or “dearly loved,” a word found outside the bible in ancient love letters and in poetry.

Paul cared a lot about this church. He writes, ^“I thank my God every time I remember you.” He also says, “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.” He loves them.

In one sense, there is nothing extraordinary about this. The minister loves their congregation, and I share that sentiment. But Peace, Joy!?! How can Paul be filled with joy and pray with joy while beaten and lying in shackles for two years, not even knowing if or when he will get to plead his case in court? It’s amazing.

I read an old proverb a while back. It says, “If you wish to be happy for one hour, eat bacon. If you wish to be happy for three days, get married. If you wish to be happy forever, learn to fish.”

I like the proverb, but truth be told, it’s just not true. I’d rather be married than go fishing and eat bacon sandwiches (though my wife may beg to differ). But that’s kind of my point. The error, of course, is that happiness and joy are not the same thing. C.S. Lewis wrote, “Happiness is an emotion you feel. Joy is an attitude that overwhelms your troubles.” That is why Paul has joy: not because his circumstances make him happy but because his joy has overwhelmed his troubles and brought him peace.

Later, Paul writes, “⁷ It is right for me to feel this way about all of you since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. ⁸ God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.”

Paul’s church isn’t perfect, of course; none is. The saying goes, “The church would be perfect if not for all these people.” The Church is the Church. It is the people, and this building is where our Church meets. But we (the Church) are a people, (the word just means “Gathering”) so we are far from perfect, just as all gathers are.

The world likes to point condemning and criticizing fingers at our churches today, declaring that the church is “full of hypocrites.” The media seems to revel in supposed holy men and holy women falling from the pedestal. And I’ll admit I, too, have had a certain smug sense of satisfaction at the drop of a couple of “fallen angels” I had always had certain suspicions about. But the reality is – that it should be expected. No one ever said we’d be perfect, and I don’t think I’ve ever met a Christian who made that claim. If I did, I’d be concerned because at the heart of the Christian gospel is the fact that we are sinful yet forgiven people. We are a gathering not of Saints but a gathering of sinners. When I look out into the church, I see what East Indian evangelist Daniel Thrombyaja Niles saw when he said the church “is one beggar telling another beggar where bread is to be found.” We’re not perfect, most certainly I’m not, but as Paul says, “All of you share in God’s grace with [him].”

The apostle continues. He says, “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day we meet until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Paul’s crown, as he calls them, brings him joy in troubled times because he sees how they have grown in faith, with or without him, and he trusts that God will continue to bless them for their faithfulness.

It’s strange, you know, it’s almost impossible to see the forest through the trees. To me, Maddie Wesley and Cohen look the same all the time. But that’s because I’m there with them. You can hardly see their growth when you’re with people a lot. But when my wider family see the kids, even on video, they are always surprised how quickly they grow.

It’s like that in the church, too. Although signs of spiritual and physical growth surround us, they’re not always easy to see until someone points them out. It’s slow, but it’s genuine, in Phillipi and at Dayspring too.

There is a form of Moso Bamboo that drops its seeds once every 65 or so years. Now… if you take one of those seeds, pick the right spot, and prepare the soil, you can’t plan that tiny see. You can water it and wait… and wait… and wait… and continue to water it daily for an entire year – nothing will happen. No bud, no sprout, nothing to see. So you keep watering and diligently mark the area, taking care of a plant that should be there but you can’t see. So….., in the second year, you water, fertilize, and protect the seed… you feed it every day, and ….. nothing will happen. So…..the third year, your water daily, fertilize and protect the seed, and….. nothing will happen. So….., in the fourth year, you water every day and fertilize and protect the tiny seed, and….. again, nothing will happen. So….., in the fifth year, you water daily and fertilize and protect the seed.…. Finally, during the fifth year, the plant begins to grow. It grows about 2 inches every hour and hits 80 feet tall in just over 6 weeks!

The question is, did it grow 80 feet in six weeks or five years? The answer, of course, is that it grew 80 feet in five years. It took the first five years to expand the substantial root system it would one day take to support an 80-foot-tall plant.

The people in Philippi couldn’t see their growth the way Paul could. He saw the roots of a people devoted to the gospel and the strong tree they would someday be as God completed the work he began in them.

So I am not Paul.

I have not been in chains for the last two years, but his words for his beloved church are also my words for mine.

³ I thank my God every time I remember you. ⁴ In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy ^five because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, ^six being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

⁷ It is right for me to feel this way about all of you since I have you in my heart

May we grow together in love,

May we find joy not because life is perfect or because we are always well but because our Joy in the Lord has overwhelmed our troubles,

While we may not be perfect together, we can be a gathering of forgiven sinners telling other beggars where bread is to be found,

And may we continue to grow deep roots together as we live out our common faith in Christ as one: my family, my crown, my agapatos, my dearly loved. Amen

Song: Oh come, oh come Emmanuel (122: vss 1,3,6,7)

We respond to serve God.

Our time of giving

Prayer of gratitude and for others and ourselves

In our weakness you are strength, in our darkness you are light, in joy you are pleasure, and in our sorrows, you are comfort and peace.  Let your love overflow in us more and more so that with insight and strength we may pray with our hearts as well as our lips and serve you with our strength and bodies as we are able.  Into each situation we name and picture, visit with your steadfast love.

We give you thanks for moments of joy and celebration in our lives, for times when the low places have been raised up, for times of excitement and expectation; for love given and received, for friendships which furnish our life with meaning and happiness, and for family who show us some picture of unconditional love.  In all relationships and interactions keep us mindful of your call to see you in one another. Bless our homes and families that love and joy may dwell there and keep those who are absent from us within your care.

We pray for all those who frame laws, adjudicate justice, and shape society, who work and pray for peace and who keep the peace.  Move in the hearts and minds of rulers so that in governments and countries where the innocent are punished, where the weak serve the wealthy, and where injustice rules, justice will be done.

Lord in your mercy.

We remember with sadness the divisions in the world and that our world is not at peace. We recall the places torn by war and the people for whom too often this is a world where violence is a way of life.  We pray for places where people are misused and often scorned and for those who have found a new track in life and enjoy a reordered way of being and freedom from life inhibiting forces.

We pray for those who suffer and are ill and for those people who mourn and fear for the future and what it may bring.  Surround them with your love, support them with strength and open our hearts and our eyes to see how we might be comfort in situations of hurt and pain.

Eternal God, you hold all souls in life, and we trust that the dead as well as the living are in your care.  We thank you for your people of every age and place and for those dear to our own hearts who have entered into your heavenly presence.  Keep us in communion with them and bring us with them at the last to dwell in your light.

Hear us as we offer prayers in silence for your people in need. …  Amen.

Song: Lord, I want to be a Christian (571)

Sending out with God’s blessing

⁹ And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, ¹⁰ so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, ¹¹ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus —to the glory and praise of God. Now go grow some more deep deep roots in Christ. Amen.

Response: God to enfold you

Music postlude (Binu and Lorraine): Make me a channel of your peace

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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).

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.