Worship on the Second Sunday of Lent
Celebrating the Sacrament of Holy Communion
10:00 am       01 March 2026
Online & Onsite (Mixed Presence) Gathering as a Worshipping Community
Led by the Lynn Vaughan     Music director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalists: Cheryl & Peter Sheridan    Elder: Shirley Simpson   Reader: Gina Kottke

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: Into life’s challenges and questions comes the Mystery of God,
P: and God’s truth opens our eyes.
L: Into our routines and rituals walks the presence of Christ,
P: and God’s love brings healing and hope.
L: Into our traditions and conclusions blows the wind of the Spirit,
P: and God’s people are born from above.
L: We gather in Jesus’ name to encounter God’s grace and glory.
P: Let us worship God with open hearts and minds.

Opening praise: I lift my eyes up

Prayers of approach and confession

God of majesty and mercy,

Christ, both Lord and Servant,

Spirit of new life,

your mystery embraces the vast reaches of the universe and yet you are present with us in the course of our daily lives.

Even the tiniest spark of your wisdom illuminates the greatest complexities.

With the smallest gesture of your love, you renew our hope.

Deepen our sense of your holy presence today.

Assure us that your love will never let us go.

We offer our praise and our prayers to you,

Holy God, Holy One and Holy Three,

with humble hearts and faith that seeks understanding.

God of mystery and mercy,

we confess that we prefer simple certainty to seeking deeper understanding.

We settle for what we know, ignoring our doubts and questions.

Forgive us when our faith falters because what we think no longer satisfies.

Open our eyes to the truth you hold out to us in Jesus Christ, your son,

and give us courage to rethink what we have assumed about you

and your love for the world.

We pray this all in the name of your precious Son, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

Response: I waited, I waited on You, Lord

Assurance of God’s grace

The Apostle Paul declared that from now on, we regard no one from a human point of view. If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation. Everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! Thanks be to God for love that gives us all a new start this very day!

We listen for the voice of God                   

Song: Love divine, all loves excelling (371)

Scripture readings: Psalm 121 & John 3:1-17

Instrumental Response: His truth is marching on 

Message: The Gospel in a Nutshell

Martin Luther famously said, it is “the gospel in miniature, so pregnant with meaning that it can never be exhausted”. It is the most famous verse in the Bible, and with good reason. It is, of course, John 3:16.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

That is the core message of the gospel, wrapped up in a single sentence – in a nutshell, you might say. So simple, but it says so much. Memorized by Christians for generations, as it should. Preached on by many a pastor, as it should. And known the world over, as it should. In fact, this verse has been translated into more languages than any other sentence.

To remind you of the importance of this verse, let me share with you two quotes. The first is almost 500 years old, credited during the Reformation in the 16th century. And the second is from just a few years ago. Both describe the importance of John 3:16. The first quote is from Martin Luther, who put it this way when he talked about this famous verse:

If you want to find God, then inscribe these words in your heart. Don’t sleep, but be vigilant. Learn and ponder these words diligently: ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life’. Let him who can write, write these words. Furthermore, read them, discuss them, meditate and reflect on them in the morning and in the evening, whether aware or asleep!                     (Martin Luther, 1483-1546)

The second quote is from the contemporary Christian author, Max Lucado, who wrote a little book called simply, “3:16”. He refers to this verse as the Hope Diamond of the Bible and begins the book with these words:

[John 3:16 is] a twenty-six word parade of hope: beginning with God, ending with life, and urging us to do the same. Brief enough to write on a napkin or memorize in a moment, yet solid enough to weather two thousand years of storms and questions. If you know nothing of the Bible, start here. If you know everything in the Bible, return here. We all need the reminder. The heart of the human problem is the heart of the human. And God’s treatment is prescribed in John 3:16. He loves. He gave. We believe. We live.

(Max Lucado, 2007)

These two examples offer great insight about a great piece of scripture. A verse that should be inscribed on our hearts. A verse that begins our Christian journey and provides direction all along the way. Today, let’s look at just a couple of the words in this verse and see if we can’t learn something new about John 3:16 … or at least, be reminded about why it is so very important.

Let’s start with the very first word in John 3:16: “For”

“For God so loved the world.”

It’s not a typical way to start a sentence, is it? But when we do start a sentence this way, it is usually to connect it to the previous sentence. Therefore, it would help to reference the previous sentence. In this case, that means we need to look at John 3:14-15, two verses which are much less well-known than the one that follows. In these verses, Jesus said:

“Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”

So, the Son of Man must be lifted up, Jesus says. Why? Because God so loved the world that he gave his only son. This sentence before John 3:16 helps us to understand what it means that God gives his only son. It means that God allows his son to be lifted up, on the cross, for US. That is the measure of his love for us. That God would sacrifice a piece of himself in order to gift us with salvation from our sins.

That is what Jesus tells Nicodemus in this amazing conversation from our scripture reading. Nicodemus probably did not fully understand all of this until after Jesus was crucified; when he helped Joseph of Arimathea take Jesus’ body down from the cross and place it in the tomb. He must have understood the words then, I imagine. And isn’t that true for us, as well? We don’t fully understand the measure of God’s love for us until we go to the cross and embrace the awe-inspiring mystery that he died on the cross not only for the world … but for you … and for me!

That brings us to our next focus word: “world”

“For God so loved the world”, Jesus says. But what does he mean, in this case, by the word ‘world’? It can mean a lot of different things, but in John’s Gospel, it is used in some specific ways. We get our first hint about what ‘world’ means in John’s Gospel back in Chapter 1, where it says:

“[Jesus] was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.”

The world did not know Jesus. That’s often the case in John’s Gospel. He is the light of the world, but so often the world is blind and can’t see this. The world even hates Jesus, as he tells his disciples in Chapter 15, and the world often hates his followers, too. So, the world is definitely not just the church. It is not just those who believe. It is everyone, even those who do not know Jesus; who reject him, even those who hate him.

But God so loved the world that he gave his only son. It’s important to recognize that John 3:16 is not just talking about you and me. This verse is also talking about people who don’t know Jesus, and it’s even talking about people who hate Jesus. For God so loved them that he gave his only son. John 3:16 is only about us if it is also about them. God loves us. And God loves them. And God asks us to love the world, even the parts of this world, and the people in this world, that are hard to love. That is yet another important message to be taken from John 3:16.

The last word I want to talk about today is: “believe”

“Everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

‘Believe’ is a verb here. It’s something that we do, not something that we have. And in fact, in John’s Gospel, ‘believe’ is always a verb; it’s never a noun. It’s never simply something that we have; it’s always something that we do. In other words, our faith is not an insurance policy that we file away in a safe place until we need it. It is, instead, something that we act upon. Something that we do, every day.

As an example of this, consider the first person who ever heard these words: the Pharisee, Nicodemus. He had visited Jesus at night to explore what Jesus was teaching. (He visited at night, no doubt, because he didn’t want the other Pharisees to know that he was there. The Pharisees, as a group, did not like Jesus and were looking for ways to destroy him.) But Nicodemus was curious, so he visited Jesus that night to explore his teachings further. And in the course of that conversation, Jesus spoke these famous words to Nicodemus:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

Nicodemus was clearly changed by these words and by his conversation with Jesus. He appears twice more in John’s Gospel, and each time shows how his faith has changed him. When the Pharisees were seeking to have Jesus arrested, Nicodemus spoke up against them, defending Jesus. And when Jesus died, he was one of the men who bravely claimed Jesus’ body and prepared it for burial. This was while Jesus’ own disciples were in hiding and scared for their own safety! For Nicodemus, believing that God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son changed everything for him. His faith became a verb. And for us, it does the same.

Faith changes us. Faith is not simply a way to receive eternal life. Faith is itself a way of life. Everyone who believes in Jesus is promised eternal life, but … eternal life doesn’t begin when we die. It begins when we believe!
I’m going to say that again, because I think it’s important: eternal life doesn’t begin when we die – it begins when we believe!

Eternal life is simply a way of describing our being in a relationship with the one who created life, and who promises eternity to all who believe. Whether our world knows it or not, this is what it hungers for: eternal life. And it is our blessed task to remind them of this. To remind them, through our words and our actions, that God loves them so much that He gave them His only Son, so that they, too, might come to believe. And by believing, have their life changed forever.

Based on writings by the Rev. James Laurence, First Lutheran Church of Albemarle, NC

Song: O love, how deep, how broad, how high (205)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving: Generous God, we offer our gifts to you in gratitude for all that we have received in Christ and in creation. Bless our gifts and our lives, so that we can share in the building up of your kingdom in the world you love so much that you sent your son as a sacrifice for our sins.

Prayer of gratitude, and for others and ourselves

Almighty God, you are our keeper,

shade in the heat of the world’s troubles,

light in every shadowed time of life.

We thank you for your care which sustains us,

and offer you our trust for those things we can do nothing about.

Thank you for the energy to focus on the things we can do day by day,

putting our love and care to work in community and creation.

By the power of your Spirit, bless us with the insight and passion to act in hope.

May your wisdom guide us in all things.

Attentive God, we bring our concerns for the world to you in these uncertain times.

We think of all those who have set off to unknown lands

and pray for people on the move:

For those seeking safety and shelter, fleeing violence;

For those settling into a new home or community;

For those who must travel, whatever the conditions.

Walk with us on the way.

We think of the Psalmist looking to the hills

And we pray for people seeking help:

For those seeking help for the earth itself as its fragile balances are threatened;

For those seeking help to make ends meet as bank balances are threatened;

For those seeking help for vulnerable people to right the balance of justice.

Walk with us on the way.

We think of Nicodemus turning to Jesus with questions in his heart

and we pray for people seeking answers:

For those with health challenges, seeking diagnosis and treatment;

For those researching problems and policies, seeking to better our common life;

For those wondering if you exist, wondering if you have a purpose for them

Walk with us on the way.

We think of Jesus, your only son, whom you sent to show us the way,

Sacrificing himself on the cross in order for us to have eternal life in You

And allowing us to know the great love you have for each one of us when we choose to believe.

We pray all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Passing the peace

The Sacrament of Holy Communion

Invitation

Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. Jesus welcomes all who hunger for grace. Come to this table, whether you’re certain of your faith or still searching; whether you feel whole or broken; and receive this bread and this cup as signs of God’s forgiveness, love, and presence in the world.

If you prefer to remain seated, you are invited to pray and receive God’s blessing with us.

Come, let us share the life Christ gives.

*Song: You satisfy the hungry heart (538)

The Communion Prayer

Heavenly Father, we come to your table in awe of your love, and we praise your name. You formed the world in wisdom and love, breathed life into us, and called us to be your people. You have been faithful through every age – guiding, sustaining, correcting, and redeeming us.

We give you thanks for Jesus Christ, your Son, our Saviour. In him, you became one of us, living among the poor and the outcast, healing the sick, confronting injustice, and calling sinners to new life.

On the night Jesus was betrayed, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to his friends, saying, “This is my body, given for you.” After supper, he took the cup, offered thanks, and said, “This cup is the new covenant sealed in my blood, poured out for you, and for many, for the forgiveness of sins.” We remember his life, his death, and his rising, and we proclaim the mystery of our faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

Pour out your Holy Spirit upon these gifts of bread and wine, that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ. Make them for us the means of grace through which we are fed and healed, forgiven and restored. Fill us with the assurance of eternal life and the power of Your love to live as people of God. Unite us to Christ and to one another, that we may be one living body, sharing in his life and love.

All praise and honour belong to you, Holy God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever.
Now, together, let us sing the prayer that you taught us …

The Lord’s Prayer (469 – sung)

Sharing of the Bread and Wine (led by the Rev Brad Childs on video)

Song:   One bread, one body (540)

Prayer after Communion

Gracious God, thank you for this bread and this wine, and the gift of Christ’s presence with us. Fill us now with your Spirit, so we may carry this love into the world. Strengthen our faith, open our hearts to one another, and give us the courage to serve with justice and compassion. Guide our steps until we meet again, living as witnesses to your grace. Amen.

Song: To God be the glory  (350)

Sending out with God’s blessing

As we continue our Lenten journey, remember the promise of the Psalmist: “The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forever more.” So go now, trusting that your help comes from God, And may God’s presence strengthen you, May Jesus’ faithfulness guide you, and may the wind of the Spirit bring you energy to serve with love.

Response: Sing Amen

Music postlude

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The Communion liturgy is based on the liturgies of the PCC’s 1991 Book of Common Worship. Numbers in brackets after a song/hymn indicate that it is from the 1997 Book of Praise of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Those and other songs are being used in accordance with the specifications of Dayspring’s licensing with One License (3095377) and CLC (A735555).

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 unintentional and will be corrected immediately upon notification being received.

Worship on the First Sunday in Lent
10:00 am      February 22, 2026
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs      Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Linda Farrah-Basford      Elder: Renita MacCallum
Children’s time: Brad     Reader: Marilyn Fort

We gather to worship God

Music prelude

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

Lighting of the Christ candle
Welcome and announcements
Preparation for worship

Call to worship:
L: God holds us in a covenant of grace. The promise to Noah is our promise too: God will never destroy the whole world in order to make things new.
P: Rather, God will work through us to make things new.
L: We need change that turns us inside out, focusing us on the needs of those around us.
P: May we embrace the changes that will leave fear behind and open up a whole new world ahead.

Opening praise: Come, now is the time to worship

Prayers of approach and confession 

Gracious and faithful God, you are the One who leads us into wilderness places, not to abandon us, but to draw us closer to your heart. Like your Son Jesus, we come hungry for your presence, thirsty for your truth, and ready to trust your guidance. Approach us now with your Spirit, the same Spirit who descended at the Jordan and led Jesus into the desert. Open our eyes to see your provision, our ears to hear your Word, and our hearts to worship you alone. We draw near in the name of Jesus, who faced every temptation yet without sin, and who invites us to follow him.

Merciful God, you led Jesus into the wilderness to be tested, and he triumphed where we so often fail. We confess that we have given in to temptation:

• when hunger—for security, success, or comfort—has led us to grasp at quick fixes instead of waiting on your Word;
• when pride has tempted us to test your love, demanding signs and spectacles rather than walking humbly in trust;
• when the lure of power, approval, or ease has drawn us to bow before other gods, compromising our loyalty to you alone.

Like Israel in the desert, we have grumbled, tested you, and turned aside. Forgive us for the times we have lived by bread alone, presumed on your grace, and served what is not you. In this Lenten season, lead us back to the path of obedience. Strip away our self-reliance and renew us by your Spirit. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our victorious Saviour.

Response: I will trust in the Lord

Assurance of God’s pardon

The Apostle Paul declared our hope, asking the question: “Who is in a position to condemn?”

The Answer?  “Only Christ – and Christ died for us; Christ rose for us; Christ reigns in power for us; Christ prays for us.” Trust this Good News. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and set free by God’s generous grace.

We listen for the voice of God.

Song: Open our eyes, Lord (445)

Children’s time

Today is the very first Sunday in Lent, that’s the special time before Easter when we think about following Jesus more closely, changing some things in our hearts, and getting ready for the big joy of Easter.

Lent lasts for 40 days, beginning with Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunrise. During that time, people generally give something up to identify with Jesus, spending 40 days in the desert without food or drink. So we often give up one food or one thing for the 40 days (not counting Sunday because that’s a cheat day)

Common things people give up for Lent include

Chocolate, Candy, Coffee, Pop, Meat, Fast Food, Social Media, Video Games, and Online Shopping.

But what if instead of just giving something up, we added something to. So maybe we decide to give up saying mean things to our siblings. But maybe it’s better to decide that instead of something mean, we say something nice. Instead of just giving up the desert, maybe we can make a point to give our desert away to another kid who doesn’t have one. Maybe instead of just not doing something bad, we add doing something good in the world too. Maybe you will join me in trying Lent for a little while. Talk to your families and see what they think. I bet, together, you can come up with some really wonderful ways to prepare for Easter over the next 40 days.

And now we say the prayer you taught the very first of your disciples to pray…

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Song: Forty days and forty nights (197)

Scripture: Matthew 4:1–11

Response: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet            

Message: Temptation is so Darn Tempting

Jesus comes from the mountain top experience into the desert. Temptation is temping and lows seem to come for us right when we are doing our best. How do we deal with testing? How did Jesus deal with it?

You’ve just come down from the mountaintop of your life. The heavens have split open, a voice like thunder has declared you beloved, and the Spirit has anointed you for your calling. You’re buzzing with purpose, ready to step into the world and change it. And then… bam! The Holy Spirit appears. It’s undeniable, and when the Spirit appears, the Spirit leads you straight out into the desert, into no man’s land… into a lawless mess of a place. No fanfare. No crowds. Just sand, silence, and the slithering voice of the enemy whispering doubts into your soul. That’s where we find Jesus today, in Matthew chapter 4, verses 1 through 11. This isn’t just a story from two thousand years ago; it’s a blueprint for every battle you’ll ever face. It’s the tale of the Temptation in the Wilderness, or as the Greeks put it, the “testing”, where the Son of God stares down Satan and shows us how to win the war for our souls.

Let me set the scene for you. Picture the Jordan River, still rippling from Jesus’ baptism. The water’s fresh on his skin, the dove-like Spirit hovering, and God’s voice booming: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” If ever there was a spiritual high, this is it. But the very next word in our Bibles? It’s just “then”. It’s “then”. “Then?” I suspect you have been there. You are on the mountain top; things are going great, and “Then”… something happens.

Think” gaming, risk-taking, avoidance, dating pressures, excessive partying, casual relationships, Pride, career shortcuts, office gossip, workaholism, peer competition, neglecting loved ones, overspending, living in nostalgia, clinging to past roles, self-isolating and more.

Lows whisper to us just after highs. We fall into traps easily. The reality for many of us is that we don’t feel worthy, and that’s our demise. Unfortunately, we do not love ourselves as much as our God loves us, and as a result, we collapse most often, just after we have felt most loved. Let me say that again… “Unfortunately, we do not love ourselves as much as our God loves us, and as a result, we collapse most often, just after we have felt most loved”. Our silly ideas about our own unworthiness mess with our heads. And here’s the thing, we aren’t worthy and don’t have to be. That’s the solution Jesus brings; we don’t have to be. He did it for us.

FAR TOO OFTEN: We forget… that to love our neighbours as ourselves presupposes that we know how to LOVE OURSELVES!!!

Here in the Bible, in original Greek, it’s “tote,” a simple connector that means “right then, immediately after or directly following.” In this case, the great thing comes… and “THEN” (TOTE) the not-so-great thing comes “right after”. As per usual, the mountain top becomes the valley. We have all been “Way up here!” and then “Way down here” just after!

As it is for all of us, temptation doesn’t wait for you to catch your breath. It crashes the party the moment God stamps his approval on your life. How many of you have felt that? A breakthrough prayer answered, a door of opportunity swung wide… and suddenly, the doubts flood. That’s no coincidence. It’s the enemy playbook, your self-doubt, the deceiver. But here’s the beauty: Jesus doesn’t stumble into this. Verse 1 tells us Jesus “was led up by the Holy Spirit” into the wilderness to be tested by the devil.

You may be in good company!!!

Notice the gospel reads, “Led,” not “dragged”. The Greek word is “anēchthē”; it is in the passive voice and paints a picture of gentle guidance, like a shepherd calling his sheep to green pastures. Except these pastures are barren rock and scrub brush. Jesus goes willingly, because this is a divine appointment, not divine punishment. And which Spirit leads him? The Holy Spirit, the same one who descended like a dove at his baptism, the same one who empowers you and me today. This isn’t some rogue force; it’s God’s own “Ruach,” or “Wind,” or “Breath,” propelling Jesus into the fight. Sometimes it’s God who takes you into places you may not wish to go. Maybe I should say that one again… sometimes it’s God that takes us into the places we don’t really want to go.

The wilderness? Think Judean badlands near the Jordan. It is an area where no government has control. It’s a lot like the “high seas” today, where no nation has a particularly superior claim to any form of rules.

In these thousands upon thousands of kilometres of sun-baked desolation, where jackals howl and mirages mock your thirst, you eventually come to the kind of raw hardship that strips you down to your core. Biblically, it’s loaded with symbolism: Remember Israel’s forty years wandering there? They grumbled, they idolized, they failed the test. Now Jesus steps into that same arena, ready to pass it with flying colours.

And pass it he does. But first, the setup. Verse 2: “He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was famished.” Fasting, voluntary abstinence from food, sometimes water, to sharpen your spiritual edge: prayer on an empty stomach, is dependence dialled up to eleven. I’ve attempted this three times and done it once before, and it isn’t fun. But why forty?

That number screams “testing period” in Scripture. For Noah, it rained 40 days; Moses spent 40 days without food on Mt. Sinai; Israel wandered 40 years in the desert; Israel scouted the promised land 40 days. Elijah fasted 40 days on Mount Horeb. Jonah had 40 days to warn Nineveh.

Jesus is echoing them all, but he’s about to rewrite the ending. By the end of it, he’s “famished,” starved, human as you or me, body screaming for relief. Vulnerability exposed. And just like we talked about… It is just after the highs that all the negative stuff hits you in the face. That’s when this happens to Jesus, because that’s when the tempter strikes all of us.

Enter the “devil” (the word for “Deceiver” or “Con Artist”), who shows up stage left. It isn’t just one being; it is something bigger than that imposed on us. It’s much more terrifying than just one single being. It’s a reality, and one most of us pretend isn’t.

Verse 3: “The Con Artist came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.'” Who is this tempter? Satan himself—the adversary, the accuser, the father of lies. He doesn’t announce with horns and pitchfork; he slinks in like a salesman with a silver tongue. Notice the hook: “If… you… are… the Son of God.” (God JUST SAID, THIS is MY SON)

It’s not a question; it’s a dare, preying on the fresh echo of God’s voice from the baptism.

“Prove it,” Satan sneers. “Show me”.

Turn these worthless rocks into a bakery.” It’s clever, isn’t it? Jesus is the Creator who multiplied loaves for thousands later on. Why not now, for himself? Why not skip the hunger and flex that divine muscle?

But Jesus doesn’t bite. Verse 4: “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” Boom. Scripture as sword. He’s quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, straight from Moses’ wilderness playbook, words God spoke to Israel when they were starving and whining for Egypt’s onions while spending, that’s right, 40… years there.

“Man shall not live by bread alone,” Jesus declares. The point? Calories don’t fuel true life; it’s fed by obedience to God’s voice. Satan wants Jesus to play God on his terms, independent, self-reliant, proving his sonship through spectacle. But Jesus says no. He trusts the Father’s timing. He remembers the manna: God provides, but only when and how HE chooses.

How often have you had to face this first temptation? The growl in your gut, for success, security, stuff, that whispers, “Take it now. Make it happen. God’s too slow.” Jesus models the win: Starve the flesh, feast on the Word. Let God’s provision be your bread, not your backup plan.

Satan’s not done. He pivots like a pro wrestler, changing the ring entirely. Verse 5: “Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple.” Same devil, same game, just a new level. Jerusalem’s holy city, buzzing with pilgrims and priests. The temple? Herod’s masterpiece, gleaming white stone on the city’s crest. And the pinnacle? Scholars say it’s that dizzying southeast corner, a parapet or platform thrusting out over a 450-foot drop to the Kidron Valley below. Public as can be. One wrong step, and it’s a splat heard ’round the nation. Satan plops Jesus there, wind whipping, crowds milling like ants far below. “If you are the Son of God,” he hisses again, verse 6, “throw yourself down, for it is written…”

Wait… he quotes Scripture? “He will command his angels concerning you, and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'” Psalm 91:11-12 is a beautiful promise of God’s protection for those who dwell in his shelter. It fits, right? Angels on call, safety net supreme. But here’s the twist: Satan cherry-picks and perverts. This isn’t about trusting God in peril; it’s about “manufacturing” peril to force God’s hand. Jump, Jesus. Make a spectacle. Let the temple throng see you soar, angels catching you like a circus act. Prove your identity with pyrotechnics. It’s the temptation to presume on God: to twist protection into presumption, faith into folly.

Jesus sees through it like glass. Verse 7: “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'” That “again” is gold; it’s his mic drop, signalling he’s not playing cherry-pick. He’s wielding the full counsel of God—Deuteronomy 6:16, right in the heart of the Shema, Israel’s creed of loyalty.

Remember Exodus 17? Israel, thirsty in the desert, demanding water from Moses: “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” They tested God, and it nearly sparked a mutiny. Jesus refuses to repeat that sin. Don’t manipulate miracles. Don’t demand divine Instagram moments to validate your calling. Trust comes quietly, in the everyday obedience, not the adrenaline rush.

And this is our second snare: the urge to “test God” with reckless risks. “If you’re real, God, heal this now: spectacularly.” Or “If you love me, drop that dream job in my lap without the grind.” Jesus teaches us: Faith isn’t a daredevil stunt; it’s a steady walk on the narrow path.

One more round.

Satan’s desperate now, pulling out the big guns. Verse 8: “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.” Again? Yes, persistent predator. This “showing”? Not a Vespa tour of Europe, it’s a supernatural vision, a panoramic hallucination of empires at their peak. Rome’s legions marching, Egypt’s pyramids glinting, Persia’s palaces sprawling. Gold, gems, glory, the whole enchilada of worldly power, dangled like a carrot on a string. Verse 9: “All these I will give you, if you will fall and worship me.”

Worship “him”? The audacity. Satan, the fallen cherub, claiming lordship over creation? It’s a lie wrapped in half-truth, yes, he’s the “prince of this world” for now, but only by squatter’s rights. The temptation? The ultimate shortcut. Jesus’ mission: to reclaim the kingdoms through suffering, the cross, and resurrection. But Satan offers the express lane: Bow once, skip the nails, rule now. It’s idolatry in emperor’s clothes, trading the eternal throne for a knockoff crown. Compromise your allegiance for convenience. Sound familiar? The boardroom deal that bends ethics. The relationship that demands you sideline your faith. The cultural applause that drowns out God’s whisper.

Jesus’ response? Explosive finality. Verse 10: “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.'” No mincing words, “hypage”, get behind me, you ancient serpent. And the Scripture? Deuteronomy 6:13, Moses charging Israel at Moab’s plains: Loyalty to Yahweh alone, no detours to Baal or golden calves. It fits like a glove: pure, unadulterated devotion. Worship isn’t a side hustle; it’s the main event. Serve God only, and the kingdoms fall into place “His” way. Jesus doesn’t negotiate. He doesn’t debate theology. He declares war on the Word and watches the enemy slink away.

Verse 11: “Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.” Left him, “aphēken auton”, abandoned the field. Defeated, for now. But God? He doesn’t leave Jesus hanging. Angels swarm in, “diēkonoun”, serving like waitstaff at a heavenly banquet. Food for the famished, comfort for the weary, strength for the spent. It’s the post-battle feast, divine high-fives all around. Remember Elijah? After his forty-day fast and Mount Carmel showdown, an angel baked him bread and nudged him to eat. Same vibe here. God provides tenderly and timely for those who endure.

Beloved, that’s our story in Jesus. He faced the wilderness, so we don’t have to solo it. Where Israel failed, grumbling for bread, testing at Massah, bowing to the calf, Jesus triumphed. He quotes Deuteronomy like a son reciting his father’s will, turning the law’s shadow into gospel light. Three temptations, three truths: Live by God’s word, not your whims. Trust his protection, don’t presume it. Worship him alone, no rival gods. And the weapon? Scripture, soaked in the Spirit, swung with authority.

So, where does this land for you today? That “then” after your baptism moment: the job loss, the diagnosis, the relational rift… isn’t random. It’s your wilderness, led by the Spirit for testing. Will you fast through the hunger, quoting truth back at the tempter? Will you stand on the pinnacle without jumping, letting God validate you in His way? Will you turn from the mountain’s mirage, eyes fixed on the true King? Jesus didn’t just survive; he succeeded, for you. And when the devil flees, angels await. Your Father sees. He provides. He declares you beloved. Amen.

Song: O Jesus, I have promised (569)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayers of the people

Lord God, we offer our gifts in thanksgiving for all the goodness you provide. Bless our gifts and our lives so that we become a source of goodness for others, in the name of Christ, our strength and our hope.

God of all life and each life, we offer you thanks for all the ways we meet you in our daily lives:

In a word of encouragement, (brief silence)

in an insight into truth, (brief silence)

in an answer to prayer. (brief silence)

Thank you for a breath of calm in the midst of stress, and an offer of support when we need it. (brief silence)

Thank you for a sense of accomplishment that our work matters and for moments of rest and relaxation to renew us.  (brief silence)

Thank you for all these signs that you love us, understand us and walk with us, Loving God.

Our gratitude for your love reminds us of the need for your mercy in the world.

And so, in times of silence, we pray for:

The world, the people, and the places in the news this week (silence for a count of 10)

Leaders are facing difficult decisions and balancing different needs in complex situations (silence for a count of 10)

Your church and congregations, facing new challenges and opportunities for mission (silence for a count of 10)

Our workplaces and our community are facing many needs and pressures (silence for a count of 10)

Our family, friends and neighbours, especially those facing hard choices these days (silence for a count of 10)

And for ourselves, we offer to you our own concerns (silence for a count of 10)

Thank you for your grace that embraces all for whom we pray, O God.

In the week ahead, help us notice your hand at work in our lives and in this troubled world. Amen.

Song: Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us (647)

Sending out with God’s blessing
As we begin our journey through the season of Lent, remember the words of the prophet Micah: What does the Lord require of us? To do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with our God.
May God’s loving kindness comfort you,
God’s justice inspire you,
and Jesus walk beside you in humility and hope.

Response: The blessing

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 Rev. Brad Childs retains the copyright (© 2026) on all original material in this service. As far as Brad Childs is aware, all of the material that has not been attributed to others is his own creation or is in the public domain. Unacknowledged use of copyrighted material is unintentional and will be corrected immediately upon notification being received.

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

Worship on Transfiguration Sunday
10:00 am      February 15, 2026
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs     Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Lynn Vaughan      Elder: Heather Tansem
Children’s time: Courtney Vaughan      Reader: Matt Jafarijam

We gather to worship God

Music prelude

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

Lighting of the Christ candle
Welcome and announcements
Preparation for worship

Call to worship:
L: The God of glory rules over the earth in majesty and mystery.
P: We praise God’s holy name!
L: The Spirit of God empowers us to do justice and calls us together in equity.
P: We come to honour God’s purposes with love and loyalty.
L: The Christ of glory shines in this place.
P: We praise God’s holy name!

Opening praise: I lift my eyes up

Prayers of approach and confession

God of wonder and grace, you are the light that clears the confusion in our minds, the life that keeps our hearts alive, and the strength that helps us stand when things are hard. You are the beginning of every good thing and the one who holds the end of every story. In you we find meaning for our days and purpose for our choices. We come to you now not out of habit but because we want to notice your goodness, learn your truth, and live in the way you show us. We praise you with Jesus, and with the Holy Spirit, one God who is powerful and merciful now and always.

As we remember how wide and deep your love is, we also remember the ways we’ve messed up. We confess honestly what’s on our hearts and the things we’ve done that don’t match your ways.

God of mystery and mercy, forgive us when we confuse our wants with your will. We admit that sometimes we follow our own plans instead of listening to you. We get distracted by screens, by friends, by trying to look or act a certain way, and that takes us away from loving others and living with courage. We hold on to things that make us feel safe, even when they keep us from doing what’s right. We fear what’s ahead and let worry rule our choices instead of looking for signs of hope and trusting your guidance. We chase quick fixes and fake promises instead of working for real change. Forgive how we’ve acted and thought. Change the places in us that stay the same when they should grow. Help us become people who choose what we desire: compassion, honesty, courage, and hope. Guide our steps, shape our hearts, and send your Spirit to lead us forward. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Response: I will trust in the Lord

Assurance of God’s pardon

It’s true we all fall short. But the bigger truth is that God’s love in Jesus reaches us with forgiveness and a fresh start. God offers mercy, healing, and a new chance to live differently today. Receive this forgiveness: be at peace with God, with yourself, and with the people around you, and live as someone who has been forgiven and called to love.

We listen for the voice of God

Song: Open our eyes, Lord  (445 )

Children’s time: Story about an “awesome” experience

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Song: We have come at Christ’s own bidding (187)

Scripture: Matthew 17:1-9

Response: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
Message: Radiant Revelation

People often relish those “mountain-peak” experiences of faith. There is nothing new about that. In the transfiguration, however, we are shown what it means to live in the day-to-day.

This is the Sunday we often call Transfiguration Sunday, though in the rhythm of the church year, it sometimes slips quietly between Epiphany and Lent. Six days after Peter’s great confession: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God”, and six days after Jesus first spoke plainly about the suffering and death that awaited Him, Jesus takes three disciples up the mountain. What they see there is no mere vision or metaphor. It is a momentary pulling back of the veil: the glory that belongs to the eternal Son shines through His human form.

In the Presbyterian tradition, we don’t generally chase after spectacular experiences like our sisters and brothers in more charismatic denominations, but neither do we dismiss them when Scripture records them plainly. We accept miracles, we just don’t count on them.

This text is given to us so that, in the ordinary Mondays that follow our Sundays, we might remember who it is we follow, and why listening to Him matters more than anything else.

Notice how the story begins: Jesus took them. He chose Peter, James, and John; He led them up the high mountain by themselves. And it’s something passive. God sends them through it. We often have no control. Yet there is a purpose here.

Mountains in Scripture are places where God meets His people, Sinai for the law, Horeb for the whisper, like a gentle breeze. Jesus is not waiting for the disciples to climb on their own initiative. He brings them.

In the same way, the Lord often brings us to places we would not choose (places of quiet, places of testing, places where the ordinary is stripped away so we can see more clearly). We don’t always understand the ascent at the time. But the One who leads is trustworthy.

And there He was transfigured. His face shone like the sun; His clothes became dazzling white. The Greek word metamorphoō describes a complete transformation in appearance, though not in essence. What was always true of Him became visible for a moment.

This is the same Jesus who walked dusty roads, ate with sinners, and would soon sweat drops of blood in Gethsemane. Yet here the divine glory cannot be contained. It spills out. Peter, James, and John are given a foretaste of the resurrection body, of the kingdom come in fullness. They see what the prophets longed for: the radiance of the Messiah who fulfills the Law and the Prophets.

Author Craig Larson writes, “I always display on a book stand the kind of gift books that you put on a coffee table, those filled with professional photos of nature or tourist destinations. My current book is America’s Spectacular National Parks. For several days, I have had the book open to a photo of the Grand Teton Mountains, an extra-wide photo that fills the left page and crosses the fold, taking up half the right page. It is a majestic display of a deep blue sky, rugged, gray, snow-capped mountains, and a calm lake in the foreground. One morning, I decided to turn the page to the next photo, and as I did, I discovered that I had missed something rather important. The right page of the Grand Tetons photo was actually an extra-long page folded over, covering part of the Tetons, so when I opened it, it added some sixteen more inches of width to the photo. Wow, the Grand Tetons became even grander.”

The Christian life has unfolding moments like that, when we discover there’s much more to God and his Kingdom than we knew, much more to his purpose for us than we imagined. Abraham experienced that at age 75, Moses at 80, and the apostle Paul on the road to Damascus. Again and again in the Bible, when God met people, he opened a glorious page for them that had previously been folded. For the disciples on that mountain, this was perhaps the greatest unfolding of events they might ever hope to glimpse.

Then Moses and Elijah appear, speaking with Jesus. Moses, who carried the Law down from the mountain; Elijah, who called Israel back to covenant faithfulness. Together they represent the whole sweep of God’s redemptive story (Law and Prophet). And now they converse with the One in whom that story reaches its goal.

Years ago, I heard the story of an elderly woman in a friend’s congregation (let’s call her Margaret). As a young mother, she clung to a single promise from Scripture she had memorized as a child: Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” Life was hard, widowhood came early, children wandered from the faith, health failed, and finances crumbled. Year after year, she prayed, wondering if God had forgotten that promise.

Decades later, in her late 80s, she watched as her grandchildren, ones she believed had rejected the church, began returning, one by one. A prodigal grandson came to faith at a revival service; a granddaughter started a Bible study in her home. All of her children, it seems, continued to love and put their faith in Jesus, despite lacking in regular worship attendance. One by one, Margaret saw family after family being restored, generations touched by grace she had prayed for but never lived to see in full during her prime years. On her deathbed, she whispered to her pastor, “It took a lifetime, but God was weaving it all along. The promises in His Word weren’t just words; they were the thread holding everything together.”

That’s what Moses and Elijah represent on the mountain: centuries of promises, covenants, and prophecies that seemed long in coming, yet all converging on Jesus. As the Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:20, The Law given through Moses and the prophetic cries of Elijah find their “yes” in Jesus.

God’s plan never rushed, never failed. Jesus stands as the living proof that every ancient word was true, every promise leading to this moment of fulfillment. He is the center where past, present, and future meet. The Law, Prophets, and the End of Days are all balanced upon One.

Peter, bless him and his wild and brash nature (He’s a loudmouth and God love him for it)! Here, Peter speaks up: “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters…”

Peter wants to stay, to build, to preserve the moment. It’s an understandable impulse; we all want to bottle the mountaintop experiences of faith when they come.

But the cloud interrupts. The bright cloud of God’s presence overshadows them, and the voice speaks the same words heard at the baptism, stating, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased,” but here with one addition not found elsewhere: God adds this phrase. “… listen to Him.”

That command is the heart of the matter. Not “build something.” Not “stay here.” Listen. Obey. Follow where He leads, even when the path turns downward toward a cross. In our Reformed heritage, we know that true worship is not in ecstatic moments alone, but in attentive, trusting obedience to the Word made flesh.

This is the bible that I often use when preparing for the children’s story. It’s my old Jr. High Contemporary English Version of the Bible, and the first translation I read from beginning to end when I was about twelve. I used to attend a North American Baptist church (like the NAB congregation down the road – Greenfield).

When I was in High School, I attended an NAB youth conference held every three years. It is called Triennial. I went to one in Chicago, where I famously tell the story of how leaders dropped teens off in pairs in Cabrini-Green (the single most violent ghetto in the United States so we could do street witnessing based around a questionnaire, never intended to be tabulated or used in any way. It was just a sneaky (I think dirty) evangelism trick. But I wasn’t soured just yet (and “thank God”).

In 1996, I left the USA for the first time. I went to Triennial, which was held right here in Edmonton, Alberta. Nearly four years later, when I first came to Edmonton for school, I bumped into three people I already knew because they were also at Triennial, and we had become friends when we were fifteen. Now I wasn’t some teen, turned atheist or a troublemaker or anything. I was a kid. But I remember the spiritual high of that week here in Edmonton. I felt so close to God, and I didn’t want to leave. I rededicated my life to God and signed my bible in the front as a reminder. And when I think back on it, what I wanted was what Peter wanted at the transfiguration. I wanted to build a booth so we could all stay basking in the glow of faith forever.

But we don’t keep growing like that. And often our eyes and minds, somewhat selfishly, can’t help but shift from the One we should be paying attention to, to the emotions we gain from it.

Here, the Father calls out from Heaven to make a point. It isn’t the experience; it is the person of Jesus. It’s Who Jesus Is!

To Peter, James, and John, God calls out, “This is my Son, Whom I love, Listen to HIM.”

That’s the correction Peter needed. It’s the one I needed. The mountaintop is a gift, not a home. All life cannot exist in the vacuum of one or two moments.

The disciples fall on their faces, terrified, as any of us would. But Jesus comes near. He touches them. “Rise, and have no fear.” When they look up, only Jesus remains. Moses and Elijah are gone. The cloud has lifted. The glory withdraws, but the Son stays.

As they come down the mountain, Jesus charges them to tell no one until after the resurrection. The full meaning will only be clear then. Until that day, they, and we, live by faith in the One whose glory we have glimpsed.

The Transfiguration is not given so we can escape the valley, but so we can endure it. It assures us that the Jesus who shines like the sun is the same Jesus who touches us in our fear and says, “Get up.” He is the same Jesus who goes before us to the cross, and beyond it to the empty tomb.

The Father’s voice still speaks through Scripture and by the Spirit: “This is my beloved Son; listen to Him.” In a world full of competing voices, that is our one sure anchor.

So let us rise, without fear, and follow Him. Listen to Him. Trust Him. And one day, by grace, we will see that glory unveiled forever. May the God of all grace strengthen you for the journey. Amen.

Song: O Lord my God! How great thou art (332)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayer for the people

God of life and of love, thank you for making us and placing us into relationships. You put us in families and friend groups, in neighborhoods and classrooms, in communities and nations. Thank you for the people who came before us, grandparents, parents, teachers, mentors, and neighbors — who passed along stories, skills, faith, and sacrifices so we can stand where we are now. Thank you for the gifts of language, culture, craft, and care that shape who we become.

Help us stay open to learning from others. Teach us to listen respectfully to people from different cultures, backgrounds, and generations. Give us curiosity and humility so we can receive wisdom where it comes from and also bring our own ideas to help build something better. Let our homes, schools, and communities be places where different voices are heard and where everyone’s gifts make life richer.

God of the human family, hear our prayers for the world.

God who sees families under stress, we lift up those facing hard times. Be near families struggling with money worries, job loss, or housing insecurity. Comfort parents who feel overwhelmed and kids who are anxious or scared. Bring practical help through friends, services, and neighbors, and give families the strength to make choices that protect love and dignity. Hold close those dealing with illness, mental health struggles, or grieving a loss. Surround them with caring people and the right kinds of help. For families torn by conflict, heal the hurts, soften proud hearts, and help them find ways to speak and act with respect. Make our congregation and our peers a place of welcome where no one is judged for their struggles and where we all offer support, kindness, and real friendship.

God of the human family, hear our prayers for the world.

God of mercy and justice, the world is full of division and pain. Where anger and bitterness grow between neighbors, families, or nations, teach us how to take the small first steps toward peace. Give us patience to listen, courage to admit wrong, and persistence to keep working for right relationships. Where violence or fear has driven people apart, move leaders and ordinary people to choose justice over power, compassion over revenge. Pour out your Spirit on those who are working for peace and give them safety, wisdom, and success. Protect children who live where conflict is normal; let them have places to play, learn, and grow without fear. Help us build communities that look after the vulnerable and teach every generation how to live together well.

God of the human family, hear our prayers for the world.

God of church and hope, thank you for the faith we share and for the stories, songs, and lessons passed down to us. Thank you for those who taught us to pray, for people who served quietly, and for bold leaders who faced hard choices so we could have a community of faith. Teach us how to hold on to what is good about tradition while paying attention to how your Spirit is calling us to change. Help us recognize when old ways need renewing and give us courage to try new things that honor you and serve others. Build up this church family so everyone—young and old—can find a place and a purpose. Show those with gifts how to use them and help those who are unsure to discover where they belong. Make our congregation a community that encourages dreams, supports growth, and shares the work of love together.

We pray for those among us who carry private burdens: the lonely, those struggling with identity, those battling addiction, the bullied, and those who doubt. Move us to be people who notice, reach out, and stay with others in their pain. Teach us practical ways to help and invite us into relationships that heal.

We pray also for the wider world: for leaders to act with fairness, for people to protect the earth, for schools to be places of safety and learning, and for communities to create opportunities for young people to thrive. Give vision and energy to those working for justice, health, and education. Let your kingdom of love grow through ordinary acts of compassion. Amen.

Song: We are marching/Siyahamba (639)

Sending out with God’s blessing
We have witnessed Christ, God’s Beloved, on the mountain in glory.
Now, go into the world to shine the light of his glory with grace and compassion.
May God’s beauty inspire you;
May Christ’s brilliance restore you;
And may the joy of the Holy Spirit empower you to shine in every place you go. Amen.

Response: The blessing

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 Rev. Brad Childs retains the copyright (© 2026) on all original material in this service. As far as Brad Childs is aware, all of the material that has not been attributed to others is his own creation or is in the public domain. Unacknowledged use of copyrighted material is unintentional and will be corrected immediately upon notification being received.

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

Worship on the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
10:00 am      February 08, 2026
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs     Welcoming Elder: Renita MacCallum
Music Director: Binu Kapadia     Vocalist: Linda Farrah-Basford
Children’s time presenter: Brad     Reader: Martin Sawdon

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: Just as sunrise breaks through the darkness each day,
P: So God’s grace, mercy and justice shine forth.
L: We gather, with devotion and doubt, with weariness and wonder;
P: trusting that God’s peace and love are present here.
L: Come and worship as you are, knowing you are loved.
P: We come, rejoicing, to praise God’s holy name.

Opening praise: Holy is the Lord

Prayers of approach and confession
Holy One, We confess we have treated your world as if it were ours to use up. We’ve bought without thought, driven without care, and wasted what others need. We have favoured convenience and profit over the flourishing of your creation and the well-being of our neighbours. Forgive our greed and our short-sightedness; teach us to live with restraint, gratitude, and generosity.

We confess we have made our lives small — building walls of indifference around our comfort, avoiding hard truths, and turning away from people who hurt. We have chosen silence when compassion required action, and excuses when courage was called for. Forgive our fear and apathy; fill us with your courage to speak up, to serve, and to stand with the vulnerable.

We confess our broken relationships — words we’ve said that wound, promises we’ve broken, love we’ve withheld. Too often, we compete rather than care, judge rather than listen, and hold grudges rather than seek reconciliation. Heal our hearts; help us to forgive as we have been forgiven and to seek restoration where there is hurt.

We confess how we’ve misplaced our trust — chasing status, power, or comfort instead of relying on you. We grow anxious and restless when things don’t go our way, forgetting that you are the source of life and purpose. Remind us to rest in your presence, to surrender our control, and to trust your steadying love.

We confess the small betrayals of everyday life: the moments we choose convenience over compassion, gossip over grace, self-protection over vulnerability. These add up. In your mercy, forgive us and renew us. Teach us habits of humility, justice, and care so our lives reflect your heart for the world.

Renew us by your Spirit. Shape us into a people who steward creation wisely, love our neighbours faithfully, and live courageously for the common good. Help us to follow Jesus more closely — in thought, word, and deed — that our lives might witness to your reconciling love. Amen.

Response: I will trust in the Lord

Assurance of God’s pardon
Hear the good news of the Gospel: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Let us be equally forgiving. Thanks be to God.

We listen for the voice of God

Song: Open our eyes, Lord (445)

Children’s time

There is this goofy old story I’ve heard in a couple of versions, but I like this one.

Two women were fishing in the same basic spot. One woman was a very experienced fisherperson, and the other woman was a little less so. Every time the experienced woman caught a big fish, she put it in her ice chest to keep it fresh. When she got a little fish, she threw it back in the water.

But when the less experienced woman caught a little fish she put it in a basket to take home and when she caught a big fish, she would put the big fish back in the water and let it go.

Finally, the women with all the big fish couldn’t help it. So she asked, Why do you keep putting all the best ones back?

But the other woman just shook her head in confusion. She said, “I only have a small frying pan.”

Sometimes, like the woman fishing, we throw back the big plans, big dreams we make from when we were little, like you. Sometimes we get older and give up on the big ideas, big possibilities and opportunities God gives us. A lot of the time, as we get older, our faith actually shrinks a bit. Just think how many great big fish the one woman would have taken home if she just invested in a bigger pan. Sometimes we do that with God. We push away opportunities because they seem too big or bold.

Today, I want to tell you to hold on to your big dreams, and they may just come true. Jesus said that we all need that kind of childlike faith.

Prayer

Leader: “Repeat after me.”

Leader: “Dear God,”
Kids: “Dear God,”
Leader: “Thank you for big dreams,”
Kids: “Thank you for big dreams.”
Leader: “Help us to keep believing,”
Kids: “Help us to keep believing.”
Leader: “Give us brave, childlike faith,”
Kids: “Give us brave, childlike faith.”
Leader: “Help us say yes to big chances,”
Kids: “Help us say yes to big chances.”
Leader: “Teach us to trust You every day,”
Kids: “Teach us to trust You every day.”
Leader :And now we pray the Prayer given to us by Jesus.

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Song: Jesus bids us shine (773)

Scripture readings:  Matthew 5:13-20

Minister’s Message: Light under a bowl?

What is your ministry? Are you blessed? How and why are we to be like salt and light in the world and what is all that salt talk about anyway? In way, that’s up to you. And it’s not always easy.

In his book Led by the Carpenter, D. James Kennedy writes: “A man walked into a little mom-and-pop grocery store and asked, ‘Do you sell salt?’  ‘Ha!’ said Pop, the proprietor.  ‘Do we sell salt!  Just look!’  And Pop showed the customer one entire wall stocked with nothing but salt.  Morton salt, iodized salt, kosher salt, sea salt, rock salt, garlic salt, seasoning salt, Epsom salts, Tomato and oregano infused salt… every kind imaginable.  ‘Wow!’ said the customer.  ‘You think that’s something?’ said Pop with a wave of his hand.  ‘That’s nothing!  Come look.’  Pop led the customer to a back room filled with shelves, bins, cartons, barrels, and boxes of salt.  ‘Do we sell salt!’ he said.  ‘Unbelievable!’ said the customer.  ‘You think that’s something?’ said Pop.  ‘Come! I’ll show you salt!’  Pop led the customer down some steps into a huge basement, five times as large as the previous room, filled floor to ceiling with every imaginable form, size, and shape of salt, even huge ten-pound salt licks for the cow pasture.

‘Incredible!’ said the customer. ‘You really do sell salt!’  ‘No!’ said Pop.  ‘That’s just the problem!  We never sell salt! But that salt salesman who comes here every month! Hoo-boy! Does he sell salt!’” (1001 ill, 77)

About 2000 years ago, a very special guy named Jesus, with a very un-special name “Jesus” (the single most common name for Hebrew-born boys at the time), was walking around Palestine. Matthaion Mattaius (if you were Greek) or Mattus Yahu (if you were Jewish)… (we would say Matthew) was one of his closest friends. The book that bears Matthew`s name actually claims no author, but he has been accepted as its author since the very beginning. In the last 100 years, it has become popular to doubt Matthew’s authorship, and the vast majority of scholars agree that Matthew didn’t write it; instead, it was written in the late 90’s (long after Matthew would have died). However, just a few years ago, the works of a very early church father, Papias, were found that listed Matthew as the author, and they are indisputably dated to 63AD. So… what do scholars know?

Anyway Mathew gives us a genealogy that shows Jesus to be a pretty regular guy, next he gives this outrageous story about his birth and magi coming to visit, and then gives a short story about John the baptizer, says Jesus was tempted like any other person, provides another paragraph with about Jesus calling his own disciples (a word for student-learners) and then the next thing Matthew remembers – Jesus is up on the mount giving a group of small sermons (we call them the Sermon on the Mount).

It begins with the words of the beatitudes (which is Latin for “happy), in which this peasant-teacher is telling the crowd that’s gathered that, people that feel sad, are blessed, that people that have lost someone they love can find comfort, that people who have no power will inherit a Kingdom, that people who seek peace are called “sons of God”, and that even when people are tortured for their faith that they are blessed because they should remember that the heroes of their faith (the prophets) who the people adored, were also persecuted for their faith. He tells them things that they had never heard before. In their minds, rich people were blessed; that’s why they were rich. They weren’t rich, and so they were blessed. They thought God blessed them; they were rich! But this crazy Jesus guy told them… “Blessed are the poor”!

It was absolutely wild, unheard of, shocking, life-altering things he was saying.

Today, it all just sounds so simple, and actually, when we read these words, they kind of fly past us because we’ve heard it all before. But really think about how wild this is… “Blessed are you, whom people insult, and hurl insults at”. Blessed are the people that the world makes fun of!?!

But that’s what he said. And then after he’s told all of these common, every day people that they are blessed, even if they are poor or in mourning or sick or judged or seeking justice or whatever… after he’s told them that in reality, if they’d stop to think about their lives… they’d see how blessed they truly are… then he tells them how important they are.

He says, ¹³ “You are the salt of the earth.”

You see, in Jesus’ day, salt was a precious and valuable commodity.  In a culture lacking refrigeration, it was the key preservative which allowed a thriving fishing industry to flourish.  In an age before modern drugs, it was a critical disinfectant that saved untold numbers of lives.  In a region largely devoid of high-class dining establishments, it provided a seasoning that transformed the food from distasteful to palatable.  Indeed, salt was so valuable that it was sometimes traded ounce-for-ounce with gold.  At times, Roman soldiers were even paid in salt.  In fact, the word salary is derived from the word for salt.  According to some people, if a Roman soldier didn’t do his job, he wouldn’t get all of his salt.  That’s where we get the phrase “He is not worth his salt” when someone doesn’t do a good day’s work. Now, in the Palestine of yesteryear, much of the salt came from the Dead Sea or the Yam Ha Melah, which, in Hebrew, literally means “The Sea of Salt.” It was like a pool of gold.

And this wild Jesus character says, “You are the salt of the earth.”

It’s wild. He doesn’t know that. Does he? He doesn’t know all these people! Maybe some of them were terrible. Chances are, some of them are lazy. Chances are that a few Roman soldiers were actually there that day. Perhaps they didn’t work hard at all. Maybe they were or were not said to be “worth their salt”. Maybe there were people there that day who didn’t even work at all. Maybe people who couldn’t. You know… the ones everybody thought were cursed.

And yet Jesus looks out to a crowd of people and says, You know that thing that preserves our food and keeps us from dying. That thing that takes a dull life and bland food and makes it exciting… that’s you! You are like that for this world.

You are the salt of the earth.

But then he puts a small challenge to the people. He says, “But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything-”

For those of you not terribly familiar with Palestinian geography, the Sea of Salt is more than a mile and a half below sea level.  The waters of The Sea of Galilee flow into the Jordan River and from there go to their final resting place in The Sea of Salt – the lowest land elevation on earth.  So once the water gets there, there’s no place to go.  The hot sun evaporates the water, leaving behind a chunky white powder composed of a mixture of salts and minerals.  That powder contains enough salt to season meat or to flavour soup, and that’s why people used to get their salt from The Dead Sea.  But it’s also mixed with minerals, and it’s not pure sodium chloride – it was quite an unstable compound.  When stored in a damp environment, or even when it is mixed with a bit of moisture in the air, it would frequently begin to dissipate.  That’s the surface meaning of Jesus’ word. That’s how the salt “loses its seasoning.” Jesus goes on to say (in the literal translation from the Greek), “It is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.”

But honestly, that Jesus fellow was on to something. I mean, if we are really, actually, truly blessed… then why not share that?

I don’t know if this is true. Still, as the story goes, at the 1993 annual meeting of the American Heart Association in Atlanta, Georgia, nearly 300,000 doctors, nurses, and researchers came together to discuss, among other things, the importance of low-fat diet plans in keeping our hearts healthy.

At the conference, one well-known and well-respected cardiac surgeon, Magdi Yacob, who was a guest speaker, sat down for dinner with his wife at a restaurant far from where everyone was meeting. There, he gobbled down fat-filled fast food. He had a bacon cheeseburger and large fries and even went back for seconds. Finally, his wife asked the man whether his partaking in high-fat meals set a bad example for the other doctors and the people he was speaking to. Reportedly, Dr. Yocab looked at his wife, smiled, shrugged his shoulders and said, “I took my name tag off.”(Hot Ill, 155)

It’s funny but… It’s also not. We have to practice what we preach. That’s hard.

This Jesus knows that his audience… people that don’t know him… people he doesn’t know… he knows that they are just like anybody else. And so he repeats his point with a second illustration.

He says, ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world.”

“A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.”

¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

Jesus was talking to them, but he didn’t know them. He meant everyone. He meant you. He really meant you. Let that sink in for just a second. Jesus literally meant You right there, and you and you and you and you, YOU are the light of this world. And you can’t keep it to yourself. You have to share it.

And I know what you’re thinking right now. Some of you are thinking I’m too old to start sharing my light. What can I do?

Well, to that I say this: Verdi penned his classic work “Ave Maria” at 85, Immanuel Kant (one of the most important philosophers in the last 500 years) did his best work at 74, and Michelangelo was 87 when he did the work displayed at St. Peter’s Basilica. (Best, 9) I swear to you, you are not too old. No one in this room is too old to let their light shine! Just like no one in this room is too young or too busy or too anything else for that matter, or even too unhealthy… I just saw someone in Hospice care 4 days ago, and she made me smile, think, laugh and cry all in about 8 minutes. You aren’t too old. YOU ARE NOT TOO ANYTHING to share your light.

That doesn’t mean it’s always easy.

Just before Christmas, I read this story and put it away in my file. It goes: A missionary, home on vacation, was shopping for a globe to take back to the mission to help teach the little kids. The clerk showed her a reasonably priced globe, then another with a light bulb inside. “This one is nicer,” said the clerk, pointing to the illuminated globe, “but of course, a lighted world costs more.” (1001 Ill, 75)

What truer words have ever been spoken? Being salt and light does, in fact, “cost more”. It’s not free. It will cost you something. But it’s worth it. Your ministry, whatever it is, is worth it.

I tried to track down the original author of this mission statement, but I failed. So I’m going to have to leave it as author unknown for now. But it’s rather beautiful and worth sharing. It goes like this:

The foundation of ministry is Character.
The nature of ministry is service.
The motive for ministry is love.
The measure of ministry is sacrifice.
The authority of the ministry is submission.
The purpose of ministry is the glory of God.
The tools of ministry are the Word of God, prayer, and you.
The privilege of ministry is growth.
The power of ministry is the Holy Spirit,
And the model for ministry is Jesus Christ. (184)

Before I end today, I want to point out one more thing. Jesus says that you are to share your salt and your light with the world. He asks why a person would light a lamp and then hide it. If we have something good to share, why hold it? And that’s a good question. Because I hide it sometimes. I think I shy away from it. And yet, Jesus never says that sharing it is what gives you your worth. In fact, Jesus never says that you gain anything by your sharing. Instead, he says that people will see the father in you. The idea is that you get no glory – God does. But he never promises us gain. He also never promises to add blessings to you.

And he would never say that!

Because to him, you are already Salt. You are already light. There are no conditions. And you are already, no matter how normal or lowly you think you are, blessed.

No matter what you do or don’t with this message. You are Salt and Light in this world. And you should never put your light under a bowl. Shine.  – Amen

Song: In Christ alone  

We respond to serve God.

Our time of giving

Prayers of thanksgiving and intercession

Thanksgiving for Offerings

Gracious God, we thank you for the gifts placed in our hands and before your altar. These offerings are signs of your generosity at work among us — resources, time, and trust returned for the work of your kingdom. Use them to feed the hungry, shelter the vulnerable, welcome the stranger, and proclaim your love in word and deed. Multiply what we offer and shape us by giving, that our lives might reflect your compassion and justice. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayers of the People

United in hope and guided by your Spirit, we bring our prayers before you.

– For the church worldwide: that we may be faithful stewards of your gospel, bold in witness, humble in service, and united in love. Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.

– For leaders of nations, communities, and institutions: grant wisdom, integrity, and a spirit of justice, that policies and decisions protect the vulnerable and promote the common good. Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.

– For those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit: bring healing, comfort, and courage to the sick, the grieving, the lonely, and the depressed. (We name before you those in need…) Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.

– For our neighbourhood and environment: teach us to care for creation, to reduce harm, and to share resources fairly so future generations may thrive. Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.

– For families, workplaces, and schools: strengthen relationships, mend what is broken, and inspire compassion and respect among people of all ages. Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.

– For those who are persecuted for faith or conscience: grant protection, endurance, and the reassurance of your presence. Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.

– For our congregation’s ministries and ministries we support: bless the work of feeding, teaching, comforting, and reconciling. Guide our generosity and our hands to serve. Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.

– For ourselves: give us repentance where we have failed, boldness to love our neighbours, and patience to wait on your timing. Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.

Hear us, O God, as we commend all these prayers to you, trusting in your mercy through Jesus Christ, our Saviour. Amen.

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

Sending out with God’s blessing

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Response: The blessing

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 (© 2026) on all original material in this service. As far as Brad Childs is aware, all of the material that has not been attributed to others is his own creation or is in the public domain. Unacknowledged use of copyrighted material is unintentional and will be corrected immediately upon notification being received.

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

Worship on PWS&D and Communion Sunday
10:00 am      February 01, 2026
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs     Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Vivian Houg     Welcoming Elder: Gina Kottke
Reader: Corrie Fort

We gather to worship God.

Music prelude

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

Lighting of the Christ candle
Welcome and announcements
Preparation for worship

Call to worship:
L: God calls us to seek justice:
P: Let Christ’s love for the poor and hungry fill the earth.
L: God calls us to show kindness,
P: Let Christ’s light shine in places of brokenness and despair.
L: God calls us to walk humbly in the Spirit,
P: Let us join the work of the kingdom in humility and hope.
L: Called, blessed and inspired, let us worship God together.

Opening praise: Love the Lord your God

Prayers of approach and confession

God, it’s me, again, and I can’t avoid the truth: I have wandered. I chase the world’s applause, the quick fixes, the shiny promises of comfort and status, and I keep choosing them even when they hollow me out and wound the people I love. I’ve turned my back on your steady voice and the hard demands of your Word whenever they cost me what I want.

I pass by neighbours who are hurting because I don’t want the trouble. I dodge the awkward, painful conversations about injustice because it’s easier to stay comfortable. I stay silent when my voice could protect someone vulnerable. I cling to being right to feed my pride instead of seeking your truth. Fear keeps me small and safe when love asks for risk.

I’m sorry for putting my plans before yours, for squandering the time, gifts, and resources you gave me. I confess I’ve treated people like inconveniences, obstacles, or stepping stones instead of your dearly loved image-bearers. I’ve loved control more than connection, convenience more than courage.

Forgive me. Break the habits that harden my heart. Give me a new heart that feels what hurts others, that chooses mercy over ease, truth over pride, action over indifference. Teach me to listen, to speak up, to bear the cost of love. Shape my daily choices so they point back to you and draw me toward the people you call me to serve. Amen.

Response: I will trust in the Lord

Assurance of God’s pardon

Breathe in this promise: God’s Spirit renews the heart, heals wounds, and gives strength for the next right step. Grace covers the past, steadies the present, and opens a future of hope. You are loved, forgiven, and entrusted again with mercy to share. Amen.

We listen for the voice of God.

Song: Blest are they  (624: vs 1-4)

Scripture readings: Micah 6:1-8 & Matthew 5:1-12

Response: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet 

Message: What the Lord Requires
Saying that we will live by rules of justice, mercy and humility is easier than doing it. Often, we try to craft our own laws so they work out better for us. Yet there is no substitute for a life lived and measured by scripture. Justice, mercy and humility prevail, but only if we seek to define these things by His Word and not our own.

We don’t really talk about Micah that often, despite the fact that. Micah is a wonderful book. He focuses on social justice, denouncing economic oppression, land grabs, extortion, neglect of people with low incomes, and calling for practical faith at work. He indites kings, officials, priests, prophets, judges, politicians, religious workers, and more. He saw corruption everywhere, and he wasn’t wrong.

He was one of the so-called “minor prophets,” a term that doesn’t describe his position but only the brevity of his message. But a shot is sometimes sweet, isn’t it? Sometimes it’s better to get the quick version. That’s what Micah wrote. He was furious because his family, his land, his neighbours, his government, everyone seemed to be corrupt. It’s an old truth that resonates with today.

Micah was born about 7 hundred years before Jesus. He was from Moresheth, a bordering Philistine territory in Gath, about 35 kilometres southwest of Jerusalem, in the present-day Israel-controlled territory. His last name (or his father’s name) isn’t given, so Micah is likely from a standard family line and not famous or generally known. His concern is for the working poor. Claims the people follow idols, exploit the poor, governments devour their own people, the state is corrupt, rulers, priests, and prophets are all involved. People use the sacrifices to “buy” God’s favour. People have famously donated “rivers of oil” and “10,000 rams”, but also child sacrifice as well. Instead, God wants a true living faith.

The prophet Micah’s indictment sets the moral stage: a people whose public worship and private lives are at odds with one another. To see the gap between appearance and reality, consider concrete examples of flawed moral codes and their consequences.

Micah proclaims judgment because he sees a society under strain: Assyrian threats and internal economic pressures have produced widespread injustice:  land seizures, debt slavery, extortion of labourers, and the enrichment of rulers and priests at the poor’s expense. At the same time, religious life has become ritual without righteousness: costly sacrifices and public piety mask collusion between political and spiritual leaders. Out of this mix of social abuse and religious hypocrisy, Micah calls for a return to genuine covenant faith, justice, mercy, and humility, rather than empty offerings.

Dennis Lee Curtis was arrested for stealing in 1992 in Rapid City, SD. In his wallet, the police found a sheet of paper with the following code of conduct.

1. I will not kill anyone unless I have to.
2. I will take cash and food stamps, but no checks.
3. I will rob only at night.
4. I will not wear a mask.
5. I will not rob mini marts or 7-Eleven stores.
6. If I get chased by cops on foot, I will get away. If chased by a vehicle, I will not put the lives of innocent civilians on the line.
7. I will rob only seven months out of the year.
8. I will enjoy robbing the rich.

Curtis had a sense of morality, but it was indeed flawed. When the thief stood before the court, he was not judged by the standards he had set for himself, but by a higher law. Likewise, when we stand before God, we will not be judged by the code of morality we have written for ourselves, but by God’s law. Will we be just? (1001 Ill. pg484)

Curtis’s self-styled rules show a minimal, self-serving “ethic”, better than chaos, but far from true justice. Personal codes cannot substitute for a higher, communal standard that honours the vulnerable.

If private rules fall short, what does genuine justice look like? Historical examples of disciplined, God-centered living point to a different model: one grounded in humility, accountability, and devotion.

Jonathan Edwards, the 18th-century revivalist sat down at age 17 and penned 21 resolutions by which he would live his life. He added to this list until, by the time of his death, he had 70 resolutions. He put this at the top of his list. Being sensible that I am unable to do everything and anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat Him by His grace to enable me to keep the following resolutions. To follow up each week, Edwards did a self-check. He regularly summarized how he was doing and sought God’s help in his process. (1001 Hot Ill. Pg.405)

Committed practices and personal accountability can cultivate justice, but a life of right action also requires compassion. Without mercy, even disciplined faith can harden into judgment.

Love the story from Gordon McDonald who teaches at Grace Chapel in Lexington, MA? He says. Years ago, I flew to Minneapolis to speak at a conference at the Minneapolis Convention Center, near downtown. My taxi stopped at a red light 4 cars back from the crosswalk. I noticed a homeless man lurching between the vehicles in the middle of the street. When he got to the front of the taxi, he fell and landed on his chin. His chin split open, and there was blood all over the place. As I looked at this man 6 feet away, these thoughts went through my head.

One: I have a brand-new suit on that Gale just bought me, and I can’t afford to get it messed up.

Two: I have to get to the Convention Center to speak in 15 minutes.

Three:  I’m in a strange city, and I don’t know what to do because

Four: I don’t have any medical training and wouldn’t be much help.

I wonder if underneath there was a fifth thought. Perhaps if you didn’t get so drunk, you wouldn’t need so much help. For a few seconds, those thoughts militated against any movement on my part. Before I could come to my senses, others rushed to a man’s side, and I was able to get back into my taxi and go to the Convention Center, where I was speaking about sensitivity and caring for the needs of other human beings. I was relieved to be on time. Isn’t that stupid? Gordon McDonald. (1001 Hot Ill. Pg. 185).

A momentary failure to act on compassion contrasts sharply with stories of deliberate mercy. The choice to forgive or pity reveals the heart beneath religious routines.

You may remember Matthew Shepard. It was a very famous case. His murder is the reason for much of the Hate Crime legislation in the US. It’s a complicated story marred by the revelations in 2020 that the event was not likely motivated by hate at all, but was a drug deal and mugging gone wrong, as Matthew had been involved with at least one of the men prior. At the time, it was understood to have been a lynching where Matthew was targeted because he made a sexual advance towards his soon-to-be killer. That much appears true. And no matter the amount of targeting, Matthews’s story is painfully sad when Matthews’s beaten body was found.

He was comatose. The person who saw him first believed him to be a scarecrow stuffed with straw. The parents of Matthew Shepard, the young gay man who was murdered in Wyoming in 1998, rejoiced over the guilty verdict of the Laramie jury. Handed down to Matthew’s murderers in November of 1999. It was justice. The judge told a packed courtroom that the jury’s verdict showed true courage and sent a message that violence is not a solution to differing views on orientation. Courtroom observers were not prepared for what Dennis and Judy Shepard did next. After waiting 13 months for guilty verdicts for their sons’ killers, Matthew Shepard’s parents asked the judge to spare the lives of Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson by granting them consecutive life sentences, instead of the death penalty. The family brokered the deal, and their words saved Aaron and Russell. Carl Rucha, who prosecuted the case, said the Shepards could look into the eyes of the men who killed their son and grant them mercy. (1001 Hot Ill. Pg. 92)

Mercy flows from a spirit that recognizes human worth and fallibility. Yet compassion must be paired with humility; otherwise, religious displays can become prideful performances.

The pastor walked into his church and, suddenly, felt an overwhelming sense of holiness. He went to the front, knelt at an altar rail and began to beat himself on the chest, crying out. Ohh, Lord, I am nothing, I am nothing. Moments later, the minister of music entered the church, and she, too, felt the overwhelming presence of God. And so knelt beside the pastor, striking her chest and calling out, O Lord, I am nothing, I am nothing. And one by one, other staff members entered the Minister of Recreation, the Minister of Education and more. Who all melt, bemoaning their nothingness before the Almighty in simple humility. The church custodian also got caught up in the revival, beating his chest and saying, “Oh, Lord, I am nothing, I am nothing, I am nothing, I am nothing.” And just then, the pastor looked up, saw the janitor, and nudged the minister of music, saying, well, well, look who thinks he’s nothing. (1001 Hot Ill. Pg. 212)

Mocking or competitive humility reveals how easily pride masquerades as piety. True humility, however, is sacrificial and formative, illustrated by lives that give themselves for others and by reflective definitions that ground the disposition.

Albert Durr was the son of a Hungarian Goldsmith; He created the famous painting known as Praying Hands. A version of it made from embroidery used to sit in my living room when I was a child, and then later on the wall of the basement. Well, Albert was studying art. He and his best friend roomed together. The meagre income that they earned on the side did not meet their living expenses. So, Albert suggested that he return to work and earn the income both of them needed while his friend Purdue pursued his artistic studies. When his friend had finished, Albert would then continue his studies while his friend provided support. His friend liked the plan but insisted that Albert be the first to go to work.

Albert became a skilled artist and engraver after selling wood engravings. One day, Albert announced that he was ready to begin supporting his friend in his studies. However, because of all of the hard manual labour, his friend’s hands were now so swollen that he could no longer hold the brush, let alone. Use it with great skill. His career as an artist was over. His friend’s suffering deeply saddened Albert.

One day, when he returned to their room, he heard his friend praying and saw his friend’s hands held in a reverent posture. At that moment, Albert was inspired to create. The painting, Praying Hands. His friends’ lost skill could never be restored, but through this picture, Albert Durr felt that he could express his love and appreciation for his friend’s self-sacrifice. Albert hoped that such a picture could inspire others to appreciate similar acts of self-sacrifice. Selfless deeds done for others may receive public attention, but they will often have an eternal impact as well. In 1 John 3:16, it says this is how we know what love is. Jesus Christ laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for others. (Uncommon Book of Worship pg. 105)

Humility is that habitual quality whereby we live in the truth of things, the truth that we are creatures and not creators, the truth that our life is a composite of good and evil, light and darkness, the truth that in our littleness we have been given. Extravagant dignity. Humility is saying a radical yes to the human condition. (1001 Hot Ill. Pg. 502)  When humility, justice, and mercy are lived out together, the result can be astonishing: forgiveness that mirrors God’s own grace and transforms communities.

On February 2nd, 2006, Charles Carl Roberts barricaded himself inside the W Nickel Mines Amish School, after murdering 5 young girls and wounding six others. Roberts committed suicide. It was a dark day for the Amish community of West Nickel Mines, but it was also a dark day for Marie Roberts, the wife of the gunman, and her two young children. On the following Saturday, Marie went to her husband’s funeral. She and her children watched in amazement as Amish families, about half of the 75 mourners present, came and stood beside them. In the midst of their blinding grief, despite the horrific crimes the man had committed against them, the Amish came to mourn Charles Carl Roberts, a husband and daddy. Bruce Porter, a fire department chaplain who attended the service, was profoundly moved, stating, “It’s the love, the heartfelt forgiveness they have towards the family.” I broke down, cried, and put it all on display. He said Mary Roberts was also touched. She was deeply moved by the love shown (USA TODAY, October 7th, 2006).

Song: You Lord are both lamb and shepherd (356)

We respond to serve God.

Our time of giving

Prayers of thanksgiving and intercession
Blessed are you, Holy God,
You free those who are trapped and feed the hungry.
Keep us longing for your justice and your ways.
May everyone in need find hope in you.

Merciful God, thank you for your forgiveness.
You forgive us and call us to forgive others.
Touch those who carry anger or despair with your healing grace.
Give us the courage to bring peace and reconciliation when relationships break.

Just God, thank you for your care for the oppressed.
You watch over those who suffer and call your people to act for good.
Bless the work of your church and partners who defend dignity and fairness.
Protect everyone living with violence or without enough to live on.

Comforting God, thank you for your presence in our weakness.
You lift us when we fall and hold us when we hurt.
Bless our community as we care for one another.
Surround those who mourn with your love and the hope we have in Christ.

God of new life, thank you for your Spirit that renews and strengthens.
You give courage to the persecuted and hope to the weary.
Bless our efforts to make a difference together in Jesus’ name.
Unite your Church by your Spirit and equip us with the gifts you give through Christ. Amen.

Passing the peace

The Sacrament of Holy Communion

Invitation

Jesus welcomes all who hunger for grace. Come to this table,  whether you’re certain of your faith or still searching, whether you feel whole or broken, and receive bread and cup as signs of God’s forgiveness, love, and presence. If you prefer to remain seated, you are invited to pray and receive God’s blessing with us. Come, let us share the life Christ gives.

Song: Here is bread: here is wine (546)

The Communion Prayer

Holy God, Creator of heaven and earth, we praise you. You formed the world in wisdom and love, breathed life into us, and called us to be your people. You have been faithful through every age, guiding, sustaining, correcting, and redeeming us.

We give you thanks for Jesus Christ, your Son, our Savior. In him, you became one of us, living among the poor and the outcast, healing the sick, confronting injustice, and calling sinners to new life.

On the night he was betrayed, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to his friends, saying, “This is my body, given for you.” After supper, he took the cup, offered thanks, and said, “This cup is the new covenant sealed in my blood, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.” We remember his life, his death, and his rising, and we proclaim the mystery of our faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

Pour out your Holy Spirit upon these gifts of bread and wine, that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ. Make them for us the means of grace through which we are fed and healed, forgiven and restored. Unite us to Christ and to one another, that we may be one living body, sharing in his life and love.

We pray for your Church around the world: for those who lead, those who serve, and those who search for you. Strengthen our witness and deepen our compassion so that justice and mercy flow from our life together. Bless the work of ministries that feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, heal the sick, and speak for the voiceless.

We remember before you those who suffer: the oppressed, the grieving, the lonely, the sick, and all who live under threat and hardship. Bring your comfort, your peace, and your relief. Give courage to the fearful, hope to the discouraged, and provision to the needy.

We commend to your care those we love but see no longer, trusting in the promise of new life in Christ. Keep us faithful, sustain us by your Spirit, and shape us into a people who embody your reconciling love in the world.

All praise and honour belong to you, Holy God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer (sung 469)

Sharing of the Bread and Wine

Song:  Eat this bread (527)

Prayer after Communion

Gracious God, thank you for this meal and the gift of Christ’s presence with us. Fill us now with your Spirit so we may carry this love into the world. Strengthen our faith, open our hearts to one another, and give us the courage to serve with justice and compassion. Guide our steps until we meet again, living as witnesses to your grace. Amen.

Song: When the poor ones (762)

Sending out with God’s blessing

May the God of justice strengthen your will to serve.

May the Christ of compassion inspire your heart to love.

May the Holy Spirit walk with you in wisdom this day and always.

Response: The blessing

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 (© 2026) on all original material in this service. As far as Brad Childs is aware, all of the material that has not been attributed to others is his own creation or is in the public domain. Unacknowledged use of copyrighted material is unintentional and will be corrected immediately upon notification being received.

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

Worship on the Third Sunday after the Epiphany
10:00 am    January 25, 2026
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs     Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist & Welcoming Elder: Lynn Vaughan
Children’s time: Brad     Reader: Saber Fort

Prayer with the Elders: Gracious and loving God, we gather before You in humble gratitude. As elders called to lead, we ask Your presence among us: fill our hearts with Your Spirit, steady our minds, and make us attentive to Your word. Bless those who are weary, heal those who are suffering, comfort those who mourn, and renew hope in the anxious and the discouraged. Grant wisdom to our leaders and servants, guide every prayer and song offered here, and shape our lives to reflect Your love. Forgive our failings, unite us in compassion, and empower us to serve our neighbours faithfully. Bless this time of worship that it may deepen our faith, strengthen our community, and send us forth to live as Your faithful people. In Your holy name we pray. Amen.

We gather to worship God

Music prelude

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

Lighting of the Christ candle
Welcome and announcements
Preparation for worship

Call to worship:
L: The Lord is our light and salvation.
P: We will not be afraid.
L: Behold the beauty of the Lord!
P: God will shelter us on any day of trouble and set us high upon a rock.
L: Let God’s people shout for joy!
P: For Christ calls us and claims us as his own.
L: Come and worship in unity and love; let us rejoice together!

Opening praise: This I believe

Prayers of approach and confession

Gracious God, You are our light in the dark and the steady hand that guides us. You are our peace when life is chaotic, and your grace meets us when we fall. You bring healing to weary bodies and hopeful renewal to worn-out hearts. You are love—unconditional, patient, and present. In moments when tears blur our vision and doubts creep in, you send comfort and courage that quiet our fears. You invite us into lives of purpose, asking us to walk the path of justice, speak truth with humility, and choose goodness even when it’s costly. For your steady presence, your patient leading, and the ways you shape us into more loving people, we offer our praise and our gratitude.

Merciful God, You call us into compassion, yet we so often point fingers instead of listening. You teach us peace, but we cling to grudges and build walls between one another. You ask us to trust—to step forward when you call us—but fear and second-guessing keep us stuck. We confess how easy it is to protect ourselves rather than to show up for others. Forgive our smallness, our rush to judge, our unwillingness to be changed. Help us practice mercy in our words and actions. Remind us that unity doesn’t mean uniformity, and that real peace requires honest work and brave humility. Strengthen our hearts so we can take the risks love asks of us: to forgive, to listen, to serve, and to speak truth in kindness. Teach us to live out your justice with compassion, to hold fast to hope, and to trust you more than our anxieties. May our lives reflect your mercy and bring healing to the places we touch. Amen.

Response: Glory, glory hallelujah

Assurance of God’s pardon
God calls to us in love and forgiveness, and welcomes us in with a warm embrace. Hear the good news of the Gospel. Rejoice that in Christ we are forgiven, and be at peace with God, yourself and with each other.

We listen for the voice of God

Song: Jesus we are gathered    

Children’s time

There is a legend I want to tell you. It goes like this:

When Alexander the Great was King and set out from Macedonia and Greece to conquer the Mediterranean world, he received a message during one of his campaigns about a soldier of his who was misbehaving in a way that was harming the reputation of all the Greek troops. When Alexander the Great heard about this man, he sent word that he wanted to speak with the soldier in person.

When the young man arrived at the tent of Alexander the Great, the commander asked him for his name.

“My name is Alexander, sir”, came the reply.

Alexander the Great asked the soldier again, “What is your name?”

“Alexander, sir”, came the reply again.

And for a third time, Alexander the Great asked the question, What is your name?”

Now very fearful, the soldier answered a third time, “Alexander, sir”.

And with that, Alexander the Great walked up only inches from the soldier’s face and said, “Soldier, either change your behavior or change your name”.

Matthew 5:16 says, Let your light shine before all people that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. If we call ourselves Christians, Christ’s resurrection is in our hands. If we claim His name as ours, we need to back it up in how we live.

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Song: The church is wherever God’s people (484)

Scripture readings: Isaiah 9:1-14; Psalm 27:1, 4-9; 1 Corinthians 1:10-18

Response: Behold the Lamb of God            

Message: A house divided.
This week’s message focuses on unity in the church in Corinth and how that unity and division relate to us today.

Imagine a bustling international port city today, think a modern Singapore or Dubai on steroids. Ships from every corner of the empire dock, unloading goods, ideas, and people. Wealth flows in, markets boom, and the population swells rapidly. But beneath the prosperity lies tension: newcomers from dozens of cultures clash over customs, loyalties, and status. Lawsuits are filed constantly, personal freedom reigns supreme, and social hierarchies are rigid; wealthy patrons hold disproportionate power, while the rest scramble for scraps.

That was ancient Corinth in the mid-first century AD. Julius Caesar re-founded the city as a Roman colony in 44 BC, settling it with freed slaves, veterans, and merchants. By the time Paul wrote his first letter (around AD 53–55, perhaps just a decade or so later), Corinth had exploded into a thriving metropolis of perhaps 80,000–100,000 people. Its strategic location on the isthmus saved traders massive time and money. Yet morally and socially, it was chaotic, a melting pot where “anything goes” as long as Caesar got his taxes. The culture prized individual liberty, persuasive speech, and climbing the social ladder. Lawsuits were almost a national sport.

Into this whirlwind stepped the young church. Paul had planted it during his second missionary journey, but reports soon reached him, via “Chloe’s household”, of serious problems. The believers were fracturing. In today’s passage (1 Corinthians 1:10-13), Paul pleads urgently:

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household, have informed me that there are quarrels among you… What I mean is this: One of you says, ‘I follow Paul’; another, ‘I follow Apollos’; another, ‘I follow Cephas’; still another, ‘I follow Christ.’”

Paul uses the Greek word “schismata” (divisions), like political factions or rival political parties. In Roman society, such cliques were common: align with a powerful patron and gain influence. But Paul says, “Not here. Not in Christ’s church.” As Jesus said, “A house divided cannot stand”.

Why did this happen? Corinth’s culture seeped in. The city was home to elite rhetoricians and teachers who prized eloquent speech, feats of memory, and persuasive power. Sophists—travelling experts in rhetoric—would wow crowds with memorized speeches or entire plays, charging fees to train the ambitious. When Paul arrived, humble and tent-making, refusing patronage money, he didn’t fit the mould. Apollos, by contrast, was eloquent, fervent, and skilled in debate (Acts 18:24-28). Peter (Cephas) had apostolic authority. So the church splintered into personality cults: “Paul’s my guy—he started it.” “Apollos is better—he’s a master speaker.” “Peter’s the real deal.” And some, thinking themselves superior, said, “No, *I* follow Christ alone”. And we might be tempted to say, “Well, what’s wrong with that? Those people get it.” We all follow Christ; that’s Paul’s point. But it seems these folks were doing it arrogantly, still making it “me vs. you.” By saying, “I follow Christ,” they were attempting to stand out and belittle others through their superiority. It’s one of those “I am the REAL Christian” sort of statements.

This wasn’t just preference; it echoed the world’s divisions: rich vs. poor (remember how the wealthy hogged the Lord’s Supper?), status vs. lowly, insider vs. outsider. Old habits die hard. The Corinthians wanted Christ’s benefits without transformation, Christianity as an add-on to their existing loyalties.

Think of the parable of the man who found a priceless pearl. He sold everything to buy it, but imagine he tried to keep his old house, his old job, his old grudges, saying, “I’ll take the pearl, but only if I can hang onto these too.” The pearl’s value demands total surrender. Half-hearted commitment misses the point.

Or consider a modern example: family reunions where old rivalries flare up. One side clings to “our way,” another to “their way,” and soon everyone’s in factions. The gathering that should unite becomes a battlefield. That’s what Paul saw in Corinth, and what can creep into any church.

Paul cuts through it: “Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?” No! The cross unites us under one Saviour. Baptism marks us as one body. The church isn’t a club for favourite preachers or social climbing. It’s the family of God, where we lay down personal agendas for the good of the whole.

I know I’ve told this story before, but it’s worth telling again. Once upon a time, long ago and far away, Otto the Conqueror reigned over his people. Known for his erratic behaviour and brutality, Otto was so busy conquering new territory for his country that he had no time to find a wife. When his advisors became concerned that Otto had not married, and would therefore produce no heir to the throne, Otto commanded his men to find him a suitable wife who was beautiful, intelligent, and a nobleman’s daughter.

And so Sophia was discovered, in a land across the sea. Her father, a convert to Christianity (and a previously self-described “terrible man”), now very much changed and loved by his family and his people, required but one thing. The daughter’s royal husband he said must be a baptized Christian (the faith that took his former behavior away and helped him to become something wholly new). From that he thought, everything else would take care of itself. After meeting with Sophia’s father Otto was oddly struck by his kindness and gentle heart. And after seeing the amazing heart of Sophia and her father, Otto the Conqueror agreed to become a Christian and then Otto set out to marry his bride, accompanied by five hundred of his best warriors who were there as always to keep him safe.

When they arrived (for the baptism and wedding) in Sophia’s land, Otto was promptly baptized—whereupon his loyal warriors demanded that they, too, be baptized. Though most likely born of devotion to the king than Christ, it was a strange yet moving scene. There was only one problem: it was a custom in Sophia’s gentle and peace-loving land that Christian converts could not be professional soldiers (but belong only to the ranks meant for defense). At this news, the warriors doubted they could ever follow their king in Christian baptism.

But when the next morning came, the men told Sophia and Otto’s family, that they were all, every last one, ready to convert. As the story goes… That day, five hundred warriors marched out into the water to be baptized. But before they lowered themselves into the water to fulfill the Christian rite, all of them drew their swords, lifting them high into the air. Those who watched were dumbstruck by the strange and previously unseen spectacle of five hundred dry arms rising up high out of the water, grasping five hundred swords while the men were dunking themselves in the cool, crisp water.

All the warriors were baptized completely, except for their swords and their fighting arms.

You see, the night before, the soldiers had met and talked and debated and finally had decided… they could give all of themselves to this Christ they had heard about… all except for their fighting arms and their swords. These they said, would remain the possession of the state.

The Corinthians had a similar view. They believed that they could hold on to everything they already believed, be unchanged, and yet still be Christians. But you can’t. You can’t be completely unchanged.

We’re not so different. We bring our preferences, our comforts, our “non-negotiables.” We dip into the waters of faith but keep one arm raised, clutching what we won’t release—maybe pride, grudges, materialism, or the need to be right. We want God’s blessings on “our” terms.

Yet Paul urges in Romans 12:1: “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.” Wholehearted surrender. No partial immersion.

The church thrives when we choose unity over division: listening more than arguing, serving more than status-seeking, focusing on Christ more than personalities. When we do, the watching world sees something different, not another faction, but one family under one Lord.

Two questions to carry home:

1. What are you still holding high above the water—refusing to let the cross touch it fully?
2. What small step this week could you take to heal a division or build unity instead of adding to it?

Let’s pray we all lower that arm, fully immersed in Christ, together as one. Amen.

Song: We are God’s people (472: vss 1,3,4)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving
Dayspring is empowered to carry out our mission of worship, service, and care by generously given volunteer time, talent, and treasure. Many thanks to all who give so generously!

Prayers of thanksgiving and intercession

God — the ground of our life, the presence in every breath and step — we come before you asking for peace, unity, justice, and mercy across this fragile world you’ve given us. We hold before you now people who live day by day under the shadow of war and violence: cities and neighbourhoods where routine has been shredded, families forced apart, children learning fear as if it were normal. We think of places in the headlines where old grievances flare into new suffering and where ordinary life is interrupted by the logic of retaliation. Speak a word of peace into those broken places. Soften hardened hearts, restrain the impulse to escalate, and give leaders wisdom shaped by compassion rather than conquest.

We bring to you those burdened by economic uncertainty: people watching prices climb faster than paychecks, parents deciding which bills to pay, workers who have lost steady work or watched savings evaporate. For small business owners who pour themselves into something only to see it fail, for renters who fear eviction and for those whose dignity is threatened by dependence, pour out your presence. Make creative, just solutions possible — inspire communities to share resources, protect the vulnerable, and rebuild opportunities so people can live with security and hope.

We remember those crushed by discrimination, harassment, and exclusion — students bullied for the way they speak or dress, employees passed over or demeaned, people made to shrink themselves so others will feel comfortable. For anyone made ashamed of who they are or denied basic respect, speak dignity into their lives. Help us dismantle systems and attitudes that normalize contempt. Teach us to listen, to stand with the marginalized, and to act so that every person can walk freely in the truth of their identity.

We lift up those who face illness, chronic pain, delays in care, or the hollow ache of grief. For people waiting for tests and answers, for those who endure disability without adequate support, for caregivers stretched to their limit, we ask for strength, clarity, and tender relief. Let healing — in whatever form it comes — touch bodies and minds. Give endurance where cure is not immediate, consolation where loss is raw, and reliable care for those too often left on the margins.

We pray for people of many faiths and none, seeking dialogue, mutual respect, and cooperation. For congregations and individuals who risk relationship across creed lines, bless those efforts and deepen understanding. Where fear of the other closes doors, open ways of hospitality and shared service so neighbors of different convictions can build the common good together.

We commit before you the whole creation — land, sea, air, and every living thing — wounded by neglect, pollution, and short-term choices. Teach us practical wisdom: to mend the rips in the world’s fabric, to steward resources justly, and to model restraint and care so future generations inherit abundance rather than scarcity. Give us imagination to pursue policies and daily habits that protect what is vulnerable.

Voice a word of peace, dignity, healing, reconciliation, and wisdom into these situations. Embrace us and all your children with a love that moves us from prayer into action: to comfort, to advocate, to repair, and to share abundance. Shape our hands and our decisions so we become instruments of the care and justice you call us to live. Amen.

Song: We are one in the Spirit (471)

Sending out with God’s blessing

Go into the world to live out the gift of unity in Christ, eager to serve and open to learn from the Christ who calls us and sets us free. May the love of God, the peace of Christ and unity in the Holy Spirit be yours now and always.  Amen

Response: God to enfold you

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 Rev. Brad Childs retains the copyright (© 2026) on all original material in this service. As far as Brad Childs is aware, all of the material that has not been attributed to others is his own creation or is in the public domain. Unacknowledged use of copyrighted material is unintentional and will be corrected immediately upon notification being received.

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