Living Hope

Posted on April 12, 2026April 12, 2026 by John

Worship on the Second Sunday of Easter
Recognition Service for R&S Out of School Care
10:00 am April 12, 2026
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalists: Sam and Ann May Malayang Elder: Iris Routledge
Reader: Dylan Mohammed

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: All things of God, all the heavens,
P: Worship and praise your Maker
L: Sun, moon and stars; wind, rain and thunder,
P: Worship and praise your Maker
L: Mountains and forests, streams and waterfalls.’
P: Worship and praise your Maker
L: Creatures beneath the sea, birds throughout the skies, all that leaps or crawls, all who walk or worry or wonder,
P: Let us worship and praise our Maker together.

Opening praise: This is amazing grace

Prayers of approach and confession

God of new life and fresh beginnings, the Risen Christ came to his frightened friends and spoke words of deep peace right into their chaos and fear. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the way you keep strengthening my faith, even when doubts creep in. Thank you for offering me that same peace, not as a general idea, but as something I can lean into day by day as I live in you. In the quiet moments and the noisy ones, your presence calms my racing thoughts and reminds me I am never alone.

I am so grateful that you give me courage when my fears feel overwhelming, and my struggles threaten to pull me under. You give me patience when the path ahead is foggy and uncertain, when I can’t see the next step, no matter how hard I try. And you build resilience in me so I can face the changing realities of life without losing hope. Lord, shape me more and more into someone who can be a living source of that same peace and resilience for the people around me, for my family, my friends, my coworkers, and even strangers who cross my path. Do this in me for Christ’s sake, so my life might quietly point others to you.

Loving God. My Father is no longer here, this side of paradise. Yet you are my compassionate Father forever here, just as you were to my own dad. And as a father myself, I know what it is to worry.

I feel that I understand day by day and more and more what the word “father” really means. And I fall short.

I want to act as a parent. I want to be there. I want to do better. I want to turn others to you.

My heart breaks for the many places of brokenness in our world today. I think especially of people weighed down by heavy economic pressures, those who lie awake at night worrying about bills, jobs, or providing for their families. I pray for those who feel trampled in the relentless search for prosperity, left behind or pushed aside in a world that often values success over people.

I want to pray specifically for the People of Iran. The people and the government are not the same thing. The government ignored you. The people need you. Actually, everyone in the world needs you. And I pray that any unprovoked aggression against you would fail. Only those who suppress the people of Iran and the movements of the people should face opposition (and in that, not deadly but conversational). I pray for a world where nations reason with each other, and reason prevails.

I lift up communities and relationships strained by sharp disagreements over policies, politics, and opinions. So many voices feel unheard, dismissed, or ignored, and that pain runs deep. I also pray for our earth itself, groaning under the weight of human activity, its beauty and balance threatened in ways that scare me. I remember with gratitude those who work tirelessly to protect its future, scientists, activists, farmers, and everyday people making small, faithful choices.

I don’t wish to assign morality in places where communities are still fighting to figure things out. But I certainly want to say that over the last decades of my life I have been far too judgmental about other people for their crimes, their acting out, their sex, their sexuality, their circumstances, probably their religions and skin and the histories of their lands and maybe not so much just them… though I tend to think I treat people fairly.

Maybe I’m good at it. But I still suspect I fail from time to time because that’s just logical and almost certainly true.

Gracious God, I feel as if we might all be in the same boat. Please pour out your gifts of real hope and deep healing on this hurting planet and on all its peoples. Where there is despair, bring renewed possibility. Where there is division, sow seeds of understanding. Where there is damage, begin the long work of restoration, starting even in my own small choices each day.

Faithful God, steady and true, I pray for those who carry pain or disappointment from their experiences with the church. Some have been hurt by judgment, exclusion, or silence when they needed grace the most. Open their hearts again to your unconditional love and healing grace so that any wounds the church has caused can begin to mend.

At the same time, guide me and all of us with your wise and gentle Spirit. Help us live out our faith in ways that create open pathways for others to find you, rather than accidental barriers that push people away. Show me how to listen better, love more humbly, and speak with kindness instead of defensiveness.

I pray especially for my own congregation, for The Presbyterian Church in Canada, and for the whole Church of Jesus Christ in every country, culture, and context. In these challenging days of shifting culture and deep questions, strengthen our trust in you. Deepen our genuine concern for others, especially those who feel far from you. Give us humble ears to truly hear the correction we need and soften our hearts with the overwhelming grace of the Risen Christ so we can grow and change.

We also pray for ourselves, our families, our friends, our local community, and our countries (both those of our homelands and those we chose and chose us back).

Thank you for the incredible gift that I can pour out all my worries, fears, hopes, and dreams into your strong and caring hands. You hear every unspoken word. You respond with love that never runs out. I trust you with it all, knowing you are already at work in ways I may not yet see.

Response: Glory, glory, hallelujah

Assurance of God’s love

Hear this good news, my friends: The tomb is empty. Christ is risen, and his resurrection power is at work right now, in us and for us. Nothing you have done, nothing you have failed to do, and no failure or regret you carry can separate you from the love of God in Jesus Christ.

As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is God’s steadfast love for you. As far as the east is from the west, so far has God removed your sins through the cross and the empty tomb. You are forgiven. You are made new. You are deeply loved, exactly as you are, and called to live as a beloved child of the Risen One.

Believe this truth deep in your bones: In Jesus Christ, you are fully forgiven. Go in peace, and live as people who have been set free. Thanks be to God! Amen.

Musical offering: Dayspring Singers

We listen for the voice of God.

Song: Jesus, we are gathered (514 )

Presentation: Roxanne Plischke

Roxanne. Today, we’re not just marking the end of a job, we’re recognizing a calling that you’ve lived out faithfully for many years. You began R&S before- and after-school care back when R. Truly stood for Roxanne. And that tells us something important. This wasn’t and never has been just a program. It was personal. It was you. Your heart, your care, your presence poured into children day after day and year after year.

At Dayspring Presbyterian Church, we often talk about ministry as something that happens beyond Sunday mornings, and Roxanne, you have embodied that. Yes, technically, R&S has used space here, but I’ve never really thought of you as renters. You have been and are mission partners. You have helped shape not just schedules, but lives. Children who felt safe because of you have come through these doors. Families who trust you have been here. Moments of kindness, patience, laughter, and guidance that may never be fully seen. We’re here because of you. And they can never be lost.

And one of the most beautiful things is this: the kids love you. Not because they had to, but because they felt seen, known and cared for. That kind of love doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from who you are. Scripture reminds us that when we care for the least of these, we are participating in something very sacred. Roxanne, your work has been sacred work.

So today we don’t just want to say thank you. We say we have been blessed by you; this church has been better because you’ve been here, and your impact will continue long after your last day. With the kids is done. As you step into retirement, we pray it’s filled with rest, joy, and the deep knowledge that what you have built truly matters. Roxanne, you are not just appreciated, you are loved, and we thank God for you. And we will continue to pray for you and your family, especially in this time of need.

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Song: At the dawning of salvation (248)

Scripture: Psalm 111; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31

Response: Jesus is risen from the grave

Message: Living Hope
We are often like gold being refined. Our trials can prove our faith solid. Our hope is in the Salvation God has guarded for us, not in our present circumstances.

“Praise be to the God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3).”

These words were written around 63AD by Jesus’ friend and Apostle Kaphas, or known to us by the name Peter. Peter wrote this to the suffering and scattered gentile believers as well as Jewish followers of Jesus living as “exiles” in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia Minor, and Bithynia. He calls his location Babylon, which probably means he is in Rome at the time, due to the persecution of Christians under Emperor Nero. Peter’s hope is to provide encouragement for those facing hardships and death.

And for Peter, perhaps for us… That one sentence changes everything.

Peter wrote these words to believers who were scattered, suffering, and facing real trials. They felt the pressure of a hostile world. Yet right at the start of his letter, Peter bursts into praise. Why? Because God has done something extraordinary for us.

He has given us new birth into a living hope. Not a wishful hope. Not a fragile hope. A living hope, vibrant, active, and anchored in the resurrection of Jesus.

Today, we’re going to unpack what this living hope looks like and why it can sustain us no matter what we face.

But Peter’s main point is very clear. Because God has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we can rejoice even in our trials, knowing our faith will be proven genuine and will ultimately bring out the salvation of our souls.

Let’s walk through the text together.

Verse 3 says: “In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

Everything starts with God’s great mercy. We didn’t earn this hope. We didn’t deserve a fresh start. Like a friend you did wrong, a spouse you took for granted, a parent you didn’t listen to… I think we’ve all had moments when someone granted us forgiveness and showed mercy toward us, even when we didn’t earn it. Here it is much the same: God in great mercy has caused us to be born again… has made all things new in our relationship.

This “new birth” is not just a nice religious idea; it’s a radical, supernatural change. It’s like moving from spiritual death to spiritual life. The same power that raised Jesus from the grave now lives in us and gives us hope that cannot die.

Let me tell you about Gabe Craig. He grew up in church but never really believed. He was deep into taking stolen painkillers and anything else he could get his hands on. One night at a party, he nearly overdosed; he felt like he was sliding down tunnels into hell with screams all around him. He fought for his life all night, but it didn’t break the addiction.

Years later, out of nowhere, he heard the Lord speak an address to him. On a whim, he jumped on his motorcycle and rode there; it turned out to be a church. The pastor preached Proverbs 3:5-6, the exact verse Gabe had tattooed on himself before he even knew God! “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”At the end of the sermon, Gabe ran forward, threw his whole backpack of pills on the altar, and surrendered his life to Jesus.

That night, he left the drug dealer’s house he was living in and rode cross-country to start over. And here’s the miracle: he had zero withdrawals. None. God supernaturally set him free. Gabe says it felt like being resurrected from the grave, dead in addiction one moment, fully alive in Christ the next. That’s what new birth looks like.”

Is this always exactly how it works? No. But the world is full of stories just like this one.

When we experience that kind of new birth, hope ceases to be theoretical. It becomes alive inside you.

Peter continues: “…and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.”

This hope includes an inheritance. In the ancient world, an inheritance meant security for the future. But earthly inheritances are risky. They can be lost, divided, stolen, absent or wasted.

Our heavenly inheritance is completely different. It can never perish, spoil, or fade. No rust can touch it. No thief can steal it. No death can cancel it. And best of all, it is kept in heaven for you, guarded by God Himself.

Your present life may be a mess, but your future is not uncertain. It is safely stored where nothing in this broken world can damage it.

Think about how fragile earthly inheritances can be. In 2021, a woman named Sarah Faith Jacobsen received $250,000 from her grandmother, $175,000 in life insurance and $75,000 straight from the will. She was already struggling financially, so this felt like security.

But Sarah had no financial education and ‘champagne tastes on a beer budget.’ She hired an adviser, then ghosted him, quit her job, and blew the money on a cross-country road trip to places she dreamed of living, fancy dinners, jewelry, and health gadgets. In just months, it was all gone. The inheritance that was supposed to secure her future was wasted and vanished, leaving her with little more than regret and anxiety.

And here is another thing. When the bible speaks of inheritance, I really have no idea what that’s like. My great-grandparents had nothing left to leave my grandparents. There was no inheritance from my grandparents (and, to be fair, I told my grandmother to spend every penny on herself and having fun, but she ran out by then), and I’m not being rude, it’s just that I don’t believe my parents will be leaving anything either. Again, I’m not picking on them. I think that’s how life is for most people today. The other side of the family will play out much the same.

But contrast that with what Peter says: our inheritance can never perish, spoil or fade, and is kept in heaven for you.’ No bad investments, poor planning, selfishness, bad luck, family fights or spending sprees can touch it. God Himself is guarding it.

But contrast that with what God has prepared for us.

Verse 5 tells us we are “through faith… shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”

We are not left to protect this hope on our own. Through faith, we are shielded by God’s power. The Koine Greek word here is often translated as “shielded,” but it carries the idea of being guarded, surrounded, kept safe, like a fortress or a military escort. In common parlance, it meant to keep an eye on something, to attend to it carefully, or to take care of it. In fact, the same word is used for how God holds the 10 Commandments. He keeps them safe. That is how we are to see his care over our inheritance. God would not break the commandments any more than God would let your inheritance slip from his fingers.

This protection lasts all the way until the final day when our salvation is fully revealed. No matter what storms come, God’s power is actively at work keeping us for Himself.

I love stories that show God’s shielding power in action, even odd ones from pop culture that make you stop and think.

There’s a famous scene in the VERY “R” rated movie Pulp Fiction where two hitmen, Jules and Vincent, are standing in an apartment. A guy bursts out of the bathroom and unloads a whole revolver at them from just a few feet away, point-blank. Now, if you watch the scene closely, you will see that the bullet holes are already in the wall as the two hitmen enter. It’s a fun little mistake in the movie. But that’s neither here nor there, just a fun fact for cinephiles like me.

In the scene, every single bullet misses. They hit the wall behind them, but not a scratch on Jules or Vincent. They walk out untouched. Jules looks at Vincent and says, ‘What just happened here was a miracle… Divine intervention! That means God came down from heaven and stopped the bullets.’

It’s a gritty, unexpected moment in a wild film, but it captures the shock of realizing God’s power just shielded you when it looked impossible. In real life, believers have the same promise: through faith we are ‘shielded by God’s power’ until the day our full salvation is revealed.”

Now Peter gets honest about the present: “In all this, you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith, of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire, may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

We can greatly rejoice even while we grieve in trials, because the trials are not pointless. They are temporary (“for a little while”), and they serve a purpose. That sure doesn’t make it fun. Still…

Trials test and prove the genuineness of our faith. Just as gold is put through intense fire to remove impurities and reveal its true value, our faith is refined in the heat of suffering. And when Jesus returns, that proven faith will bring praise, glory, and honour to Him.

The trials don’t destroy our hope; they actually strengthen and purify it.

Here’s how the gold-refining process actually works. The goldsmith takes impure gold, full of dirt, copper, silver, and other junk, and puts it in a crucible. He heats it in a furnace to over 1,000 degrees Celsius until everything melts. As it melts, the impurities (called dross) rise to the top like foam. The refiner skims them off and throws them away.

Then he turns the heat up even higher and does it again… and again… sometimes seven times or more. Each time, more impurities are removed until finally the gold is pure… 99.5% or better. The refiner knows it’s done when he can look into the molten gold and see his own reflection clearly.

Peter says our trials are exactly like that fire. They’re not random suffering; they’re the refiner’s fire. They burn away pride, selfishness, and false faith so that what’s left is genuine and far more precious than gold. When Jesus returns, that proven faith will shine with praise, glory, and honour to Him.

Joni Eareckson Tada was just 17 when a diving accident snapped her neck and left her a person with quadriplegia. In the beginning, she was angry and bitter, begging God to let her die. But in that furnace of suffering, something beautiful happened. Her faith didn’t break; it was refined.

She learned to paint with a brush between her teeth, wrote dozens of books, and started a non-profit called “Joni and Friends” in order to serve people with disabilities around the world, and now says, ‘Sometimes God permits what He hates to accomplish what He loves.’ Even today, with constant pain and new health battles, she wakes up every morning and prays, ‘I can’t do this… but I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’

Her suffering didn’t weaken her faith; it proved it was genuine and made it shine even brighter for Jesus. That’s what trials do when we let God use them.

Finally, verses 8–9: “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

We are already tasting the goal of our faith: the salvation of our souls. The full deliverance is coming, but even now, hope makes joy possible.

It’s a lot like the way a military wife loves and trusts her husband while he’s deployed. She hasn’t seen him for months, sometimes over a year. She can’t hold his hand, look into his eyes, or even get a hug when the day is hard. All she has are letters, short phone calls, and the promise that he’s coming home.

Yet her love doesn’t grow cold; it actually deepens. She trusts his commitment even though she can’t see him right now. She keeps his picture out, reads his words over and over, and lives every day with the quiet joy that one day he’ll walk through the door and everything will be made right.

Peter says that’s exactly how we love Jesus: ‘Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.’ We haven’t seen Him with physical eyes, but we know He’s real, He’s coming back, and that unseen relationship fills us with joy that nothing in this world can take away.

So let’s return to where Peter began: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!”

Because this living hope is anchored in the resurrection of Jesus, we do not grieve as those who have no hope. We can rejoice even in trials. Our inheritance is secure. God’s power shields us. Our faith is being refined for glory. And even now we love and believe in a Saviour we have not seen, and He fills us with joy.

If you are here today and you don’t yet have this living hope, hear the good news: Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose again. In His great mercy, He offers you new birth today. Turn to Him in faith. Receive the forgiveness and hope that only He can give.

For those of us who already know Him, let this living hope sustain you this week. When trials come, remember: they are only for a little while, and they are making your faith more precious than gold.

So let’s praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… today, tomorrow, and forever. Amen.

Song: Alleluia, alleluia, give thanks to the risen Lord (260)

We respond to serve God.

Our time of giving

Prayer of gratitude, and for others and ourselves

God of new Life, the Risen Christ spoke words of peace to his friends.

Thank you for strengthening our faith and offering us that peace as we live in you day by day. We are grateful that you give us the courage to face our fears and struggles, patience to endure moments when the way ahead is not clear, and resilience to meet changing realities. Make us a source of peace and resilience for Christ’s sake.

Loving God, We pray for the many places of brokenness in our world. We think especially of those weighed down by economic pressures, and those who have been trampled in the search for prosperity. We pray for people and communities at odds over policies and opinions, and those who feel their concerns are going unheard. We pray for the earth itself under the impact of human activity and for those working to protect its future. Grant the earth and all its peoples your gifts of hope and healing.
Faithful God, We pray for those who struggle with their experience of the church.
Open them to your love and grace so that any pain the church has caused will be healed. Guide us with your Spirit of wisdom to know how to live out our faith in ways that create pathways for others to find you, not barriers.
We pray for our congregation,
for The Presbyterian Church in Canada,
and for the Church of Jesus Christ in every country and culture.
In these days of challenge, strengthen our trust in you and our concern for others.
Give us ears to hear the correction we need, with hearts opened by the grace of the Risen Christ.
We also pray for ourselves, our family and friends, our community and our country.
We lay before you in silence the people and concerns on our hearts and minds today.
(Silence for 15 seconds)
We are grateful that we can place all our worries and our hopes into your hands,
O God, knowing that you will hear us and respond.

Song: Thine be the glory (258)

Sending out with God’s blessing

Now may the God of new life and endless hope, the One who raised Jesus from the dead and speaks peace into every storm of our lives, fill you to overflowing with his presence.

May the Risen Christ walk beside you every step of the coming days, strengthening your faith when it feels weak, calming your fears with his gentle voice, and giving you fresh courage for whatever lies ahead. May he make you a quiet source of peace and resilient love for everyone you meet, so that others might glimpse his kindness through your life.

Response: He is Lord

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.

Readings from from The Ragman by Walter Wangerin Jr.

Posted on April 5, 2026April 5, 2026 by John

Worship on Easter Sunday
10:00 am April 05, 2026
Minister: Rev. Brad Childs Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Linda Farrah-Basford Elder: Lynn Vaughan
Reader: Andrea Gartrell

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: Christ is risen!
P: He is risen indeed!
L: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death.
P: Hallelujah!
L: This is the Good News – the grave is empty & Christ is risen.
P: Hallelujah!
L: Let us worship God with Easter joy!

Opening praise: He is Lord

We listen for the voice of God

Scripture readings: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Colossians 3:1-4; and John 20:1-8

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

Reading: New Rags for Old (The story ”The Ragman” ©, is adapted from The Ragman by Walter Wangerin Jr.)

Part 1: The Call and the First Exchange
The Ragman comes in down the centre aisle, drops the clean clothes on the steps, but stays at the scripture lectern.

It was just before the dawn on a Friday morning. It smelled a bit like rain, and just a hint of light showed in the distance, like a bubble of slightly brighter-than-grey sky. The street lights had just turned off, but the sun wasn’t quite up to replacing them yet.

There was a very strong-looking, handsome young man who walked through the alleys between the more respectable streets. He held a candle in one hand. It was the only bright light around. Intently, he looked down the street, back at the candle and then to the street again. He blew the light out and placed the candle in his pocket, a dark place to keep it for another day.

The 6-foot-4-inch man, with arms like tree limbs, stood like a tower. But he did not appear intimidating. Nothing about him would cause you pause. His face was like a kindly, well-drawn set of features. Still, there was something different about him. As he walked, he was pulling an old cart filled with new, brand-new clothes. He stood out.

And then he began to speak.

He called out as he walked the streets in a beautiful tenor voice. He called out what could only be described as an unusual sales pitch. And that explained it. He must have been a salesman looking for new customers. Apparently, he didn’t understand he was in a poor part of town. Still, he called out his pitch for all to hear.

(PAUSE)

It wasn’t a shout exactly, just powerful. He called out, saying just one word at first, “Rags,” he’d call.

Then the pitch changed a bit. “New Rags for old rags!” he said. And then “New rags for old rags! I’ll take your tired old rags! Simultaneously the Ragman said this to no one and yet everyone at the same time.

Again, “New rags for old rags! I’ll take your tired old rags!” A strange sales pitch indeed. The streets were lined with a few ramshackle guests, perhaps left over from the night before. A man furrowed his brow in disappointment and annoyance. Two others looked at one another with inquisitive but dismissive smirks.

One man out to get the paper scoffed and mumbled to himself, ragman and then returned to his business again.

“New rags for old rags! I’ll take your tired old rags!” “New ones for old ones”, the Ragman clarified.

Soon, the Ragman came upon a sobbing woman sitting on her back porch. She hadn’t even noticed him until he was right upon her. Her shoulders shook, and her head was buried within her hands (a cloth drenched in tears peeking through from between two fingers). Her heart was breaking. It was obvious. The Ragman stopped his cart and stepped around the litter of tin cans, broken toys and soiled Pampers on the walkway. He quietly walked over to the woman. And then the Ragman sat down next to her and gazed into her eyes, the window to her soul. He stretched out his hand. “Give me your rags, and I’ll give you a brand new one,” he said.

Brad continues:

Confused by the kindly stranger, she paused from her grief for a moment. The Ragman slipped the handkerchief away from her with a smile. She looked up at him just as he laid across her palm a fine linen cloth so clean and new that it seemed to shine. She blinked, wiped a tear away and with that, she stopped crying.

The Ragman walked around the items back to the cart. Down the street he went, cart and all. And as the Ragman pulled his cart away, he put the woman’s handkerchief to his face to collect a tear of his own, and then another and then some more. Just as grievously as she had done, the Ragman’s shoulders now shaking, his fine smile lost to a new expression of overwhelming grief.

And then again, he began to call out now in a more intermittent voice, “Rags! New Rags for old ones!” His sales pitch was now shakier and it was clearer that he had no intention of selling.

Musical Interlude 1: I feel better, so much better since I laid my burden down

3 groups bring their “rags” to the front – throwing them down and picking up new rags… symbolical of being made whole: (1) Vivian and children (2) Maureen & Ron (3) Helga and Dad Michael.

With that, the Ragman came upon a young girl whose head was wrapped in a blood-soaked, makeshift bandage. Broken glass lay all around her, and a small and single line of blood ran off her cheek, uncollected. Now the Ragman looked at her with pity, but those more astute might call compassion or solace. He smiled a bit, though his tears were still falling, and he slowly withdrew from his cart, a lovely yellow bonnet. And once more he said, “Give me your rag, I’ll give you mine.”

The teen gazed up at him while he loosened the bandage from around her head, carefully removed it, and then tied it around his own head. He put the new bonnet on her head, now clean, yellow, and pretty. And the wound went with the bandage. The dark blood ran again, but now it was the Ragman’s.

Prayers of approach and confession

Holy and Eternal God,
perfect in love and endless in grace,
governor of the days and seasons,
creator of all things visible and invisible;
filled with glory, majesty and honour,
on this first day
you began creation,
bringing order and life out of chaos.

On this first day
you began your new creation,
raising Jesus Christ from the powers of death.

On this first day,
we gather to join with all creation
to worship and honour you
as the Creator.
Christ,
and Holy Spirit,
now and always.
As we recall who you are and what you have done, we recall who we are and what we have done. Hear us now as we confess to you our sins:
Gracious God,
our sins are too heavy to carry,
too real to hide and too deep to undo.

Forgive what our lips are afraid to name
and what our hearts can no longer bear.
Set us free from a past we cannot change,
open us to a future in which we can be changed
and give us the grace to grow more and more in your likeness and image.

In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen

Response: Glory, glory hallelujah

Forgiveness proclaimed
“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Dear friends, Christ has laid down his life for us and invites us to love one another as he has loved us. Know that you are forgiven, have the grace to forgive one another and be at peace.

Reading – Part 2: The wounds we carry

The sobbing, bleeding Ragman pressed on as The Ragman cried out, “Rags! Rags! I take old rags!”

And then he met a man leaning against a telephone pole. There, he smiled and asked a question. “Sir, are you on your way to work?” he asked.

The man scoffed at him. “Are you crazy?” And then he pulled away from the pole he had been leaning on, revealing the lifeless sleeve of his jacket stuffed into the front pocket because he had no arm.

With a quiet authority, the Ragman said: “Give me your jacket, and I’ll give you mine.” It was a fine, clean jacket for an old, tattered one. And so, with that, the one-armed man, looking at the brand-new, beautiful jacket, thought this a wonderful idea. The one-armed man took off his jacket. So did the Rag Man. And the Ragman’s arm… it stayed with his sleeve.

When the man with no job put it on, he had two good arms again. But the Ragman had but one.

After that, he found an older lady on drugs, lying unconscious beneath a torn army blanket. Without a word, the Ragman took the blanket off the hunched, shriveled, and sick older man. In the silence of the dawn, he wrapped it around himself, but for the unconscious man, he left new clothes. And put a warm new blanket in its place.

(Ragman leaves)

Song: What wonderous love is this 242

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayer of gratitude, and for others and ourselves
God of power and possibility,
you broke open the tomb that held our Lord.
Now break into your church where your people are distracted
by old quarrels, discouraging results,
or unhelpful divisions about mission and service.
Resurrect, renew and revive your church!

God, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God of resurrection and new life,
you broke into the hearts of Jesus’ fearful friends.
Now break into our relationships with one another.
Where they are vibrant and life-giving, nurture them.
Where they are strained by old hurts and misunderstandings,
or carelessly taken for granted,
mend them.
Resurrect, renew and revive our life together!

God, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God of might and mercy,
you broke the schemes of those who stood in the way of your love.
Now break into the governing systems of your world.
Stir the minds and hearts of leaders to work for justice and equitable sharing.
Where laws are corrupt, or people suffer under harsh rule,
call them to account.
Resurrect, renew and revive the leaders of the world!

God, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God of healing and hope,
you broke the bonds of death that tried to shackle new life.
Now break into situations of illness, pain, grief, and loss.
Wherever people are sick in body, mind, or spirit,
wherever someone mourns the loss of any relationship or dream,
bring your healing grace.
Resurrect, renew and revive our lives!

God, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God of Easter Renewal and Resurrection,
you have broken into our lives again this day.
We give you thanks for the power of your love to remake every situation
that brings us challenge or choice.
Break into all our moments of celebration and joy, too.
Give us gratitude, the impulse to share, and a spirit of grace and understanding.
Resurrect, renew and revive your people!

God, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

The Sacrament of Holy Communion

To carry this idea of the Ragman exchanging our burdens and giving praise into our daily lives, please select a square of quilt fabric or “a rag” and bring it forward to exchange for the communion meal. For those at home, someone will also bring rags forward for you. Later, these rags will be used to construct a prayer quilt with pockets to carry prayer request.

Invitation

On this resurrection day, we come to the table to remember our future with our Risen Lord.

Jesus declared that people will come from east and west and north and south to sit at table in God’s kingdom.

Remember – the Risen Christ has spread this joyful feast for you.

The gifts we bring to his table are for all those who love him

and for all who want to love him more.

All who belong to the body of Christ are welcome to share his gifts on this joyful Easter day.

Taste and see that God is good.

Song: One bread, one body (all vrs) 540

The Communion Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, Risen Savior and Living Bread, on this glorious Easter day I come to Your table with joy and wonder.

You who conquered death and the grave, You who broke the chains of sin, come now into my heart once again. As I receive Your Body and Blood, fill me with the power of Your Resurrection.

May this Holy Communion renew my life as You renewed the world. Let the light of Easter shine in me, driving away all darkness, doubt, and fear.

Risen Lord, make me a witness of Your victory. Help me live as one who has been raised with You— full of hope, overflowing with love, and eager to share the Good News.

Thank You for the gift of this Easter Eucharist, the foretaste of the heavenly banquet where we will feast with You forever.

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Amen.

The Lord’s prayer (sung 469)

Reading – Part 3: He Died for Us

The Ragman was weeping uncontrollably, bleeding freely from his forehead, pulling his cart with one arm, clumsily stumbling around and yet, he skidded through the alley still, until he came to the city limits. Sickly looking now, unrecognizable, the people threw garbage at him, and so the Ragman came to the landfill. There, he climbed the garbage hill with great labour, cleared a little space inside a hole, and lay down. He formed for himself from the handkerchief and the jacket, a dirty, lumpy pillow on which to rest his head. He covered his tired, shaking, and bleeding body with the Army blanket, and there he died.

many were appalled at him—
His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being
and his form marred beyond human likeness—
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

³He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, – familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
despised and held in low esteem.

⁷He was oppressed and afflicted,
⁹He was assigned a grave with the wicked,

⁴ he took up the pain of others
and bore our suffering,
stricken, and afflicted.
⁵ pierced for our transgressions,
crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

⁶We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and it was laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

He took this willingly; he gave up life by his own will: The Christ, The Messiah, The Substitution for us, The Saviour, The Ragman, The candle of his light snuffed out and stored away in a dark place.

THE CANDLE IS SNUFFED HERE

Brad: But this is Easter Sunday. Death does not get the last word.

Action: Light the Christ Candle AGAIN!

Brad: The Ragman rose. The rags became robes. The wounds became glory. And today he offers every one of us the same exchange: Give me your rags… and I will give you mine.

Response: Behold the Lamb of God

Sharing of the Bread and Wine/and
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread,
and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.
In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Bringing of Rags

Musical offering: the congregation sings the refrain: Because he lives

Prayer after Communion
Risen Lord, through this holy Communion you have fed us with your body and blood, and renewed in us the life of your resurrection. Strengthen our faith, that we may walk in your victory over sin and death, and bear witness to your love in word and deed. Fill our hearts with joy and hope, that the new life you give may shine through us to others. Keep us united with Christ and one another until we share the eternal banquet in your Kingdom. Amen.

Song: Lord of the dance 250

Sending out with God’s blessing
Go now, with wonder at the empty tomb to amaze you,
with the joy Mary felt in the garden to lift your hearts,
and with the disciples’ hope at the news Jesus had risen to encourage you.
May God’s resurrecting love open the future for you,
empowered by the Spirit and embraced by Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord.

Response: He is Lord 252

Music postlude

————————————————————————-

Coats and Palms

Posted on March 29, 2026March 29, 2026 by John

Worship on Palm Sunday
10:00 am      March 29, 2026
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs      Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Lynn Vaughan    Welcoming Elder: Andrea Gartrell
Children’s time presenter: Brad     Reader: Samantha 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: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
P: Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
L: Jesus humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.
P: Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
L: Therefore, God has exalted him and given him the name above every name.
P: Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
L: Let us worship God in the name of Jesus Christ, our Servant Lord.

Opening praise: Hosanna (Praise is rising)

Prayers of approach and confession
God of majesty and mercy,
we worship You today as the cross draws closer.
We praise You for Jesus
the King who came riding in humility
to set us free from everything that holds us captive.
He came in mercy to free us from the sins we know about,
and even the ones we try to ignore.
He came to show us the full depth of Your love, mercy, and justice.
You who rule with wisdom and compassion, receive our praise and our longing hearts.
We thank You for Your kindness
for the strength You give us and for carrying our burdens on Your shoulders through Jesus.
We come before You with humble hearts, knowing You have given us everything,
and we worship You – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

You are our shelter in storms, our hope in weakness, and our guide when paths are unclear.
God of mystery and mercy,
Your forgiveness often feels like a mystery to us.
We mean to follow You, and we try to do good,
but life is messy, the world is broken, and we stumble along the way.
We fail to speak up for the vulnerable, we choose the easier path,
and even our best intentions sometimes hurt others.
We want to show mercy, but anger and fear hold us back.
We lose patience with loved ones, ignore the cries of the hurting, and protect comforts that keep us from loving boldly.
Fogive us, Lord.
Teach us to accept Your mercy when we fall, and to extend it when others fail.
Fill us with the same courage and compassion Jesus showed as He walked toward the cross,
and help us to follow in His footsteps amid the mess and the mistakes.
Remind us that repentance is a steady journey, not a single act, and that grace meets us in the middle of our failures.

Lord, give us clearer eyes to see where we have contributed to harm,
gentle tongues to offer apologies and truth, and strong hands to repair what we can.
Help us to learn humility from our mistakes rather than hiding them in shame.
Where we have been quick to judge, make us quick to listen.
Where we have withdrawn, give us the courage to engage.
Where we have been selfish, renew within us a heart for sacrifice.
Make our communities places of healing, not places that magnify failure.
each us how to bear one another’s burdens honestly and lovingly.
When the world seems loud with injustice and pain, steady our feet to work for justice with mercy.
When hope feels distant, remind us that the cross speaks of a love that transforms suffering into redemption.
Sustain those who are broken, give wisdom to leaders, comfort to the grieving, and patience to the exhausted.
Empower us by Your Spirit to act with practical kindness, to feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, and speak for the voiceless.
Let our lives reflect the mercy that was poured out for us — not perfectly, but faithfully — as we trust You to make beauty from our brokenness.
We come again to Your feet, grateful for forgiveness we do not earn.
Renew our hearts, strengthen our wills, and shape our hands for faithful service.
May our mistakes teach us compassion; may our failures lead us back to You; may our striving be marked by dependence on Your grace.
We worship You now and always — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Response: We come to ask your forgiveness

Assurance of God’s love
Who can condemn us? Only Jesus — and He died for us.
He rose for us, He rules in power for us, and He prays for us.
Believe this good news of the gospel:

In Jsus Christ, you are fully forgiven and set free by God’s amazing grace.

We listen for the voice of God

Song: Jesus, we are gathered

Children’s time

This is the Day
Can you name some special days, Birthdays, Summer days, School days, Snow days, What are your favourite days?
What about sick days? What about sad days?
Not every day is perfect or easy. Some days are harder than others, but every day is a gift from God.
Psalm 118:24 says, “This is the day the LORD has made”.
When we remember that God made this day, we can choose to be happy, grateful, and excited, no matter what happens.
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.
Closing Prayer: “Dear God, thank you for making this day. Thank you for every day. Even if I am sad or tired, I can choose to be glad because I know you love me and are with me. Help me to make today a day to be glad in. Amen.”

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Song: This is the day (78)

Scripture readings: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 and Matthew 21:1-11

Response: Jesus remember me

Message: Coats and Palms

Think about it for a moment. Imagine a powerful world leader is coming to visit Canada. The government spends tens of millions on security. Hotels are fully booked. Police are everywhere. You see motorcades with flashing lights, armoured limousines, crowds waving flags, and people chanting. Some may even believe this person is extremely special, or even the one they hope will fix the economy or solve their deepest problems. Some treat political figures almost like saviours. The crowd is mixed, some excited, some skeptical, some just along for the spectacle. People place enormous hope in human leaders, sometimes bowing low, sometimes nearly worshiping. Now open your eyes to a scene two thousand years ago. The true King of kings rode into Jerusalem… but not on a warhorse or in a chariot of conquest. He came on a borrowed donkey. And everything changed.

Let me read Matthew 21:1-11 slowly. These eleven verses are soaked in emotion, prophecy, and a personal invitation that still stands for every one of us today.

When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of the Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:

“Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!

Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”

This wasn’t just a parade. It was Heaven stepping into our mess on the exact day the long-awaited Messiah arrived, but not at all the way the world expected. Today, I pray the Holy Spirit stirs your heart the same way He stirred that ancient city.

Look at verse 4: “This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet.” Jesus didn’t stumble into Jerusalem by accident. He deliberately orchestrated every detail. He sent the disciples for that specific donkey and her colt so that Zechariah 9:9 would be fulfilled word-for-word: “Behold, your king is coming to you, gentle and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

There has been a lot of controversy about this. You see the quotation from Zechariah about the donkey, which uses a form of Hebrew poetry very common in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). It makes a statement and then clarifies it with a connecting statement. So it says he rides a donkey, and then clarifies that it’s the colt or foal of a donkey. So it means that he rides a young donkey. But when Matthew quotes this, it seems he doesn’t understand his own Bible. He appears to think there are two donkeys. This is further exacerbated by the fact that no other author mentions two, but Matthew does, as he also uses the word “THEM” for the animals, making it clear there are two. But maybe not, some have said that “them” refers to the coats and palms. Jesus sat on, “Them” meaning coats, not donkeys. But the language seems unclear, and maybe it’s on purpose. Maybe it’s meant to sound a little comical. Perhaps it’s meant to be a little funny, as Jesus rides not just one but two animals down to the city.

In the ancient world, kings and emperors rode warhorses to intimidate and conquer. Roman generals celebrated lavish “triumphs”, parading through streets with captured enemies, stolen treasure, and displays of raw military power. They came to dominate. Probably only days before Pilate came to visit Jerusalem, riding on a horse and entering the city at the main gate in triumph. Days later, Jesus did the same thing, riding at least one, and maybe two, animals, but entering by the gate nearest the Temple.

It’s a little bit like a political cartoon, making fun of the president or prime minister. There is something in the story comedic and maybe a little bit insulting. To the Romans, certainly, this story would “poke the bear.” Now maybe I am reading into it. But certainly, Jesus chose the opposite animal to Pilots for a reason.

Jesus did it on purpose. And, as someone at our Bible study noted this week, Jesus may well be intentionally fulfilling prophecies at this point. I don’t think that’s always the case, but I do think it’s pretty clear in this one. Shout out to Emma.

In any case, Jesus chose a humble, unbroken colt, the animal of peace and everyday labour. It’s like Jesus sat down and said, Well, the politician is arriving in a top-end Maybach Mercedes Limo (a $ 1.4 million bulletproof luxury mobile), so… I wonder if maybe I can borrow someone’s 1985 Oldsmobile.

Do you think he’s maybe making a point?

He came gently. He came to serve. He came as the Prince of Peace who would lay down His life rather than take lives. We call this the Triumphal entry but it’s not. It’s the opposite. This was an anti-triumphal entry: a quiet, deliberate rebellion against every empire that uses power to control and every religious system that profits from the status quo. This is some gangster, political engagement.

Right after the cheers, Jesus walked straight into the temple and drove out the moneychangers, declaring, “My house shall be called a house of prayer!” Celebration turned into cleansing. The humble King immediately challenged the corrupt religious leadership that had compromised with Roman power.

This scene stands in sharp contrast with every other claimant to power, Roman imperial might, temple authorities who negotiated with Caesar, and even popular expectations of a violent, militaristic Messiah who would lead a bloody revolt. Jesus inverted all of it. He claimed kingship on God’s terms: humble, sacrificial, and true.

Each of the four Gospels tells this story with its own emphasis, because each faced different opponents and spoke to different communities. They deliberately shape the Triumphal Entry to show Jesus as the true King who stands against every rival claim to rule our lives.

Mark presents a suffering, somewhat secretive Messiah against failed popular uprisings and hostile religious authorities. Matthew stresses how Jesus fulfills Jewish law and prophecy, reclaiming true authority from those who twisted Scripture. Luke highlights Jesus’ concern for the poor, the outsider, and the Gentile, a kingship that challenges both Roman social order and elite religious structures.

John lifts up Jesus’ divine, spiritual kingship in direct confrontation with “the Jews” (meaning the hostile leadership) and with Pilate himself, exposing the emptiness of worldly power.

Together, the Gospels show us that Jesus’ entry was no accident. It was a symbolic inversion of imperial and religious kingship, a nonviolent claim to ultimate authority that exposes the hollowness of every competing power. Whether the threat was Caesar’s sword, the temple’s corruption, or revolutionary violence, Jesus offered a better way: the way of the cross.

The question the whole city asked echoes down to us: “Who is this?” (v. 10). That is the central question of life. Who do you serve, a king or THE KING?

The crowd exploded with passion. They threw their cloaks on the road like a red carpet for royalty. They waved palm branches, ancient symbols of victory and national pride. They shouted “Hosanna!” which means “Save us now!” They were quoting Psalm 118 and hailing Jesus as the Son of David, the Messiah.

Many scholars believe this was the very day Passover lambs were being chosen. If true, this also means that Jesus was publicly presenting Himself as the Lamb for slaughter who would die for the sins of the world.

But Matthew adds a heartbreaking note: the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The loudest cheers came from visiting pilgrims. Many locals were confused or skeptical. Within days, some of those same voices would cry, “Crucify Him!”

We see the same pattern today. People cheer for Jesus when He seems to promise what they want: rescue from problems, emotional highs, and cultural relevance. But when the road leads to the cross, to daily dying to self, to costly obedience, to trusting Him when it doesn’t feel triumphant, the cheers often fade.

I once watched a young man propose to his girlfriend on the Jumbotron at a packed football game. The stadium erupted. She said yes amid tears and applause. Everyone posted the video. Six months later, when real life hit, bills, stress, ordinary days, he walked away. She later reflected, “He loved the moment… but he didn’t love me enough for the everyday.”

We wave our palms on Sunday. We shout “Hosanna!” when life feels exciting. But do we lay down our lives on Monday? Loud worship means nothing without surrendered hearts.

I love cars, and as our friend Peter back there knows, the saying is: “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday.” Meaning that if your car wins races over the weekend, some oaf of a guy like me will come in and think they can buy it. The problem was that companies were putting out cars on Sunday with the same name as the ones they sold, but they weren’t the same car. The Mustang is a great example from 1974-78 Shelby won races in one, but when you went to the dealership, you could only buy a 2.3L 4-banger that made 88 horsepower, which is less than most motorcycles today. The high-end one had 105hp. 0-100 was over 14 seconds. And if you are confused, what that means is that these mustangs could be outrun by many of today’s modern golf carts.

I don’t wanna be a fake sports car. I wanna be the same on Monday as I am on Sunday.

We shout “Hosanna!” when life feels exciting. But do we lay down our lives on Monday?

So here is the question that matters more than any other: Who do we serve, a king or THE KING?

Will we welcome Him fully, not just with emotion, but with daily surrender? Will we lay down our pride, our plans, our fears, and our self-rule like the crowd laid down their cloaks? Will we cry “Hosanna” not merely for rescue from our circumstances, but for rescue from our sin?

This week, I would like us all to do something together. I wonder if you will? Would you memorize, write down, email yourself, text someone in your family… could we all try to do this together:

Every morning this week, whisper these words, “Jesus, You are my King, rule my heart today.” “Jesus, You are my King, rule my heart today.” “Jesus, You are my King, rule my heart today.” Say it each morning and see if it changes your day.

When fear rises, remember the humble King who offers peace that the world cannot give or take away. When worship feels empty or routine, ask the Holy Spirit to make it real again.

The King has come. And He is still coming into your life, your family, your struggles, and your future. He still presents a very different picture than today’s rulers and kings. He doesn’t ride in to impress you. He rides in to die for you. Amen.

Invitation: This week, I would like us all to do something together. I wonder if you will? Would you memorize, write down, email yourself, text someone in your family… could we all try to do this together:

Song: All glory, laud and honour (214)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayer of gratitude, and for others and ourselves
God of courage and compassion,
as we follow Jesus toward the cross this Holy Week,
we thank You that He faced His enemies with courage instead of violence.
We are grateful that He loved us enough to die for us,
carrying every pain and sorrow that others caused.
In Christ, we believe Your love is stronger than any situation — even the hardest or most heartbreaking ones.
Hear us now as we pray for people and places facing trouble today:

We pray for everyone struggling with poverty, sickness, or deep grief,
and for all who feel overwhelmed by things they can’t control.
(Silence – 10 seconds)
Stay close to them every day and restore their hope and strength.
Lord, in Your mercy…
**Hear our prayer.**

We pray for people and places torn by violence, war, and corruption,
and for those who wake up afraid of what today might bring.
(Silence – 10 seconds)
Give them courage and protection, and restore their hope and peace.
Lord, in Your mercy…
**Hear our prayer.**

We pray for those who stand against tyranny, brutality, and injustice,
and for everyone who speaks up for the vulnerable and the hurting.
(Silence – 10 seconds)
Give them strength and restore their hope and freedom.
Lord, in Your mercy…
**Hear our prayer.**

We pray for people facing persecution because of their race, beliefs, or identity,
and for anyone who has been shamed or humiliated by those in power.
(Silence – 10 seconds)
Remind them they are deeply loved and valuable as Your children,
and restore their hope and dignity.
Lord, in Your mercy…
**Hear our prayer.**

Now we pray in silence for the people and situations close to our own hearts…
(Silence – 10 seconds)
Bring Your grace, hope, and healing wherever it is needed.
Lord, in Your mercy…
**Hear our prayer.**

Song: Hosanna (216)

Sending out with God’s blessing
Go out into the week ahead with courage.
May the Christ who walked with wounded feet walk with you on your road.
May the Christ who served with wounded hands use your hands to serve others.
May the Christ who loved with a wounded heart open your heart to love freely.
May you see the face of Christ in every person you meet,
and may everyone you meet see the face of Christ in you.
Go in peace. Amen.

Response: Sing Amen

Music postlude

————————————————————————-

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

Raising Lazarus

Posted on March 23, 2026March 23, 2026 by John

Worship on the Fifth Sunday in Lent
10:00 am      March 22, 2026
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs     Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Fionna McCrostie   Reader: Maureen Cook
Welcoming Elder: Iris Routledge     Children’s time: Vivian Houg

We gather to worship God

Music prelude

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

Lighting of the Christ candle
Welcome and announcements
Preparation for worship

Call to worship:
L: God promised a new covenant through the prophet Jeremiah, who said that one day the law would be written on our hearts and all would know God.
P: Often, when we are confused and closed and worn, we wonder if that day will ever come.
L: God’s promise throughout the law and prophets is made alive in us. God will always be our God, and we will always be God’s people.
P: Let us be glad, for God remembers our sin no more

Opening praise: This I believe

Prayers of approach and confession

God — you in whom we live, breathe, and move —

We lift our hearts to you.

When life wears us down and worry crowds in, your word still speaks hope across the years.

As we follow Jesus this Lenten season, with his cross before us, we hold to the truth that you are never far from our pain.

You walk beside us, you cry with us, you steady us when we’re lost.

In this time of worship, restore our trust in your promise of new life.

Come close when we need you most. Hold us with a love that won’t let go.

We give you our wonder and our praise — Father, Son, and Spirit.

Merciful God,

We’re sorry. We’ve missed the mark in our thoughts, our words, and our actions.

We’ve done hurtful things and left undone the good we could have done.

We haven’t loved you with everything we are, and we’ve fallen short of loving our neighbours as ourselves.

Have mercy. Forgive us.

Change our hearts so we may delight in your ways and live for your glory. Amen.

Response: I waited, I waited on you, Lord

Assurance of God’s pardon

Jesus invites the weary and burdened to come to him for rest. Hear this promise: God’s peace and forgiveness are yours today, no matter what you carry. Breathe in the Spirit’s renewal and step into each new day lighter.

Musical Offering: Dayspring Singers

The Suffering Servant. Words adapted from Isiah 53:1-5 by Ruth Schram, music by Ruth as well. Copyright, MCMXCIII by Alfred Publishing Co. Inc.

We listen for the voice of God.

Song: Jesus loves me

Children’s Time

The Lord’s Prayer (535 )

Song: Oh for a thousand tongues to sing (374: vss 1,2,3,5 )

Scripture reading: John 11:1-45

Response: Jesus, remember me

Message: Raising Lazarus

Before going to see his friend, Jesus waits. Does God wait to answer our prayers? Sometimes God’s delays are delays; they are timed for glory. Yet in all things, He cries when we cry. Our God is not distant.

“Sometimes, God’s delays are not denials; they are divine setups for greater glory, deeper compassion, and resurrection life.”

The story opens with urgent news: Lazarus is sick. Mary and Martha send word to Jesus because they believe he can heal. His response? “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (v. 4)

Right at the start, verse 6 hits us like a brick: “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed two more days…”

Wait – He loved him, so He didn’t go? That feels wrong. That feels almost cruel. The disciples felt it too. They had just escaped a stoning attempt in Judea only days earlier, John 10:31, the crowd was picking up rocks to kill Jesus for claiming to be one with the Father. They had barely made it across the Jordan to safety. Now the sisters send word: “Lord, the one you love is sick.” And Jesus… waits. Deliberately. On purpose.

We are uncomfortable with the delay. When we pray, we generally want things and want them fast. We assume the delay is neglect. But in the economy of God, delay can be the very space in which glory is revealed.

When Jesus arrives, it’s been four days. The delay has pushed the situation from the sickbed to the tomb. Martha meets him and says, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Her words are full of grief and honest faith. Jesus responds with the astonishing claim: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (v. 25–26). That claim reframes the situation. Death is not the end of the story for those who believe.

When God delays, he may be preparing a stage for greater revelation, not to shame us but to lift his glory higher so that many may see and believe.

“Robert Craig Knievel, better known as Evel Knievel, was born October 17, 1938. A wild child who holds the record for the most broken bones in a lifetime of crashes, he always believed in a ‘higher power’ but fought Jesus for 68 years. Gold, gambling, booze, women, he couldn’t let go. Yet God never let go of him.

Late in life, sitting on a Florida beach, he heard a voice inside: ‘Robert, I’ve saved you more times than you’ll ever know. Now come to me through my Son, Jesus.’ Stunned, the non-religious daredevil called his friend Frank Gifford, who urged him to read The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel. By April 2007, on Palm Sunday, Evel stood before thousands in a large cathedral, shared his story, and, for the first time, declared, ‘I believe in Jesus Christ!’ His raw passion moved the crowd: hundreds, estimates say 500 to 800, came forward that day wishing to give their lives to Christ and be baptized.

Six months later, the stuntman died. But not before ordering his tombstone. It reads simply: ‘Believe in Jesus Christ.’

His only regret? Evel said, “That I didn’t come to Christ sooner.” Yet I wonder: Wasn’t the long delay part of the glory? A life once defined by crashes became a final, explosive testimony that launched hundreds toward eternity. God’s timing turned a daredevil’s grave into a pulpit.” “Sometimes, God’s delays are not denials; they are divine setups for greater glory, deeper compassion, and resurrection life.”

Notice next how Jesus responds to Mary and the mourning crowd. Mary falls at his feet and repeats the painful truth: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Jesus sees her weeping; he sees those around her weeping, and he is deeply moved. Verse 35 says simply, “Jesus wept.” “Two words. The shortest verse in the Bible. Yet perhaps the deepest. The eternal Son, through whom all things were made, stands at a grave and weeps. Not polite tears. Gut-wrenching sobs, the Greek word implies loud, anguished crying. The God who holds the universe feels the full weight of human loss. He doesn’t stand aloof. He enters the mess. He weeps with those who weep.

Imagine… the Creator crying over a friend’s death. If Jesus weeps at Lazarus’s tomb, how much more does he weep with you in your hospital room, your empty chair at the table, your unanswered prayers? Your pain moves him. Your tears touch his heart. He is not embarrassed by your grief. He shares it.”

What does this teach us? First, grief is not a failure of faith. Martha and Mary are believers; their tears do not contradict their faith. Jesus does not rebuke their sorrow. Instead, he enters it. He stands in the gap of human pain. He feels the ache of loss. He is not a distant God who lectures from afar; he is Emmanuel, God with us in our darkest hours.

Bring your pain to Jesus. Cry with him. Trust that his compassion is as real as his power.

The scene climaxes at the tomb. Jesus commands the stone to be taken away. Martha pushes back: the body has been in the tomb for four days; there will be a stench. Her objection is reasonable. Yet Jesus says, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” The stone is rolled away, an act of faith as much as obedience, and then Jesus prays aloud, not for his own sake, but “so that the people standing around may believe” (v. 42).

Here are several things to notice. Jesus prays to the Father before acting; his power is not isolated from a relationship with the Father. He speaks with authority: “Lazarus, come out.” And the dead man obeys. The tomb becomes the stage for God’s voice, bringing life. What was irreversible in human terms becomes reversible in the hands of the Lord.

When Jesus commands us, it may require us to move heavy stones and take the risks of obedience, even when circumstances look hopeless. Our obedience positions us to witness God’s glory.

Martha’s confession is one of the great testimonies of the Gospels: “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world” (v. 27). She believes in the Messiah, even amid sorrow. Jesus’ claim to be the resurrection and the life reframes faith not as wishful thinking but as trust in a person, in Jesus himself. The promise is not merely resuscitation to the old life but entrance into life that death cannot account for.

The raising of Lazarus becomes a sign pointing to the ultimate defeat of death in Jesus’ own resurrection. Later, Jesus says that because of what happened here, many would believe. Faith that trusts Jesus as life itself sees beyond present losses into the final victory to come.

Anchor your hope in Jesus himself, not in circumstances. His life is the source of our strength; even in death, he is faithful.

The crowd responds in two ways. Some see and believe. Others, the religious leaders, are compelled toward fear and conspiracy, plotting against Jesus because the sign threatened their power and exposed their unbelief. Signs divide. The glory of God will attract hearts ready to trust and will alarm those invested in maintaining the status quo.

Genuine encounters with Jesus will sometimes win people and sometimes provoke resistance. Our role is to be faithful witnesses, not to control the outcome. Think of Abraham waiting 25 years for a promised son.

Or how about this: Vincent van Gogh painted with a fevered conviction that the world he saw needed his colours, filling canvases that pulsed with life. He lived in poverty, sold perhaps one painting during his lifetime, and died in 1890 believing he had failed. Decades later, the very canvases dismissed were hung in museums around the world. Van Gogh never stood in a crowded gallery while others applauded his influence; yet he kept working, trusting his call even when the applause never came. That doesn’t make Starry Night or Sunflowers any less powerful. In fact, it sort of makes them more powerful. “Even in our delays and tears, God is setting us up for glory.”

Where are you today? Are you standing in a place of delay, wondering why God has not yet come? Are you grieving a loss that feels final? Are you tempted to believe that your situation marks the end of hope?

Hear Jesus’ words again: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (v. 25). And hear his presence: “Jesus wept” (v. 35). He is not an indifferent deity. He is the compassionate Lord who will command life where there is death.

Two courageous steps this week:

Bring your honest ‘if only…’ to Jesus. Name the delay, the loss, the hurt—out loud in prayer. Say, ‘Lord, if you had been here…’ Then sit in silence and let him weep with you. Let his compassion meet your ache.
Roll away one stone of resistance. Identify the hopeless place: a bitter grudge, a fearful diagnosis, a broken relationship, a habit you can’t break. Take one obedient step toward Jesus’ command: forgive that person (even if they don’t deserve it), schedule the doctor’s visit, pray over it. Reach out with that hard conversation. Obedience doesn’t erase the smell of death; it invites the voice of life.”

Remember: God’s delays are not denials. They are divine setups for greater glory. The tomb that looked final became the stage for resurrection. Your delay, your grief, your impossible situation, Jesus is setting the stage there, too.

So hear him call your name today: ‘[Brad], come out. Come out of despair. Come out of fear. Come out to life.’

May the God who weeps with us, delays for glory, and raises the dead fill you with unshakable hope, bold obedience in the waiting, and resurrection life in every dead place. Amen.

Song: Breathe on me, breath of God (389)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

We place these gifts in your hands, God. By your Spirit, turn them into seeds of new life—growing hope and comfort for tired souls, in Jesus’ name.

God of tender love, thank you that in Christ you call each of us by name and gather us into your family. Give us the love to make a real difference and the courage to follow you even when the road is hard.

Christ of mercy and grace, pour your compassion into this world again.

God of peace and promise, you call us to love our enemies and to be makers of peace.

Today we pray for places and people torn apart by long-standing hurt and fresh conflict — especially for those in the headlines and those we remember now…

Christ of mercy and grace, pour your compassion into this world again.

God, who knows suffering, thank you that Jesus took up the cross and understands our pain. We bring before you all who need healing and comfort today, whatever the cause of their pain…

Christ of mercy and grace, pour your compassion into this world again.

God of the broken-hearted, you know what it is to lose and to grieve. We lift up those mourning loved ones, and those who feel alone or let down by friends and family…

Christ of mercy and grace, pour your compassion into this world again.

God of hope and new beginnings, through Christ, you opened a future full of your redeeming love. Give us courage and confidence in your presence and power.

Song: May the God of hope go with us every day (726)

Sending out with God’s blessing

As we move toward Holy Week and the cross, remember Jesus’ promise: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even after death.” May Jesus’ tears wash over your sorrows, the Spirit live in your heart, and God’s promise of new life lead you each day. Amen.

Response: Sing Amen

Music postlude

————————————————————————-

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

Ambassadors for Christ

Posted on March 15, 2026March 15, 2026 by John

Worship on the Fourth Sunday in Lent
10:00 am        March 15, 2026
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs     Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Vivian Houg     Welcoming Elder: Sam Malayang
Reader: Leah Eisen      Children’s time: Brad

We gather to worship God.

Music prelude

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

Lighting of the Christ candle
Welcome and announcements
Preparation for worship

Call to worship:
L: How often, like those who wander in the wilderness, have we failed to trust God’s covenant?
P: We have let God down and hurt one another.
L: But Jesus came into the world and was lifted up in order that love might be reborn.
P: Let us be glad, for we are not condemned, but held in the covenant of grace.

Opening praise: Here I am to worship

Prayers of approach and confession

Loving God,

You are the source of everything that sustains us.

You are compassion, meeting us when we ask for mercy.

You are mercy, guiding us when we are anxious.

You are wisdom, showing us truth that challenges and renews us.

Holy One, you bless us with your presence every day.

We come to you in worship — Creator, Christ, and Spirit —

giving you our love, our loyalty, our prayers, and our praise.

Amen.

God of life and love,

we admit that what happens around us sometimes shakes our trust.

When violence strikes and innocent people suffer, we doubt that love can win.

When truth is twisted, we wonder if honesty can overcome lies.

When trouble comes, we question whether you care for us.

Forgive us when we lose trust in your love.

Response: I waited, I waited on you, Lord

Assurance of God’s pardon

Friends, remember Paul’s words: “Nothing — not death, life, present things, or future things — can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.” Whatever is happening and whatever we have done, God’s deep love holds us. Receive the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We listen for the voice of God.

Song: Jesus loves me (373)

Children’s time

Edmonton has a vast array of antique shops, including the largest store in Western Canada. Do you know what antique stores are? I love them. I could spend hours going through them, but never buy anything. One thing about antique shops… Savvy shoppers can find some real treasures among all the debris.

One day an antique connoisseur walked into one of these stores. Browsing the items for sale, he came across an unremarkable cat drinking milk from a saucer on the floor. The man immediately recognized this saucer as genuine Ming Dynasty, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. And here it was on the floor, with a cat drinking milk out of it! The shop owner obviously did not know its worth.

Immediately, the man started scheming how to get it for cheap, without the shopkeeper knowing what he was selling. He turned to the shopkeeper and said, “You know, that’s a very striking cat you have there. I’d really like to buy your cat.”

“Well,” answered the shopkeeper, “the cat is not really for sale.”

“I insist,” the man replied. “Would you take $100 for the cat?”

“That’s very generous,” said the shopkeeper with a shake of his head. “I don’t think this cat is worth $100, but if you want the cat that badly, you can have it.”

The man paid for the cat and then, as if he’d just thought of it, said, “Oh, one more thing. I’m going to need something to use as a feeding dish for the cat, so I’ll give you another $5 for that little saucer there on the floor.”

“Oh, I could never do that,” said the shopkeeper. “You see, that’s no ordinary saucer. That’s a rare piece of Chinese art from the Ming Dynasty, and its worth is incalculable. But amazingly enough, ever since I started feeding my cats out of it, I’ve sold 12 cats.”

That little saucer reminds me that worth isn’t always obvious at first glance. Ephesians calls us (You and Me) God’s handiwork; Exodus calls us His treasure. If a priceless object can be passed over for years, how many of God’s people do we overlook because we don’t look closely enough? One of the most difficult things to live out in life is one of the truest. Every single person you meet is a special treasure to God. Take time to see it, and people will take time to see that in you, too.

Prayer
Our God
We want to see with your eyes.
May we learn to pause,
to see beyond the surface,
and to treat every person
as someone made and loved by God.
Let our eyes be open to hidden value in others,
our hands ready to serve,
and our words quick to bring kindness.
And God
remind us too,
we are also your special treasure.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Song: Saviour, like a shepherd lead us (485)

Scripture readings: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Response: Jesus, remember me

Message: Ambassadors for Christ

The “Brad” translation of 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Those following Jesus: knowing what we now know… we can never look at any person as “lesser than” ever again. There is no person Christ cannot reach or change. Eternity has but two categories: perfection and everyone else.

I cannot pretend that I am always good and can no longer believe that others are always bad. Jesus levelled the field. Believing in my own forgiveness and the power of Christ to make me forever secure in heaven means I cannot live an easy life. I wish to seek to forgive unworthy people, just as I was. Maybe I even need to dig deep and forgive people for things so much worse than I might imagine. This doesn’t mean there are no consequences. It means that despite the consequences, all involved wish only the best for the offended and for the offender. Justice often makes the guilty pay. Mercy is letting people off without punishment. What Jesus does is Atonement. He pays our fee and then stands in court as our defence attorney.

A little girl in England named Josie Kaden was born profoundly deaf. She often felt isolated as a child because of her hearing impairment. But that changed after she received a cochlear implant during the Christmas season. At the age of 12, she heard clearly for the very first time in her life. The first sound she heard was the song Jingle Bells coming from the radio.

Was Josie’s hearing restored? Yes, it was completely restored. Was she hearing well immediately? No, not exactly. Her mother said, “She’s having to learn what each new sound is and what it means. So she will ask, ‘Was that the door closing?’ And for the first time in her life, she has realized what many of us often miss… that the light bulb in her bedroom hums just a little bit when it’s switched on. She even knows what her name sounds like now, because before, she couldn’t hear the soft ‘s’ in the middle of her name – Josie. Seeing her face light up as she hears everything around her is all I could have ever wished for any Christmas.”

Josie’s hearing was restored, but that restoration introduced her to the daily adventure of learning to distinguish each new sound in her new ‘hearing’ world.

It’s the “already and not yet”. It is the phrase that aptly describes the perspective of believers in Christ who have not yet experienced the fullness of redemption that will one day be realized only in the beyond. Something in her life changed dramatically, and it would affect how she came to see everything and everyone. It couldn’t help but change her.

Paul writes to people caught in conflict to remind them that something in their lives has changed and that through their devotion to Jesus, they have given up the right to judge others.

The text reads, “From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way.”

If the people know Christ as Saviour, then they must see the world through Christ’s eyes.

The text continues, “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”

This new creation isn’t just personal; it must affect others. The whole point here is that if we claim to be made new in Christ, then we have to act like entirely new people. We have to hear what we’ve never heard before. And we have to act.

From his hospital bed on the eve of open-heart surgery, Bruce McIver asked his cardiologist, Doctor Johnson, “Can you fix my heart?” The physician said, “Sure,” and then walked away confidently. Following the 12-hour surgery, McIver asked Johnson, “In light of the blocked arteries that I had when I checked into the hospital, how much blood supply do I have now?” “All you’ll ever need,” replied the surgeon.

Upon his discharge from the hospital, McIver’s wife, Lana, asked the doctor, “Can you tell me about my husband’s future quality of life?” Doctor Johnson paused and then said, “I fixed the heart. The quality of his life, that’s up to him.”

God has fixed our hearts through Christ. He has given us new life, full reconciliation. But the quality of that life – how we live it out – how it affects the people around us… That’s up to us. We can’t just receive the gift and stay the same.

Elma and Victor Hayes won more than $7,000,000 in the 2005 Canada 6/49 Lottery with a ticket from the grocery store in Brockville, Ontario. When asked what the couple planned to do, the 89-year-old couple claimed that at this stage of life, they were unlikely to become “giddy high spenders”. Instead, they planned to stay right there in their retirement home. Victor Hayes planned to buy a used Lincoln Town Car. But his wife told reporters that she needed a new pair of nylons.

Elma’s response was widely reported as comical, if not even foolish. How could someone win a fortune in the Canadian lottery and yet change nothing in their life but their nylons? In the same way, how can those who have won the spiritual grand prize of eternal life not live in a way that’s consistent with being that new creation?

The US has a history of institutionalized racism, although so does every other country. The US inherited slavery from its older brother England, but when the colonies became states, slavery was steadily made illegal everywhere North of the Missouri River. Republican Abraham Lincoln and the other Republican-run states were free-states which banned slavery; the Democratic-run states south of the Missouri Compromise line were Slave States.

When the Republicans won freedom for the enslaved people in the US Civil War, the Democrats did not go softly into the night. Instead, Democrats created local government laws that kept people “separate but equal”. If you have ever heard of a law where people of colour in the US can’t be out after dark or must use a different water fountain or washroom, those are Jim Crow laws created by Democrats angry about losing their slaves in the Civil War. When it became difficult to enforce those discriminatory laws, Democratic former soldiers of the Confederacy created the KKK to police things and to avoid federal government intervention in local matters.

The separatist movement continued for nearly 100 years, and bigotry leapt along. In fact, Strom Thurmond of South Carolina was still in power when I moved to Canada. He served as a democrat for 47 years in the United States Senate, but originally ran as a segregationist who fought the integration of schools.

Vivian Malone, a young black woman, enrolled as a student at the University of Alabama. It was 1963. Federal troops from the Republican-run Union States helped ensure her entrance into the school, but the Governor of that state (a Democrat named George Wallace) tried to block her with local police. When his mission ultimately failed, Vivian Malone became the first African American student to ever graduate from the University of Alabama. How terrifying must that have been for her. That was only 61 years ago.

Two years after the enrollment of Mrs. Malone, Governor Wallace was taken in his wheelchair to the Dexter Ave. Baptist Church in Montgomery, AL, where he begged the audience of a black church to forgive him for his racism, for his bigotry, and for specifically his ill treatment of the young woman, Vivian Malone. Malone, who was in attendance, was personally apologized to in front of a crowd of almost 1000 people.

I have no moment in my life where I can say I’ve felt quite that alone. I cannot imagine what it must have been like to be a young black woman in Alabama in 1963, just trying to go to school while soldiers pushed local police back to let you in.

The former governor begged Mrs. Malone for forgiveness. But Vivian Malone said she had forgiven the governor years before. When asked why she had done that, Malone said, “Because I am a Christian, I grew up in the church, and I was taught that we are all equal in the eyes of God. I was also taught that you forgive people no matter what, and that was why I had to do it. Quite frankly, I didn’t have a choice.”

Both Wallace and Mrs. Molone were followers of Jesus. But it wasn’t until they stopped looking at each other through human eyes and began seeing each other as New Creations that things got better. With new ears and new eyes, we can’t look at people the way others do.

Do you see people through human eyes, or through the eyes of God? Do you see people the way humans do? Or do you see people as if they were your own little, tiny baby, your own child, your grandmother, or your neighbour?

Can you imagine how embarrassing it would be to be road-raging and driving all aggressive and angry, only to catch up to the car that made you mad, to find your great-grandmother driving her friend to an appointment in the friend’s car? How quickly might we realize our error? I suspect that’s how God sees us all the time. God sees us getting made, mistreating, not likely, hating, and warring with everyone else, and says to Himself, don’t you know that’s your relative you’re hating on.

When we accept Christ, we are called to leave behind our old ways, our habits, our desires for worldly success, and our self-centred attitudes. And with this, God stimulates others into like action.

“¹⁸All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. ²¹God made him who had no sin to be sin^[^a^] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Thomas à Kempis was a Dutch monk and theologian. He was born in 1380 and is best known for his book The Imitation of Christ. The book consists of meditations and reflections focused on the inner spiritual life, the imitation of Christ, and the pursuit of holiness. It emphasizes humility, prayer, and detachment from worldly desires, and the intentional seeking of personal encounters with God through relationship rather than rituals. His impact is still being felt today, even in the language we use in modern-day churches, and Kempis is often regarded as one of the greatest spiritual authors of the Middle Ages.

Kempis encourages us that true joy comes not from fulfilling our desires but from seeking the heart of God. As we let go of the old, we open ourselves to the new creation that God has in store for us.

Just as Thomas à Kempis teaches us to imitate Christ in humility, love, and service, Paul’s message invites us to embody the change that has taken place within us. Imitation involves deliberately aligning our lives with the example set by Jesus; serving others, forgiving unconditionally, and living in the light of God’s truth. This is the essence of the new creation: a life transformed by love.

As new creations, our purpose is rooted not in what we gain but in how we reflect Christ’s love to the world.

The greatest sermon we can ever preach is not spoken. It is lived! You are the best sermon anyone will ever hear. So let us be very careful what we preach.

Paul writes: “16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. 17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Amen.

Song: O love that wilt not let me go (209)

We respond to serve God.

Our time of giving

Prayers of the people

God, Shepherd of our lives,

Thank you for the good things you give that make life full:

for the cycles of nature that bring rain and food;

for work and the energy to do it;

for the community and the chance to share our efforts.

And yet, even here we are thirsty:

thirsty for hope when work fails;

thirsty for love when friendships break;

thirsty for justice when resources aren’t shared.

Shepherd God, fill us with your love and lead us on your paths.

God, Shepherd of our lives,

Thank you for the light you bring into a complicated world:

the insight that helps meet human needs and improve daily life;

the understanding that strengthens relationships and respect;

the wisdom that helps solve problems.

We ask for your light to guide us:

the wisdom to bring people with different views together;

the courage to work for change where it’s needed;

the hope to keep going when change is hard.

Shepherd God, fill us with your love and lead us on your paths.

God, Shepherd of our lives,

Thank you for the purpose and possibilities you give us in Christ:

for friendships and neighbourhoods that support us;

for cooperation that helps us achieve big goals;

for gratitude for the gifts we find in one another.

We ask now for the Spirit’s gifts we need:

confidence to renew our work with humility and hope;

generosity to restore lives in need;

faith to trust you for a future we don’t yet see.

Shepherd God, lead us on your paths.

God, Good Shepherd,

we thank you that Jesus walks with us and leads us into the future. Amen.

Song: Lord of all power (626)

Sending out with God’s blessing

As we continue through Lent, remember: “Live as children of light.” May God’s love surround you, Christ’s mercy renew you, and the Spirit’s guidance lead you today and every day. Amen.

Response: Sing Amen

Music postlude

————————————————————————-

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

The Most Important Question (Raymond Baker)

Posted on March 8, 2026March 10, 2026 by John

Worship on the Third Sunday of Lent
10:00 am       08 March 2026
Online & Onsite (Mixed Presence) Gathering as a Worshipping Community
Led by Raymond Baker     Music director: Binu Kapadia     Vocalist: Lynn Vaughan
Elder: Lynn Vaughan     Readers: Saber and Felix 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
Silent preparation for worship

Call to Worship
One: God gave us the covenant of the law to guide us and help us live with our neighbours in love.
All: When we break God’s law, we leave our neighbours hurt and bruised.
One: God’s law is a gift to us, showing us how to keep our part of the covenant.
All: Even through old pain and wounds, may we embrace the new life that Christ can bring.

Opening praise: Great are You, Lord

Prayers of approach and confession
Lord, make us an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let us bring love.
Where there is offence, let us bring pardon.
Where there is discord, let us bring union.
Where there is error, let us bring the truth.
Where there is doubt, let us bring faith.
Where there is despair, let us bring hope.
Where there is darkness, let us bring your light.
Where there is sadness, let us bring joy.
O Master, let us not seek as much
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love,
for it is in giving that one receives,
it is in self-forgetting that one finds,
it is in pardoning that one is pardoned,
It is in accepting your sacrifice, Christ, that we have eternal life. Amen.
(Modified Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi)

Response: I waited. I Waited on You, Lord.

Assurance of God’s love
Scripture teaches that there is a time for every matter under heaven.
A time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance.
In confessing our sins to God, we have offered God our tears of regret.
Now is the time to rejoice in God’s mercy:
In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
In Jesus Christ, we can make a new start.
Thanks be to God.

We listen for the voice of God

Children’s time
Response: Jesus loves me (373)
Story
Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Transition music

Song: I hunger and thirst (198)

Today’s Message

Scripture reading: John 4:1-42

Response: Behold the Lamb of God

Message: Lessons from the story of the woman at the well

Introduction: The Most Important Question

When I first became a Christian, an older gentleman at Central Baptist used to approach me every once in a while. He would always ask the same simple question: ‘How is your relationship with God?’ It sounds like a basic question, doesn’t it? But in reality, it is the most vital question we will ever be asked. In our reading today, we meet a woman whose life was completely transformed by a relationship with Jesus. And as we’ll see, that transformation didn’t stop with her; it spilled over, changing some of the hearts of an entire community.

As we look at the woman’s story found in John 4, I want you to remember: God is the same today as He was in the Samaritan woman’s day. The same transformation the woman experienced is available to us today!

Before our reading today, Jesus encountered Nicodemus—a leader in Hebrew Law—Jesus explained to Nicodemus that one must be “born again” to enter the kingdom of God.

In the reading that Felix and Saber read so well today, Jesus takes that message of salvation further, using the amazing illustration of living water.

I believe Jesus’s interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well offers us five life-changing lessons.

Breaking the Barriers

First, we see Jesus breaking barriers. I have heard so many sermons that were on this very point.

There are lots of reasons why Jesus “should not” have talked to this woman.

At this time in history in the middle east women were not on equal ground as men. So just a man talking to a woman was counter-cultural. For a Rabbi to speak to a woman in public was very counter-cultural.

The next reason was the Samaritans were an ethnoreligious group living in the region of Samaria between Judea and Galilee. They were despised by Jews due to their mixed Assyrian-Hebrew ancestry and differing religious practices. The Samaritans were descendants of the Northern Kingdom of Israel who intermarried with foreign peoples after the Assyrian conquest. Samaritans worshipped Yahweh, but used their own version of the Torah and built a temple on Mount Gerizim, rather than worshiping in Jerusalem like the Jews did. Most Jewish people of the time distrusted and disliked Samaritans thinking that they were heathens and lawless. Actually, there was a mutual distrust between these two cultures.

The fact that Jesus (a religious leader) would even associate with a Samaritan would be shocking. It reminds me of the Sesame Street song: “One of these things is not like the others.” The woman and Jesus’ interaction would not fit with many of the accepted cultural norms of that time. Jesus was showing that God’s love isn’t restricted by geography, race, or gender. Jesus was definitely showing that God loved everyone in the world.

We know that God loves everyone in the world so much that He sent his only son–that whoever believes in Jesus has eternal life. This means everyone, no matter who you are, Jesus died on the Cross for you. If you repent of your sins and accept him as savior you can enter the Kingdom of God and have eternal life.

Illustration: “I want to take you back with me to a quiet room in a palliative care ward—a place where I encountered a dying man.

I was serving as a chaplain at Norwood palliative years ago. One day on the palliative ward was a man whose life had been lived at the intersection of many margins. He was Indigenous. He was gay. He was dying of AIDS and Hepatitis and other things. He did not have any visitors. I noticed he was actively dying but still a bit cognizant and alone in the room.

I remember putting on medical gloves as I pulled them on—a thin, latex barrier that could not stop a human connection. I took his hand in mine. Listening to the rhythm of a life slowly fading. I gently told him the salvation message as he slowly died. I held on to his hand until his very last breath

I do not tell you this to make me look good. I tell you this because of the bridge that was built in that room.

Think of the distance the world put between me and that man:

Between the sacred and the stigmatized.
Between me a heterosexual man representing the institutional Church and a dying gay man the world had probably often rejected but God still loved dearly.

In that hand hold, those distances vanished. And that, my friends, is the heart of the Gospel. If I—a flawed, finite human like me—could reach across that divide to offer presence and peace, how much more does the Creator of the Universe reach toward us?

God does not wait for us to be ‘presentable.’ He does not wait for the symptoms of our brokenness to disappear. Just as Jesus died for every soul without exception, He stands at the bedside of our lives, reaches past our labels, and takes us by the hand. He accepts us exactly as we are, at the very moment we come to Him and find solace in Christ. Jesus accepted the Woman and He accepts us.

Galatians 3:28 declares to all believers in the salvation of Christ that, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus“

Seeking the Outcast

Notice the timing: the Samaritan woman is at the well in the middle of the day. Most women at that time in history went to the well in the cool of the morning or late evening and then they would socialize with the other women. Coming alone in the heat of the noon sun speaks volumes about the Samaritan Woman’s shame. She was a social outcast, yet Jesus went out of His way to find her.

Do we judge people the way the community judged this woman? We often categorize people and keep them at arm’s length.

Illustration: In the 1960s, a prestigious, conservative Anglican church stood directly across from a major university in San Francisco. The church was a place of high liturgy, polished wood, and “proper” decorum.

The service was seconds from beginning when the heavy oak doors swung open. In walked a young man—a university student. He is the very definition of the counter-culture hippy movement of the 1960’s. With his long, wild hair, his beaded and tasseled shirt, and those weathered, cut-off shorts, he looked like a man who had walked straight out of Woodstock. Even more shocking to the congregants was that he was barefoot.

As the congregation watched in stunned silence, this young man didn’t take a seat in the back. He walked all the way down the center aisle, reached the very front, and sat down cross-legged right on the floor almost directly in front of the raised pulpit.

The tension in the room was suffocating.

From the back of the sanctuary, the head usher—a “Sideman” in the truest English sense—began to move. He was an elderly, dignified man, who came from London, England. He was dressed in a crisp bespoke three-piece suit, a highly starched white shirt and red tie in a full Windsor knot. His shoes were polished to a mirror shine. He walked with a cane, and every step he took sent a tap echoing through the large silent sanctuary.

The congregation held its breath. They expected a stern rebuke from their proper elder. They expected a demand for the hippy to leave. Even the minister, standing high in his pulpit with his long vestments on, waited and expected and even looked forward to the confrontation.

But when the old man reached the young hippy man, he didn’t point to the door. Instead, he dropped his cane. He reached out a trembling hand to the hippie for balance, and with great effort, he lowered his body in his expensive suit onto the hard floor.

There they sat, side-by-side: the proper gentleman of the old world and the face of the counter culture hippies of the 1960’s.

The minister looked down, a single tear came down his face. He closed his notes and addressed the congregation with only one sentence:

“What I’m about to preach to you cannot compare to the sermon we have just witnessed.”

Do we judge people like the Samaritan community judged the woman or the congregation that viewed the hippy? Christ came for all to find peace and salvation. As I noted before, Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemius, an intellectual and scholar of the Law parallels Jesus’ conversation with the adulterous Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus came for an intellectual and also an adulterous woman. Can we understand that Jesus came for everyone? I sometimes forget this and judge young men that come to church with baseball caps on or teenage girls in very short skirts in church. Jesus came for all of us. Even me who has judged.

Uncovering Sin & Offering Grace

Jesus gently confronts the woman’s past—her five husbands and her current situation—not to condemn her, but to offer her a new life. This isn’t just about getting to heaven; it’s about bringing the Kingdom of God to earth now. When we pray in the Lord’s prayer “Thy kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven” is about bringing the kingdom of God here and now.

I find it interesting that the personal life of the Samaritan woman actually mirrored the Samaritan community, which at the time worshiped Yahweh but also served the many Assyrian gods.

We shouldn’t be too quick to judge the woman or the Samaritans. I love my wife, Jacquie, dearly and am faithful to her—but am I always “faithful” to God? Do I look to money for security instead of God? How about you?

We all come with baggage. As George Beverly Shea used to sing at the massive Billy Graham crusades: “Just as I am – though toss’d about, with many a conflict, many a doubt… O Lamb of God, I come!”

It is my prayer that everyone no matter what they have done can come accept the grace of God through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

Quenching the Spiritual Thirst

The “living water” Jesus offers carries a profound double meaning. In the ancient world, “living water” (Hebrew: mayim hayyim) referred to water that was moving—a bubbling spring or a flowing stream—as opposed to the stagnant, still water of a cistern or in this case Jacob’s well.

When Jesus speaks of Living Water, He is tapping into a rich biblical tradition. In Jeremiah 2:13, God describes Himself as the “fountain of living waters,” the direct and inexhaustible source of grace and life.

Consider the setting: this well was a physical legacy left by the patriarch Jacob. To the woman, Jesus’ claim of “living water” sounded like a geographical impossibility. She likely wondered if Jesus knew of a hidden, subterranean river running even deeper than Jacob’s ancient well. But the truth Jesus is talking about is more profound than any geological find. The source He speaks of isn’t found in the earth; God offers us this Living Water deep in our soul.

Jesus addresses the universal reality of spiritual thirst—a deep-seated longing for grace and purpose that no physical substance can quench. This offer of eternal life wasn’t just a lifeline for a marginalized Samaritan woman; it is a universal invitation. Whether we are Christians or “outcasts,” we all carry a parched soul that only Jesus can satisfy. Jesus offers a grace that does not just sit still like the water in a well, but flows through us, bringing significance to our lives today and into eternity–if we accept Christ as our Savior. Even if you are a Christian now–the living water can deepen your relationship to God.

The Unlikely Evangelist

To the Samaritan woman Jesus all of a sudden seems to know everything about her. She is stunned at all He knew. Next, the Samaritan woman says she is waiting for The Messiah or the Christ. Jesus tells her that He is that Messiah. The Samaritan woman is stunned and goes into town to tell about how Jesus knew all about her. The woman becomes the first evangelist to the Samaritans. . Her testimony leads a crowd from the town to encounter Jesus and confess Him as

the “Savior of the World”. As I have said she is a woman and a woman with a bad reputation but she spreads the word about Jesus to the town regardless of her gender and reputation. The Eastern Orthodox tradition even labels her as “equal to the Apostles”.

I have a Master’s degree in Divinity. Should clergy with education be the only evangelists of the good news about salvation through believing in Christ? Absolutely not! In my mind one of the reasons I preach is to send out all who hear the message into the world to spread the good news about Christ. If the Samaritan woman can be the light of Christ to her town can’t we be the light of Christ to the world. Each of us individually and the entire body of Dayspring can spread the good news to our communities, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and the whole world!

This reminds me of the great commission. This is the last command from Jesus to His disciples found in the gospel of Matthew, “therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything Jesus has commanded you. And surely Jesus is with you always, to the very end of the age.” You do not need to have a Master’s degree. You just need to know Christ as saviour and to go represent Him and tell about the Gospel Message to the World and Christ will be with you as you do it

Conclusion

“As we close our time together, we look back at the woman at the well and realize her story is our story. Just like the man whose hand I held in that hospital room, the Samaritan woman stood at the intersection of isolation and needed to experience transformation!

From the woman at the well who had an encounter with the Savior, we can glean five truths that can change the way we live:

First, Jesus breaks every barrier. Whether it is a well in Samaria or a palliative care ward, God sends Christ or his followers to everyone—no matter who they are or what they have done in their past.
Second, Grace is a universal gift. Jesus endured the cross so that no one—not the outcast, not the forgotten—should perish, but instead find salvation and eternal life.
Third, God sees the outcast. While the world labels and classifies, Christ models a love that looks past the person and the history to see the soul. He sees the Hippy, the adulterous woman, the dying man in the palliative ward and us. Do we love our neighbour as ourselves like God loves all?
Fourth, Christ alone quenches our thirst. We all have a parched place in our hearts that the world cannot fill. Today, you are invited to come to the well and drink of the Living Water God provides.
Finally, you are called to go and tell the Good News. The woman at the well didn’t wait for a theology degree to share her joy. She simply went. You don’t need a title; you just need to know the Savior.

So, I ask you today: Will you drink from the living water and allow Christ to transform your life? Will you let Him take your hand and fill your heart? And once you are filled with God’s Living Water, who will you go and tell?”

Song: As water to the thirsty (688)

We respond to serve God: Our time of giving

Reflection on giving: Having tasted the living water in Christ’s love and forgiveness, we bring our gifts to God in gratitude for such refreshment and renewal.

God has given us so many gifts in Christ and in creation. We offer our gifts in gratitude for the possibilities we enjoy, trusting God to multiply what we bring for goodness’ sake.

Prayer of gratitude and for others and ourselves

Lord, we come before you today to say thank you. Thank you for all you have given us–for all the blessings that we can and cannot see. With a grateful heart we thank you Lord for saving us from darkness and delivering us from evil. We accept what you did on the cross as you took our sin and shame. You can take away our sickness and can heal our pain. We thank you for all you have done and are about to do in our lives. Thank you, Lord.

Song: Come, let us sing to the Lord our song (412)

Sending out with God’s blessing

May you be filled today with the Living Water that only God provides—a spring welling up to eternal life. As you go, may you love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and extend that same radical love to every neighbour you encounter. And may you know Christ as the true saviour of your lives. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Response: Sing Amen

Music postlude

————————————————————————-

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

The Gospel in a Nutshell (Lynn Vaughan)

Posted on March 1, 2026March 1, 2026 by John

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

————————————————————————-

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.

Temptation is so Darn Tempting / Jesus comes down from the mountain top experience into the desert. How did He deal with testing?

Posted on February 22, 2026April 3, 2026 by John

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

————————————————————————-

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

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.

Posted on February 15, 2026February 15, 2026 by John

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

————————————————————————-

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

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.

Posted on February 8, 2026February 8, 2026 by John

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.”

¹⁵Neither 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

————————————————————————-

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