Christmas around the world (A Youth-led Service of Worship)

Posted on December 21, 2025December 21, 2025 by John

Worship on the Fourth Sunday of Advent )Christmas Pageant)
10:00 am December 21, 2025
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Lynn Vaughan Welcoming Elder: Darlene Eerkes

We gather to worship God

Music prelude

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

Welcome and announcements
Preparation for worship

Call to worship: Youth 1
L: An angel of the Lord declared, “God is with us”, this is the greatest gift of love.
P: Yet even at Christmas, love is often measured by gifts and material things.
L: But God’s love can come through people: a king named David, a prophet named Nathan, and Mary and Joseph. In a baby, God’s love was made real among us.
P: Can we believe that God’s love is revealed through people? On this fourth Sunday of Advent, we light the candle of love, a light for our world.
(Light the candle of love)
All: Living God, thank you for your deep and abiding love. May we see ourselves and others through your eyes, as we follow your way of love. Come, Lord Jesus.

Opening praise: Hope is a star (119)

Prayers of approach and confession (Youth 1)

Dear God, we come from many nations, languages, and cultures but on this day we gather as one family, God you have created a world filled with beautiful differences each one a reflection of your love. As we hear stories of Christmas from around the world today, open our hearts to see Christ in every culture and to recognize your light shining in every land. Forgive us when we forget that all people are our neighbours. Forgive us when we treat differences with fear instead of joy.

Renew us with your Spirit, so that we may follow the way of peace, the way shown to us in the birth of Jesus. AMEN.

Response: I waited I waited on you Lord

Assurance of God’s forgiveness

We listen for the voice of God

Song: There’s a voice in the wilderness crying

Dramatized Scripture (Readers: Youths 2 & 3; Actors: Sunday School children))

Luke 2: 1-7; 2:8-14; 2:15-29; Matthew 1:1-11

Musical Offering: Children and Youth

Song: The First Nowell (136) vss 1-3

Message: Christmas around the world

Introduction: Elder

SLIDE: Candle of LOVE)

Over the past few Sundays we have been reflecting on the Advent themes of hope, peace and joy in a world filled with animosity, distrust and division among peoples and the many nations on our Earth. We have heard how Christians exist as the temples of God – the Body of Christ – spread throughout every land and nation. Today we reflect on LOVE – God’s love that is radically demonstrated in the Christmas story, which you just heard a few minutes ago.

WE at Dayspring come from diverse cultures and nations around the world.

SLIDE: Map of different cultures:

If you take a moment to look at the map in the Great Room (and now on the screen) you will see some of the nations represented here, in our congregation. The youth of Dayspring would like to share with you some ways diverse cultures and nations around the world celebrate Christmas; we will have 6 specific presentations that represent the cultures of our youth and their families. We hope you notice that at the heart of these celebrations is GOD’s love made real in a baby! All around the world, in all nations on Earth, Christ followers give thanks at Christmas. The youth would like you to hear how their cultures celebrate Christmas and give thanks to our God.

Music Transition

#1 – Germany: Youths 1 & 2

SLIDE (Christmas tree)

Youth 1: Welcome to a German Christmas celebration…

Our great-grandparents on our mother’s side were from Germany, where many beloved Christmas traditions, like the Christmas tree, first began. In Germany, one of the most treasured Christmas traditions is the decorating of the Christmas tree. Families bring an evergreen tree into their homes and adorn it with candles, lights, ornaments, and stars. This moment is often filled with music, prayer, and thankfulness.

Youth 2: The Christmas tree tradition began in 16th-century Germany, where people decorated evergreen trees to celebrate the holiday to remember God’s story. A now classic Christmas tree was originally known as the “paradise tree,” a tree decorated with apples and wafers. These symbols point to Jesus, the “paradise tree” was meant to remind us of the tree of wisdom, and the apples that decorate it meant to remind us of sin entering the world, while the wafers represent the body of Christ, God’s ultimate sacrifice through Jesus. Overtime candles were added as decoration, the candles symbolized Christ as the Light of the World. The tree itself, an evergreen tree became a sign of eternal life through Jesus, whose love never fades. According to legend, Saint Boniface even called the fir tree the “tree of the Christ-child,” showing that all life and growth point back to Him. This tradition later spread across the world, carrying with it the message that the light of Christ shines for all people, everywhere. Now every year millions of people decorate their trees with ornaments that remind them of Jesus, and the joys and blessings God gives us. At this point, the children will be invited forward to place ornaments on the tree, each ornament representing a different culture and a different sign of God’s presence in our world.

Visual: Small Christmas tree will be set on the communion table.

Youth 1 decorates while Yoith 2 reads.
When done reading – Youth 2 invites children under 10 to help decorate (they come up and help Youth 1 who provides ornaments.
When decorations done the tree is lit up and stays lit…

Music Transition – Binu

Cameroon: Youth 4

Welcome to a Cameroonian Christmas in the Mbatu village.

(SLIDE 1) Story to be shared: Cameroon is a country in Africa, next to the Gulf of Guinea. It has three main types of land: the Tropical Rainforest in the South, the grassy Savannah in the Center, and the dry Arid North. Because of this mix of land, many different people live there. Even though Cameroon is smaller than Alberta, Canada, it has about 30 million people and more than 250 ethnic groups! Each ethnic group is like a Tribal Kingdom. They have their own Tribal King, their own religion, their own language, and even their own Tribal gods. That’s why people call Cameroon “Africa in miniature” – it’s like a small version of the whole continent.

(SLIDE 2) Manger scene: Christmas and the God-Above-gods – With so many Tribal gods, Christmas becomes even more special. People who follow Christianity believe in one God who is above all other gods. They celebrate Christmas as the day this “God-Above-gods” became human and came to live among us. Adults think deeply about this gift from God. But Christmas is really a time when children are the stars. Every child is celebrated as another “Baby Jesus.”

(SLIDE 3) Foods – Today, things have changed because of travel, modern life, and political problems. But when our dad was a child in the 1980s and 1990s, Christmas in the North West Region of Cameroon was full of joy. After church services, children would run home and form groups based on their neighborhoods. Then they would go from house to house, singing and playing with their Christmas toys.

At each house, the family would bring out a big tray of rice. The rice was usually served with tomato sauce and either pork or chicken. All the children sat around the tray, ate together, drank juice, and left with candies or small gifts. As they walked to the next house, they sang about how tasty the last meal was and how excited they were for the next one.

So Many Meals! In those days, a child in Mbatu Village – like our dad – could eat between 8 to 12 Christmas meals before the day ended! What happened after all that eating? Well, that’s a story for another time.

(SLIDE 4) Children together: All the children ate from the same tray, no matter where they came from, whether they had new clothes or toys, or even if their parents didn’t get along. This was the true spirit of Christmas in the North West Region. Even children from Muslim families or other religions were often allowed to join in the fun. In Cameroon, especially at Christmas, Jesus is seen as the Prince of Peace.

SLIDE 5 – Song (response)

Adult Cameroonian will sing this song and the congregation is invited to join in the response, printed on the screen.

Music Transition – Binu

#3 – Caribbean: Youths 5 & 6

Welcome to a Christmas in the Caribbean…

SLIDE: Food

Christmas in the Caribbean, particularly in Trinidad and Tobago, where our grandparents grew up, is a happy time for everyone in the island. Everyone, regardless of religion, celebrates the season in preparation for the birth of Christ. In every household, there is an urgency to clean, scrub and refresh furniture, window coverings, flooring and walls, all getting ready for Christmas Eve. Special Christmas dishes, include ham, pastelles (a pudding made with seasoned meats and cornmeal), rum cake, sweets, drinks like ginger beer, sorrel, rum punch, ponche de crème (eggnog with rum) are served to all visitors.

SLIDE: Carollers

Groups of carollers walk from house to house to spread the joy, singing Christmas carols and, sometimes, collecting donations of food or cash offered by the occupants. Because the islands of Trinidad and Tobabo are so close to South America, the second language taught in schools is Spanish. Some of the South Americans who migrated to Trinidad, brought their music, which is also sung at Christmas in Trinidad. These songs, called PARANG, and sung in Spanish, are also Christmas songs proclaiming the birth of Christ. Here is one the favourite songs that our family sings at Christmas, both in Trinidad and Tobago and in Edmonton. Please join us. Mary’s Boy Child

Song: Mary’s Boy Child : sung by Carribean family joined by congregation

Music Transition – Binu

#4 – Philippines: Youths 7 and 8

SLIDE – Manger scene

Youth7: Welcome to a Filipino Christmas — or as we say, “Maligayang Pasko!” I was born in the Philippines, where Christmas is the most joyful and the longest celebration of the year. Many say that in the Philippines, Christmas starts as early as September — we call it the “Ber months.” In the Philippines, the Christmas season isn’t just about lights or decorations — it’s about faith, family, and community. These values are at the heart of Filipino culture and make Christmas in the Philippines truly unique.

Youth8: In the Philippines, Christmas starts very early — as soon as the “Ber” months begin in September, you’ll already hear Christmas songs playing in malls, stores, and even on the radio. People begin decorating their homes with Christmas trees, lights, and the famous star-shaped lanterns called Parols. Homes, schools, and streets sparkle with decorations, and the joyful spirit of the season fills the air months before December.

Filipino families believe that celebrating early is a way to bring joy and hope into their homes, especially during challenging times. It’s a season that reminds everyone of togetherness, generosity, and faith.

Youth8: Even though I was born in Canada, I grew up surrounded by Filipino culture — and Christmas in a Filipino home feels very special. One of the biggest traditions is the Simbang Gabi, or “Night Mass,” a series of nine early morning church services leading up to Christmas Eve. Families wake up before sunrise to attend mass, pray, and give thanks. Because the Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country, faith plays a huge part in how Christmas is celebrated. One of the most meaningful traditions is Simbang Gabi, or “Night Mass.”

SLIDE – mass

Simbang Gabi is a series of nine dawn masses held from December 16th to Christmas Eve. It’s one of the oldest Filipino Christmas traditions, dating back over 400 years to Spanish colonial times. The masses usually start before sunrise — around 4 or 5 a.m. — so people can attend before going to work or school.

Families wake up while it’s still dark, walk together to church, and fill the air with songs and prayers. It’s a special time to prepare their hearts for the birth of Jesus. Many Filipinos believe that completing all nine masses brings blessings or a granted wish, but more than that, it’s a way of showing love, sacrifice, and devotion to God.

SLIDE: Foods –

After mass, people gather outside churches to share traditional Christmas foods like bibingka (rice cake) and puto bumbong (purple rice steamed in bamboo). This fellowship shows the warmth and generosity that Filipinos are known for — celebrating faith together as one community.

Youth7: Another favorite is the Parol, a bright, star-shaped lantern that represents the Star of Bethlehem. Every home, street, and church in the Philippines lights up with colorful parols to remind everyone of the light that guided the wise men to Jesus.

Youth8: lights parol (as Youth7 is reading)… The Parol (Lantern) is wired and will be at the front of the sanctuary probably by scripture reading podium (far left of sanctuary, near the wall banners?), plugged in, and remotely turn it on.

The Parol holds deep cultural meaning in the Philippines. It symbolizes light, faith, and hope during times of darkness. Historically, it was used to light the way for churchgoers attending Simbang Gabi before sunrise. Over time, it became a sign of community spirit and creativity — people would make parols out of bamboo and colorful paper, and today they come in many designs, from simple to beautifully intricate.

SLIDE: – parol on Communion Table

More than just decoration, the Parol represents the Filipino spirit of resilience and joy. No matter how tough life gets, the lantern’s light reminds everyone that God’s love still shines. The act of hanging a parol in every home reflects a Filipino’s belief that Christ’s light should dwell in every heart and that the Christmas season is about bringing that light to others through kindness and love.

Every December, entire villages and cities hold Parol–making contests and Lantern Festivals, turning the night sky into a sea of shining stars. It’s one of the most colorful and heartwarming sights of the season.

Youth7: The heart of all these celebrations is Jesus’ birth. The Simbang Gabi helps people prepare their hearts for Christ, just as Mary and Joseph prepared for His coming. The Paról reminds us that Jesus is the Light of the World, guiding us through darkness and leading us to God. In the Philippines, even though some families may not have much, they share what they have with neighbors, family, and friends. This reflects how God shared His greatest gift — His Son, Jesus — with all of us.

Youth8/Youth7: “From our family to yours — Maligayang Pasko! Just as this lantern shines brightly, may the light of Jesus shine in all our hearts this Christmas.”

Music Transition – Binu

#5 – Pakistan: Youths 9, 10, 11)

Welcome to a Pakistani Christmas celebration…

Youth 9: Good morning everyone. Today, we’re sharing a Christmas story — not acted out, but told — from the perspective of a Christian family in Pakistan.

Youth 10 10: Which means no giant Christmas trees… no loud music… and sadly…

Youth 11: …no blasting carols at full volume

Youth 8: Exactly. In Pakistan, Christians are a minority, and many families celebrate Christmas quietly — with candles, prayer, and faith.

Youth 10: But quiet doesn’t mean boring. Trust me.

Youth 9: On Christmas Eve, many families light candles and pray quietly, saying “Yesu Masih paida hua” — “Jesus Christ is born.”

Youth 11: Why candles?

Youth 9: Because light reminds them that Jesus is always with them.

Youth 1: Also because candles don’t need electricity… or permission.

Youth 11: Smart.

Youth 9: Each candle stands for something — hope, peace, joy, and love.

“Youth 10 and Youth 11 light candles and place them one by one of the communion table”

Youth 10: And sometimes patience… especially with siblings.

Youth 11: Hey!

Youth 10: Now let’s talk about the most important Pakistani tradition…

Youth 11: Food!

Youth 9: Of course.

Youth 10: On Christmas, families share food like Biryani, Curry, and Rice Pudding (Kheer).

Youth 11: Which means Christmas smells “AMAZING”.

Youth 9: Food brings families together.

Youth 10: And if you ask my brother, food is also the real reason for Christmas.

Youth 11: I mean… Jesus did feed people. I’m just saying.

Youth 9: Here in Canada, we’re blessed to celebrate openly.

Youth 10: We can sing loudly. Decorate freely.

Youth 11: And argue about which Christmas song is best.

Youth 10: (“Last Christmas”)

Youth 9: But families in Pakistan remind us that Christmas is about faith, not noise.

Youth 11: And light doesn’t have to be loud to be strong.

Youth 10: Now we are going to be saying a prompt, we will simply ask you questions and if you agree say “Amen”–which means Right on!

Youth 9: If you believe light shines in darkness, say “Amen.”

(Audience responds)

Youth 10: If you believe faith is stronger than fear, say “Amen.” (Audience responds)

Youth 11: And if you believe food makes everything better… say “Amen.” ( laugh + response)

Youth 9: God is love! Jesus is the light of the world. The light of Jesus spreads from one heart to another.

Youth 10: It spreads from Pakistan to Canada… from Germany to the Philippines. From Trinidad and Tobago to Cameroon and Ghana. From Scotland and France and to ALL nations in the world. We are grateful we live in Canada, a place with many cultures and the freedom to celebrate loudly, with singing and bright lights – to celebrate Christmas with all of you! Let there be light!

(Youth 9-Youth 10-Youth 11): From Pakistan to here — one family, one faith, one light.

Music Transition – Binu

#6 – French/German/Scottish: Youth 12

Welcome to a mixed celebration of French, German and Scottish…

SLIDE: Advent Calendar (stay up throughout the presentation)

My family has French, German, and Scottish heritage. We incorporate traditions from all of these into our Christmas celebrations. Two elements in our Christmas preparations and celebrations are advent calendars and a commitment to sharing and hospitality.

Advent calendars help to count down the days until the birth of Jesus. The 4-week period of the calendar is a time of spiritual preparation and anticipation as we await the birth of Jesus. Each door on the calendar represents a step closer to the main event. Calendars may contain daily treats or scripture readings. The final door on December 24th is often the largest and most significant door. In our home, my sister and I have had many different calendars over the years to count down the days and bring us closer to Christmas. My grammie uses a special candle that is marked and burned down a segment each day.

Hospitality and sharing at Christmas reflects the gifts brought to baby Jesus and the ultimate gift of God’s Son. Christmas is not about receiving but is about giving and sharing with others. Just as we received the ultimate gift, God’s gift of his son, Christmas allows us to share with others. Through the ongoing practice of hospitality and sharing, we can share the joy and hope of the season with others, not just at Christmas but throughout the year.

Our Dayspring community shares gifts of their time and talent all year round.

Video

Today, we continue this tradition at Dayspring as we gather items for others at our giving tree and share in celebration of the season with coffee and snacks after worship.

Music Transition – Binu

Conclusion: (Elder)

And so you have heard how some cultures celebrate Christmas. Did you hear the real reason for Christmas – the birth of a baby to make God’s love real to us. God’s love was with us in our past. God’s love is with us now in our present and God goes with us into our futures. In whatever form you celebrate Christmas this year, may you be reminded of this incredible love and that there are faithful followers of Christ ALL around the world.

SONG: O come all ye faithful (158) vss 1, 2, 4

We Respond to God

Our time of giving – Reflection on giving

Prayers of approach and confession (Youth 9…)

Dear God,

We come from many nations, languages, and cultures but on this day we gather as one family, God you have created a world filled with beautiful differences each one a reflection of your love. As we hear stories of Christmas from around the world today, open our hearts to see Christ in every culture and to recognize your light shining in every land. Forgive us when we forget that all people are our neighbours. Forgive us when we treat differences with fear instead of joy.

Renew us with your Spirit, so that we may follow the way of peace, the way shown to us in the birth of Jesus. AMEN.

Prayer of gratitude, and for others and ourselves (Youth 10)

Dear God, today we thank you for the rich stories and traditions that your children around the world bring to the celebration of Christmas. We thank you for the joy of Germany, the warmth of Cameroon, the rhythm of Trinidad, the devotion of the Philippines, and the courage and hope of Pakistan. Bless each person sharing their story today. and bless the places that shaped us.We pray for countries in conflict, for families far from home, for refugees seeking safety, and for communities longing for peace. May the light of Christ shine across the world, bringing comfort to the suffering and hope to the weary. Amen

Sending out with God’s blessing (Youth 9)

Dear God, You sent angels to shepherds, and a star to travelers from afar, reminding us that Christ came for every people, in every place. As we go out from this service, send us into the world as bearers of your love. May we honor the cultures around us, listen to each other’s stories, and build bridges of understanding and peace. Let the message of Christmas be good news of great joy for all people. Guide our words, our actions, and our hearts. Keep us united in your Spirit until all the world knows the hope and peace that came through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

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

Dayspring Presbyterian Church, Edmonton, retains the copyright (© 2025) on all original material in this service. Unacknowledged use of copyrighted material is unintentional and will be corrected immediately upon notification being received.

Joy is in Season Sometimes getting to a joyful place means travelling through a desert we don’t want to walk through. Often God uses the desert for our good and changes us, and the desert we walk through in the process.

Posted on December 14, 2025December 14, 2025 by John

Worship on the Third Sunday of Advent
10:00 am      December 14, 2025
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs     Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Welcoming Elder: Gina Kottke     Children’s time: Brad
Vocalists: Sam & Ann May Malayang     Reader: Vivian Houg

Our Lord, we come before You with humble hearts, ready to worship and share in fellowship. We thank You for the gift of our elders, whose wisdom and experiences bless our community. May this time together be filled with Your presence and peace

As we gather, help us to listen, learn, and lift each other up in love. May our words and actions reflect Your glory, and may our worship draw us closer to You and one another.

Guide us in our thoughts and grant us unity as we seek to honor You through our worship today. In Your holy name, we pray. Amen.

We gather to worship God

Music prelude

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

Welcome and announcements
Preparation for worship

Call to worship: Nicholas family
L: Mary praised God who entrusted her with a sacred role. Great things God has done!
P: With Jesus’ birth, the world will never be the same again.
L: The powerful will be toppled from their thrones. The hungry will be lifted up and joy will break through in unexpected places
P: Every time a child is born, the world changes for someone. Our lives changed when a humble young woman gave birth to the One who would save us. On this third Sunday of Advent, we light the candle of joy.
(Light the candle of joy)
All: Living God, gift us with Mary’s trust and readiness to accept your purpose. May we celebrate your coming, as we say with joy: Come, Lord Jesus

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

Prayers of approach and confession

Creator God, Maker of heaven and earth, with the sea and the stars, and everything in between,

we praise you for the wonders of this world and beyond it.

You set all creation in relationships both fruitful and fragile.

You make deserts bloom and refresh the earth with seasonal rain.

As you care for the vulnerable and all your people, we praise with joyful songs in our hearts this day, Our God, who is the Source, Saviour and Spirit of life, perfect in unity, splendour and truth.

Gracious Judge, we look around us and we are not proud of what we see.

People criticize each other and listen only to those who agree with them.

We grumble and think the past holds the solutions, forgetting its inequities and iniquities.

We are impatient for things to improve but we do not want to change our ways.

Forgive us for sharing in the ungrateful mood of our times, and renew in us the joy and gratitude we once knew for your gifts to us in Christ Jesus.

Response: I waited, I waited on you, Lord

Assurance of God’s forgiveness

Receive the Good News in joy. With great mercy, God forgives what we have confessed and offers us new life in Christ. Rejoice that you can make a new beginning and share the joy in mercy and forgiveness with others.

Musical offering: Dayspring Singers: Will we know him?

Harold Flammer Music a div. of Shawnee Press Inc.

We listen for the voice of God

Song: Jesus loves me (373 )

Children’s time

Christmas Gifts at your house, maybe under a tree

Have you checked how many of the gifts have your name on them?

Do you count them?

I heard about a little boy who checked the presents under the tree every day. As he checked to see if any new presents had been added, he grouped the presents together according to the names on the gifts. Then, after he had them arranged, he counted the gifts.

One day, he discovered that his sister had more gifts under the tree than he did and one of them was much bigger. He became very upset and ran into the kitchen where his father was preparing dinner.

“Katie has more presents under the Christmas tree than I do!” the little boy cried. Then he turned and ran from the room. He went to his room, closed the door, and sat pouting. He couldn’t even enjoy the Christmas season because he was so upset that someone else had more gifts under the tree than he did. Now most likely the parents spent the same amount on both kids. But also, so what if they didn’t. What this little boy did not understand is that one of the greatest joys Christmas comes not in how many gifts we get, but in seeing the people we love smile when we share what we have with them.

John the Baptist was sent to prepare people for the coming of Jesus. He told them to repent of their sins and prepare their hearts for the coming of the promised Messiah.

“What should we do?” they asked.

John answered them, “If you have two coats, give one of them to the one who has none. If you have food, share it with those who have none.”

If we want to experience the real joy that Jesus wants for us, then we have to learn to share! By sharing what God has so generously given to us, we will receive an even greater gift – the gift of joy.

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Song: All earth is waiting (109)

Scripture: Isaiah 35:1–10 & Luke 1:46b–55

Response: My Lord, he is a comin’ soon

Message: Joy is in Season

Sometimes getting to a joyful place means travelling through a desert we don’t want to walk through. Often God uses the desert for our good and changes us, and the desert we walk through in the process.

After the golden age of King Solomon—an era of wisdom, prosperity, and unity—the whole nation of Israel looked invincible, a biblical superpower glittering like sunlight off gold. But then, right after Solomon’s death, everything cracked apart. Around 930 BC, the great kingdom split into two.

Why? The usual reasons kingdoms and families fall—ego, heavy taxes, bad leadership, and a refusal to listen. Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, didn’t inherit his father’s wisdom. When the people begged him for mercy, he sneered: “My father disciplined you with whips; I will discipline you with scorpions.” That was the end of unity.

The northern tribes seceded, forming the Kingdom of Israel with its capital in Samaria. The south—Judah, centred around Jerusalem—remained loyal to the house of David. Two kingdoms, two stories, two directions.

This fracture changes how the Bible tells the story. The books of Kings offer a candid, often painful account of both kingdoms’ histories, chronicling the failures of their kings, widespread idolatry, and the consequences that followed. Written before the final exile, they trace the decline honestly and without excuse. Later, the books of Chronicles retell much of the same history with a different focus. Composed after the return from exile, Chronicles centers almost entirely on Judah, the Davidic line, the temple, and God’s enduring faithfulness—offering encouragement and hope to a people rebuilding their lives.

Into this chaos walk the prophets, with two of the most significant being Jeremiah and Isaiah. Both spoke primarily to the Southern Kingdom of Judah, delivering urgent warnings of coming judgment if the people continued in idolatry and injustice. They pointed to powerful foreign empires—first Assyria, then Babylon—as instruments God would use to bring discipline upon His unfaithful people. Yet woven through their messages of accountability was also profound hope: God judges to heal, and He promises future restoration for those who turn back to Him.

The Northern Kingdom fell first to Assyrian conquest, resulting in widespread devastation, death, and exile for many of its people. More than a century later, the Babylonians overran Judah, destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, and carried much of the population into captivity—aiming to erase their distinct identity and faith.

For the first 34 chapters of his book, Isaiah preaches a hard message. There’s judgment coming. There’s corruption. There’s injustice. People are worshipping in the temple but ignoring the poor. They raise their hands in prayer but turn their backs on their neighbours. The hard lesson of the North was lost on the South. Eventually God says, “Enough.”

Isaiah’s words cut deep: he names their national decay and personal compromise. But Isaiah isn’t just a prophet of doom—he’s a prophet of hope. He keeps pointing to a God who judges to heal, who wounds to restore.

Then, in Isaiah 35, everything shifts. There is, he says, hope… and joy will have its season again. Like dawn breaking after a long night, hope floods the horizon. Out of nowhere, Isaiah paints a picture of life springing up in the desert.

Scripture Reading – Isaiah 35:1–10

“The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
… Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.
The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground, bubbling springs.
… And a highway will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness;
the unclean will not journey on it;
it will be for those who walk on that Way.

The redeemed will return and enter Zion with singing;

everlasting joy will crown their heads.”

This chapter explodes with life. The desert sings. The wasteland dances. Flowers burst from cracked earth. Why the desert? Because Isaiah’s people lived with the memory—and the fear—of exile. Their land would be ruined, their temple destroyed, their parents killed, their sons and daughters carried away.

Now, imagine being among those exiles years later, sitting by the rivers of Babylon, homesick, humiliated, wondering if God had forgotten you. Then someone reads Isaiah’s words aloud: “The desert and the parched land will be glad.”

Those words would hit like water in a dry throat.

Isaiah describes the most impossible image his people could conceive—God making the desert bloom. In their experience, deserts killed everything. But Isaiah says, “No, this time the desert will help you home.”

The prophet speaks of “a highway”—a raised road, safe and unmistakable—called the Way of Holiness. Typically, long journeys in that region avoided the deadly deserts, following safer, longer routes through fertile land. When the captives of war were marched off to Babylon, they didn’t go straight to Babylon. That would be Southwest. No, that would mean crossing the desert. People didn’t do that. Instead, they went North, the West and then back South again. But Isaiah declares that one day, the redeemed will travel home on a miraculous path where God transforms even the most barren and feared places into sources of refreshment and joy.

That’s not just logistics. It’s spiritual geometry. The shortest route home is through the very place you fear.

Let that sink in: God doesn’t always take us around our desert. Sometimes, He takes you through it—and transforms it in the process. The place that symbolized death becomes the stage for deliverance. Giant trees provide shade from the sun, flowers bloom everywhere, and water brings to life an oasis for weary travellers.

When I was a kid, I used to ride my bike down a long stretch of blacktop in summer. The road would get so hot that mirages shimmered ahead of me—like puddles that weren’t really there. I’d pedal hard, thinking I’d reach water, but it was just heat playing tricks on my eyes.

Isaiah flips that idea on its head. He says the mirages will become real. The illusions of refreshment will turn into actual water. What was once an empty reflection becomes God’s provision.

That’s the miracle of Isaiah 35: where we expect disappointment, God gives deliverance; where we see wasteland, God plants a garden.

Then comes the heart of Isaiah’s vision:

“And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way.”

Isaiah says the unclean, the corrupt, can’t just wander onto that road—because holiness is not a shortcut, it’s a surrender. For 34 chapters, Isaiah has said, “You brought this on yourselves. You turned your back on God.” But now, he offers the way back: integrity, repentance, faith.

The Way of Holiness isn’t earned—it’s received. But you do have to walk it.

It’s a road of choice—every step a decision to trust God more than fear, to stay faithful more than comfortable, to believe that even deserts can bloom.

Isaiah doesn’t just promise spiritual renewal. He promises physical restoration:

“Then the eyes of the blind will be opened,
the ears of the deaf unstopped,
the lame will leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.”

This is holistic redemption. When God restores, it’s not halfway. He heals creation itself. It’s as though Isaiah sees beyond exile to a final redemption, where broken humanity is made whole again.

Centuries later, these exact words echo in Galilee when Jesus heals the blind and the lame. Matthew points it out—Although the captives were eventually released, only part of the prophecy came true. The people came home but the deaf could not magically hear. But as Matthew notes, Jesus literally fulfills Isaiah’s entire vision. The Way of Holiness becomes flesh and walks among us.

Now, what do we do with Isaiah’s vision in our world today? Because you and I know something about deserts. Not the physical kind, but the emotional ones.

Some here today are walking through the desert of grief—where the loss feels endless.
Some are stranded in the wasteland of regret—haunted by what could’ve been.
Some are weary from a long spiritual drought—praying but hearing silence.

Isaiah’s word for you is this: even here, God can build a highway.

The parts of your life that look barren might be the very ground where His grace will bloom. The journey you thought would destroy you may become your testimony.

God doesn’t waste deserts. He transforms them.

Deserts strip away distraction. They show us what truly matters. Israel met God first in a desert, during the Exodus. Elijah heard God’s whisper in the wilderness. Even Jesus faced temptation in the desert before stepping into His ministry.

So maybe the desert you’re in isn’t punishment—it’s preparation. Maybe God is paving something in you.

Isaiah’s imagery turns upside-down logic into gospel truth: The barren land rejoices. The wilderness sings. The journey home begins right where despair once lived.

When we fast-forward to the New Testament, Jesus steps into Isaiah’s prophecy. He calls Himself the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He opens blind eyes. He gives living water in dry places.

And then, on Calvary, He walks through the ultimate desert of sin and death—so that we could have a highway home.

That means your exile can end. Your wandering can stop. The Way is open because the Saviour has walked it before you.

Isaiah ends this chapter with one of the most beautiful lines in all of Scripture:

“The ransomed of the Lord will return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads.”

That’s not just a poetic ending—it’s a promise.

Joy is coming.

Restoration is coming.

Home is waiting.

But you have to step on the road.

Wherever you are today—in a spiritual desert, a broken relationship, an uncertain future—take the next step. Trust the God who turns mirages into streams. The highway is waiting for those who walk in holiness, who refuse to give up hope.

And one day, when all the deserts of this world are turned to the Garden of Eden, and every tear has been wiped away, we’ll walk that final stretch of the Way together—straight into Zion, singing. Amen.

Song: For all the love (440)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayer of gratitude, and for others and ourselves
God of all creation,
every creature finds its way to rejoice in your presence.
The desert blooms, a mountain top glistens,
a stream makes music flowing over rocks.
We give you thanks for the joy in nature that can lift our hearts.

Thank you for the joy we can share with each other,
for familiar songs on our lips,
for greetings from old friends,
for the excitement of children in this season,
and for the promise born again in us as we anticipate Jesus’ birth.

God of the world, its wonders and its woes,
we know there are many people who cannot rejoice this year,
so we open our concerns for the world before you this day.

We remember those who have been silenced
by oppressive regimes
by shocking tragedy
by bullying and threats
or by illness that takes away speech.

Help us listen with care when words are not easy to find,
and show us when and how to speak when others cannot.
We remember those who have grown weaker
through changing economic circumstances,
through aging or illness,
through fear or loss,
through hunger and homelessness.

Renew their strength and courage to engage life as they are able,
and show us when and how to offer our support and encouragement.

We remember those whose days are filled with fear
because of war and conflict on their streets,
because of intimidation and discrimination,
because the security they relied on has disappeared.

Bring them protection and comfort in uncertain situations,
and make us wise and generous neighbours who can offer relief.

We remember those whose lives seem empty
because their cupboards are bare,
because someone precious is absent
because choices made have not been fulfilling

Fill empty lives with meaning and purpose.
Show us how to share what we have in ways that are generous and dignified,
and let joy dawn again where it has died.

Song: Hark the glad sound (118)

Sending out with God’s blessing

Go with joy renewed this day, energized to share that joy with justice and generosity in the world God loves. And may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Response: Sing Amen

Music postlude

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

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

The Peaceful Kingdom

Posted on December 7, 2025December 7, 2025 by John

Worship on the Second Sunday of Advent
Communion
10:00 am December 07, 2025
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Linda Farrah-Basford Welcoming Elder: Darlene Eerkes
Reader: Jan Ray Moncada

We gather to worship God

Music prelude

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

Welcome and announcements
Preparation for worship

Call to worship: Johnson/Hoag family

L: The psalmist dreamed of a world where leaders govern with righteousness, and the poor are treated with dignity and justice.

P: In this new creation, the oppressed are set free, the vulnerable are protected and peace flows like a river

L: Today, too many experience violence, poverty and persecution. Yet, they yearn to know peace.

P: We long to live in that new creation, where God’s glory is revealed on earth, through justice and peace. Today, on this second Sunday of Advent, we light the candle of peace as a prayer of longing.

(Light the candle of peace)

All: Living God, help us to recognize your presence wherever people work for peace. Teach us to be instruments of your peace in the world. Come, Lord Jesus.

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

Prayers of approach and confession

God of all wisdom and gentle understanding,

God of deep peace and never-breaking promises,

You are the One who breathes life into us, and somehow You’ve made Your home inside our hearts. You call us Your own children; us!; and You keep inviting us to live the way You do: with wide-open doors, warm welcome, hearts that make room for everyone.

In Jesus You hold out living water that washes away everything that hurts us and everything we’ve done wrong, and You call us gently back to the path where things are fair and kind and right.

With Your Holy Spirit You splash us clean, set us apart for a beautiful purpose, and keep showing up every single morning with fresh love and a new day to live it out together.

God of peace who never gives up on us: sometimes we act like Your love is something we’ve earned, something we deserve. We get comfortable, assume we’re fine just as we are, and then turn around and judge everybody else without a drop of kindness.

We’ve been slow—too slow—to open our arms to people who don’t look or think or believe like we do. You keep whispering, “Turn around, come home, let Me change you,” but we pretend we don’t hear, or we’re scared of what changing might cost us.

Forgive us for being so full of ourselves.

Forgive the hard edges in our hearts.

Shake us awake again with Your dream of a kingdom where everyone belongs, where everything broken becomes brand-new, and where peace actually wins.

We’re ready and we wait on You Lord. Amen.

Response: I waited, I waited on you, Lord

Assurance of God’s forgiveness

Receive the Good News in peace.

With great mercy, God forgives what we have confessed and offers us new life in Christ. Receive the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and be at peace with God, with yourself and with one another.

We listen for the voice of God

Song: Oh come, oh come, Emmanuel vrs 1,3,4,6,7 (122\

Scripture: Isaiah 1:1–10; Psalm 122; Romans 15:4–13

Response: My Lord, he is a comin’ soon

Message: The Peaceful Kingdom

A few years ago, in St. Louis, Missouri, a news report broke as the lead story for the noonday report. In a low and sober tone, the voice read the following words with great passion. “Someone stole Jesus. Last night, vandals went to the manger scene at St. Louis City Hall and stole the small ceramic baby Jesus. Again, someone has stolen Jesus. If anyone has information on where Jesus might be, please get in touch with this station immediately. The city is most anxious to recover Jesus and put Him back “where He belongs.”

This story is not that unusual. On Dec. 24^th, 1953, an episode of TV’s Dragnet had Sgt Friday called upon to investigate just such a case. According to Washington-DC journalist, Daniel Nasaw, communities across the world suffer similar thefts all the time. Baby Jesus figurines and, in some cases, entire nativity scenes are a common targets around the holiday season for vandals and pranksters.

In 2008, Jesus was stolen from the First United Methodist Church in Kittanning, Pennsylvania, and replaced with a pumpkin. In Eureka Springs, Arkansas, one thief made off not only with the baby-Christ-child, but also absconded with the huge heavy concrete block and chain that was supposed to act as a deterrent and keep the baby Jesus “right in place where he was supposed to be”.

And apparently, it’s becoming more and more common all the time. In December 2017, figures of Baby Jesus and the Virgin Mary were stolen from a Nativity scene outside a church in Bancroft, Ontario. A couple of years ago, there was even a private Facebook group called “I Stole the Baby Jesus from the Nativity Scene,” where people could post pictures of their pranks and share humorous stories. The page has now been taken down, but copycat pages are still popping up. In fact, stolen Baby Jesus figures have their own Wikipedia page. It’s titled, “Baby Jesus Theft”.

What’s strange, though, is that for me the words of that newscaster seem to come truer and more accurate each year. This is particularly true just before Christmas. The reporter said, “Someone stole Jesus,” and it’s true. Now I’ve got a little confession to make. And no, it’s not what you’re thinking… I never stole a baby Jesus. No, it’s that I “hate” something.

I really hate it. I know it’s a strong word, but I hate this.

Every year, new TV shows come and go, but almost every one of them seems to think it has to have its very own special Christmas episode. And my confession is that I absolutely hate this. Time and time again, the poorly written characters sit down with the wise father or underestimated neighbour at the end of their 22-minute ordeal, to wrap everything up all nice and neat in a pretty little bow, so the TV writers and actors can teach all of non-Hollywood types about “the true meaning of Christmas”. With corny music playing softly in the background and setting the tone for this huge revelation, without fail, the lessons will pour out of the characters’ mouths that “The true meaning of Christmas is to… spend time with your family” or “that it is better to give than it is to receive”. And while I think those are both good things (really good things)… quite frankly, nothing makes me angrier than to hear some otherwise completely irreligious person on TV tell (literally) millions of viewers, that the true meaning of Christmas is anything other than the birth of Christ. Every time I see one of these shows, I get angrier and angrier, and I can’t help but think it… Someone just stole Jesus. And I can’t stand it. I hate it.

When some teenager swipes a ceramic Jesus figurine from outside a church, I must admit there is a tiny part of me (barely worth mentioning) that finds at least some small piece of humour in that. It’s just a little doll after all.

But when someone has the nerve to steal Jesus from his rightful place as the “reason for the season”, right before our eyes and then make up w whole new reason for Christmas – that really does drive me up the wall.

—-Thought Shift—-

According to the Traditional view, when the Second Temple in Jerusalem was looted and the services stopped, Judaism was effectively outlawed when circumcision was declared to be illegal. It was 167 BCE (long before Jesus’s birth), and Emperor Antiochus took over the Jews’ only place of worship and ordered an altar to a foreign god to be erected in the Temple. The pagan state ripped down the menorah: something that was always supposed to remain lit and had never gone out since the day the Temple was first built. And worse yet the Emporer even ordered pigs to be sacrificed at the Jewish altar as an offering to Apollo. This, of course, provoked a large-scale revolt.

Although they were few in number and had no real military to speak of, Mattathias (Mattis – Yahoo), a Jewish priest and his five sons led a guerrilla-type rebellion. When Mattathias died, his son Yehuda HaMakabi (or “Judah the Hammer”) took over as leader. Against all odds, “Judah the Hammer” actually managed to take back the Temple for God’s people and rededicated it to the Lord. But first, Judah the Hammer had a new altar installed and set up a new menorah to consecrate the place of worship once again. As the story goes, while the Makabi’s were holding off the temple intruders, there was only enough oil inside to light the menorah for one night. Instead the oil miraculously lasted for 8 days (just long enough a time to prepare fresh oil to keep it going again). The Jewish sages declared an eight-day festival to commemorate this miracle. It’s called Hanukkah (the festival of lights). This is the true meaning of Hanukkah. It’s about reclaiming the people’s faith from a violent oppressor.

Now here is the kicker! No one in their right mind would ever go on TV and make up a new “true meaning of Hanukkah” and try to pass it off to the public as the real “true meaning”. No one would ever do that! No one would ever dare say, “the true meaning of Hanukkah is that giving is better than receiving”. No, it’s not!

“Giving is better than receiving” is a good lesson, but it’s not the true meaning of Hanukkah and if someone said that on TV, the Jewish People would be outraged! You can’t just invent some new revisionist history of someone elses religion.

No, don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that Christians in Canada are SOOOO persecuted and Jews have never had to face persecution (that would be wild). But what I am saying is that today, in Canada, no one would ever dare attempt to steal the true meaning of Hanukkah. But every time I see a Christmas special (broadcast across my television screen), they do just that to us and our faith. And every time, I can’t help but think the same thing: It just happened again. “Someone just stole Jesus”.

In the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul writes to the Church in Rome to introduce himself and his beliefs before he visits them. His primary topic, though, is really the relationship between Jewish-Christians (those brought up to follow the Jewish customs that later came to believe in Christ) and Gentile-Christians (non-Jews who came to believe in Jesus as the Jewish Messiah without becoming Jews first). And both of these were really just seen as new movement within Judaism. Christians were, in fact, (Jewish and gentile Messiah followers) were essentially just an early version of reformed Judaism. In fact, up until the latter half of the first century, in many cities, the Christians continued to worship in the Jewish synagogues right alongside not only other Jewish Christians but also, in many cases, the orthodox Jews (who had rejected Jesus as Messiah). But this did not come without some difficulties. In our earliest form, Jews and Christians worshiped together in the same buildings and structures.

In Romans chapter 15 (read from here today), Paul writes about how Jews, Jewish-Christians and Gentile-Christians should all be able to live together in peace.

And while Paul admits many differences in the beliefs between these groups of people, he also points out that one does not have the right to judge the other too harshly. Instead, he commands that we “live at peace” and help one another to build a stronger life in the faith.

Paul writes, “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you all the same attitude of mind toward each other, that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice, you (plural) may glorify the God and Father of our Lord-.”

While the Jewish-Christians maintained that Jesus came just to save the Jews, Paul (a Jewish Christian himself) said that Christ came with the same level of acceptance for all peoples (Jew and Gentile alike). He proclaimed a salvation offered to absolutely every people group on earth (adding “there is no long slave nor free male or female”); meaning that the caste systems and categories of people are no more; that anyone and everyone can come to worship the Father through Jesus Christ.

And then Paul writes to tell the people that the absolute best way to worship the Father in heaven is to see other people the same way that Jesus saw them (“so that with one mind and one voice [we] may glorify the God and Father of our Lord-”). He writes further that this unity is called for… “to bring praise to God”. In other words, Paul says that bickering about things and trying to prove who’s holier than who, doesn’t impress God. He says that God is not honoured by people arguing with each other. Instead, he urges us, “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you”.

In short, the Jewish-Christians felt like these pagan gentiles… had stolen their God; right out from underneath them, discarded their traditions and then claimed to know better than the Jews themselves, how the Jewish Messiah should be worshiped.

And when the people bickered over who God came to, Paul told them to share in the things they could all agree on and to accept one another as Christ accepted them. This, he says, is how God is best glorified. And when the Jewish-Christians wondered what right the Gentile-Christians had to worship their messiah, Paul wrote to say that the Gentiles had been invited to worship God through them.

He said that the people should be able to worship together and that the Jewish-Christians should invite the Gentiles into their fellowship so that they could all celebrate together what Christ has done for all people (despite their differences).

…And there you have it.

Have you ever been reading from your Bible and all of the sudden you have an epiphany? Have you had one of those times when God sort of (slaps you upside the head)? Well, there you have it. I had it.

It was that moment when God showed me that my “righteous indignation” (my holy anger)… my “Godly-hatred” for things that oppose the Lord… that’s it’s really just my own personal anger. It was that moment when God was convicting me of my anger.

I thought… Every year, show after show after show, I have been getting angrier and angrier. Every year, these people on the TV screen do it again and again: they steal Jesus. They take Christ out of Christmas, out of Christmas Cards, out of schools, out of public sight, even out of the name of our own Holy Day, and then they make up whatever they want Christmas to be about so they can try to tell me what “the true meaning of Christmas is”. And it’s not fair!

It isn’t.

It’s not fair that they walk right up into the manger scene and steal Jesus right out from under our noses.

It’s not fair that they get to celebrate our religious holiday; our Holy day off work, while at the same time they reject our religion and our Christ. All of the benefits, none of the cost.

It’s not fair that Christians go to work on other people’s religious holidays, but everybody gets our Holy day off; which they then emmediatly insult by making it anything and everything but what it’s actually about!

It’s not fair that they’d never dare do this to any other religion on the face of this planet. It’s not fair that nobody would ever make up a new “true meaning of Hanukkah,” but we’re fair game.

It’s not fair… but it is true… “someone stole Jesus”. And they always will.

And then God smacked me upside the head. “Brad,” and it hit me.

I bet it didn’t seem fair to the Jews that God promised the Children of Abraham that they would be His people, only to turn around and explain that being a child of Abraham has nothing to do with genetics and that they wouldn’t be the only ones.

I bet it didn’t seem fair that people devoted their whole lives to observing strict dietary laws, giving sacrifices and following cumbersome cleansing rituals only to have God invite us Gentiles to His party too.

You know what – It flat out isn’t fair as Jesus described it, that our God decided to pay the workers that showed up at the end of the day the same amount he had agreed to pay the workers that had been labouring all day long.

It isn’t fair at all, actually.

…And thank God for that!

Grace never seems fair.

Because it’s not fair.

It’s better than fair… It’s grace. It’s an underserved offer.

And so yeah… let’s make no mistake about it. Someone stole Jesus. And they will keep doing it.

But we need to admit that before they stole him right out from under our noses, we chained Him to that big cinderblock and caged him in that nativity scene. And we are the ones that put Him in a nice, neat little box “right in place where he was supposed to be”.

So it’s true… Someone really did steal Jesus, but then again, maybe they stole him because we had him locked away (chained down)… because we were selfish with him.

Just so we are clear – I will never concede that Christmas is about anything other than the birth of Jesus Christ.

But maybe if I were more willing to share Jesus with the world, there would be a lot fewer people trying to steal him. Maybe, instead of pointing out all the differences between “The true meaning of Christmas” and the Christmas people want to celebrate on TV, I could just be happy that the world sees some of what we have in Christ and wants to celebrate a small part of it with us. Maybe if I thought of it like sharing, I would be a lot less bothered and judgmental.

Maybe if I spent more time thinking about the One who gives endurance and encouragement and more time seeking peace and understanding, I’d be able to put on the “same attitude of mind toward others that Christ Jesus had”. Maybe if we all did that, we’d be more able to, “with one mind and one voice” speak together about those things that we can agree on, “to bring praise to the God and Father of our Lord”.

Maybe if we did more of that, we’d stop chaining Jesus down, and instead we’d start inviting the rest of the world in – to celebrate our Holy Day with us. Maybe we’d be less likely to think of people as stealing Jesus if we shared him more in the first place? – Amen

Song: O for a world where everyone (730)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayer of gratitude, and for others and ourselves

God of the peaceable kingdom Isaiah envisioned,

where predator and prey are reconciled,

and children play in safety,

we give you thanks for every step taken towards reconciliation among rivals.

and every program provided to give children a reliable future.

Thank you for policies implemented on behalf of the climate

and every vulnerable creature,

to give us all hope for an enduring future in the world you love,

for peace will not come if the earth keeps tilting out of balance.

God of peace with justice,

make us better stewards of the gifts you give us.

God of John the Baptist’s rallying cry,

You raised up John in the wilderness as a voice calling us to conversion.

We thank you for signs of renewal and change in the church,

and in communities grappling with historic injustice and current outcry.

Guide advocates who work for change with both courage and compassion.

As we await the coming of Christ,

awaken the church to new ways to undertake ministry and mission,

and give us the energy and resources to reach out in ways we have yet to imagine.

God of peace with justice,

Make us better stewards of the gifts you give us.

God of steadfast encouragement,

St Paul called the followers of Christ to live in harmony,

and welcome those perceived as strangers to them

Thank you for welcoming us when we were strangers

to a new community, a new church and a life changed by unexpected circumstance.

We pray for people who are apprehensive about this Christmas season

because life has changed for them,

or circumstances leave them feeling lonely and discouraged.

Draw close to those who suffer in body, mind or spirit,

and guide us to reach out to someone who needs comfort or encouragement.

God of peace with justice,

Make us better stewards of the gifts you give us.

God of justice and equity,

The psalms, the prophets and the gospels proclaim your care for the poor,

and your expectation that your people will look to the needs of the vulnerable.

We thank you that Canada has resources to share,

and pray that our leaders will attend to longstanding injustice and urgent need

without excuse or delay.

We pray for places torn apart by war,

and for communities devastated by storm, flood, fire or drought.

Challenge any who would hoard scarce resources or profit by exploiting others.

Open our hearts to share what we can, even in these difficult times.

God of peace with justice,

Make us better stewards of the gifts you give us.

Passing the peace

The Sacrament of Holy Communion

Invitation

This is the Table of the Lord.

Come, like Mary, placing your trust in Godto help you through whatever lies ahead.

Come, like Joseph, relying not on the law or reputation, or anything other than the love of God.

Come, like the angels, lifting your voice in praise of God, spreading peace to all the earth.

Come, like the shepherds, called from work to the joy of worship.

Come, like the Magi, from all corners of the globe,to greet the Christ child.

This is the Table of the Lord.

Come, all you who long to meet God here, for you are very welcome.

Song: I come with joy (530)

The Apostles’ Creed (539)
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

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

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

The Communion Prayer

Dear loving God, Creator of the heavens and the earth,

It feels so right, and it’s honestly our deepest joy and privilege, to love You and praise You with everything we’ve got: our hearts, our minds, our whole lives.

You spoke light into the darkness when there was nothing, and You shaped us to look like You, to carry Your image. You made us to love You back, to walk with You, and to live in the beautiful peace of the world You love so much.

When we walked away, You never walked away from us. You kept reaching, kept speaking gentle words of freedom through the prophets, keep calling us home to Your heart.

And now, together with the angels singing around Your throne, with the shepherds who ran to the manger, with every saint and prophet and friend of Jesus who’s ever lived, with Your people in every corner of the world and across every century… we lift our hearts and say thank You.

Thank You, holy God, for sending Jesus, the Son You love so much. Born in the dark of night, yet He is the Light that changes everything. Born in a rough stable, yet wrapped in more glory than we can imagine. He had nothing, yet He’s the One who pours out mercy like it’ll never run out. The world pushed Him away, but He keeps opening His arms wide to everyone. He died on that cross, and in that moment He gave us brand-new life. He walked out of the grave and promised, “I’m with you always.” And when He went home to You, You sent Your Holy Spirit to keep us close to Him, close to each other, close to You.

So here we are, loving Father, gathered around this table that feels like home. Pour out Your Holy Spirit on us right now, on every one of us, and on these simple gifts of bread and wine. Make them for us the body and blood of our Jesus. Feed us with Him so we can become like Him, His hands and feet, His love alive in this hurting world, made brand-new and set free by everything He’s done for us.

Through Jesus, with Jesus, in Jesus, held together by Your beautiful Holy Spirit, all the glory is Yours, now and forever. Amen.

Sharing of the Bread and Wine

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

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

(Breaking the bread) This bread is the body of Christ, broken for you.

(Lifting the cup) This is the blood of Christ, shed for you.

Every time we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the birth, death, and resurrection of our Lord, until he comes again. – Amen.

Song: One bread one body (540)

Prayer after Communion

Lord, always here, always holding us close, yhank You for this meal, for giving us Your very self in the bread and the cup.

Our hearts are full, and because You’ve loved us like this, we want to love You back with everything we are.

So here we are—take us, all of us.

Send us out into this night carrying Your light, walking right behind Jesus, our Prince of Peace.

Fill us up with Your love until it spills out everywhere we go –

feeding the hungry, noticing the lonely,

telling everyone we meet the beautiful news that they are loved,

all because of Jesus,

the Child born in wonder,

born for this world You love so fiercely.

We’re Yours. Amen.

Song: May the God of hope (726)

Sending out with God’s blessing

May the love of the Christ Child embrace you,

and the joy of the Christ Child fill your heart.

May the peace of the Christ Child give you rest, and the hope of the Christ Child guide you into the year ahead. Amen.

Response: Sing Amen

Music postlude

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

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

Retooled

Posted on November 30, 2025November 30, 2025 by John

Worship on the First Sunday of Advent
Elder Induction
10:00 am November 30, 2025
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs     Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Vivian Houg     Welcoming Elder: Shirley Simpson
Children’s time presenter: Brad     Reader: Tracy Childs

We gather to worship God

Music prelude

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

Welcome and announcements
Preparation for worship

Call to worship (Nagpal family)
L: The prophet Isaiah announced that people of all nations will come to the mountain of the Lord and learn God’s ways.
P: When we look at this suffering world, we know we need to follow God’s ways.
L: God will settle disputes among the nations. Weapons will be transformed into tools for planting and growth. Nations will live in peace; no more will they prepare for war.
P: We cling to that promise and light this candle of hope, inspired by a vision of a world where children grow into adulthood, and parents live to old age.
(Light the candle of hope)
All: Living God, make us more aware of your presence. We trust yourp promises and wait with hopeful hearts. Come, Lord Jesus.

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

Prayers of approach and confession

God, who sees the weapons and the wreckage in our world, we’re showing up today desperate for your perspective. The news cycles through missiles in Ukraine, rocket fire in the Middle East, and division ripping through our own communities. We’re tired of living scared, scrolling through destruction, and feeling powerless against the violence. We need your voice cutting through the chaos.

Holy Spirit, dismantle our anxiety right now. Remind us you’re bigger than any army, more potent than any weapon, and working purposes we can’t yet see.

Take this moment and make it holy. Open our eyes to see your kingdom breaking in. Help us worship with hope instead of fear. Move in this room. Change us from the inside out.

Let’s get brutally honest with God about what’s breaking our hearts:

God, we’re carrying too much. The missile strikes killing families in Ukraine this week. Hezbollah rockets are terrorizing Israeli communities. Political hatred is poisoning our dinner table conversations. Hurricane survivors are still without power or homes.

We’ve become numb to the body count. Or we’re angry and lashing out at the wrong people. We’ve binge-watched the war coverage instead of crying out to you. We’re hoarding our resources instead of sharing.

Forgive us for our paralysis, our selective outrage, our failure to love through the mess. Break our hearts for what breaks yours.

[20 seconds silence]

Jesus, you faced Roman oppression, religious hypocrisy, and empire violence, too. You didn’t panic. You didn’t curse. You prayed through the night. You served through the suffering. You loved through the lunacy.

That same power lives in us. Our mistakes don’t disqualify us. Our weakness doesn’t stop you. Right now, we receive your forgiveness. Right now, we claim your strength. Right now, we’re stepping into our purpose.

Forgive us for our paralysis, our selective outrage, our failure to love through the mess. Break our hearts for what breaks yours.

Response: I waited, I waited on you, Lord

Assurance of God’s forgiveness

God declares us a peace bigger than the headlines. We’re free to hope again!

Induction of an Elder: Andrea Gartrell
Narration of Steps
Induction Vows
Congregational Response
Declaration
Right Hand of Fellowship

We listen for the voice of God

Song: Jesus loves me (373)

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

Song: God’s name forever shall endure (43)

Scripture readings: Matthew 24:36–44; Isaiah 2:1–5; Psalm 72:1–7 ,18–19

Response: My Lord, he is a comin soon

Message: Retooled
A world drowning in violence, parents in Kyiv whispering goodbyes to children before school, fearing a missile’s shadow; Israeli families clutching each other in bomb shelters as rockets scream overhead; American mothers cradling empty cribs after sons fall to bullets at gas stations. This isn’t ancient history. It’s November 29, 2025, and the headlines scream Isaiah’s nightmare: Judah’s farmers clutching pruning hooks against Assyrian spears, desperate civilians today grasping at straws amid overwhelming firepower. Over 200,000 conflict deaths this year alone; a 20% surge from 2024: shatter lives, orphan futures, and mock our cries for peace. Swords into plowshares? Not yet. But the desperation? Heart-wrenchingly familiar.

November’s Raw Toll according to the UN, The Associated Press, Reuters, and ACLED reports lay bare the week’s horrors:

Ukraine: Russia’s November 25 barrage, 36 missiles, 600 drones ripped through Kharkiv and Kyiv, killing at least 11 civilians. Over 500,000 plunged into winter darkness; Zelenskyy called it a “difficult night” and sabotaged U.S. peace talks. Imagine: sirens wail as kids huddle in metro stations, homework by flashlight, wondering if dawn brings death.

Lebanon-Israel: Hezbollah’s November 26-27 launched over 200 rockets and drones into northern Israel, wounded 7, forcing thousands underground. Israeli reprisals killed 1 Lebanese soldier, injured 18, after Beirut strikes claimed 29. PM Mikati decried a “bloody message” shattering cease-fires. Families in Haifa and Beirut: generations of hate, now a child’s terror in the basement dark.

In Chicago, Thanksgiving’s shadow hid 3 dead, 26 wounded in November 21-24 shootings, a 14-year-old boy dying near the Chicago Theatre amid a “teen takeover,” a 20-year-old neck-shot in an argument, a 25-year-old ambushed at a gas station. Mayor Johnson surged 700 officers, but systemic rot festers—mothers sob.

Iran’s Post-June strikes on Natanz, Tehran vows 2,000 missiles at once to drown Israel’s Iron Dome—enough uranium for 11 warheads hidden, IAEA access blocked. President Pezeshkian stated that his people are “Ready for war.” No November blasts yet, but the sword hangs, igniting dread of nuclear fire.

Hurricane Melissa’s October-November wrath left over 2 million powerless as of November 17; a Washington cyclone added 600,000 more. Families in Florida and Georgia huddle in cars amid debris.

These aren’t threads in a tapestry. They’re knives twisting in the gut of humanity.

In Nigeria Boko Haram November surge targeted 300 some Catholic schoolgirls kidnapped in Niger State (November 21), 2 slain in a church raid; 25 girls seized from Kebbi (November 17), 1 staffer murdered. A Mubi mosque bombing killed another 50. Farmers arm with machetes against ghosts in the night; Christians flee, faith a death sentence.

In the Sudan’s hundreds slaughtered in revenge, 250,000 “killed, died, displaced, or vanished” per Yale. The UN says 3,384 more civilian deaths were added this month.

Famine grips 375,000 more in Darfur, and 25 million face starvation nationwide. Ethnic cleansing on biblical scales, Assyria reborn. Mothers watch children waste to bones; the world averts its eyes.

Andrew Jackson, who later became the president of the United States, originally won fame as a prominent general in the United States Military. In the early part of 1815, a deadly battle began. Many soldiers were wounded and died on both sides, but General Jackson and his brave men fought and won. Countless books would record his story as the leader in the Battle of New Orleans, the last great battle of the War of 1812.

Isaiah was a prophet in Judah. He lived in 740BC. He was married. He had two sons, and at the time of his first writings, he and his wife were pregnant. He was a professional writer and court prophet (a spiritual and political commentator of his day). He also wrote a biography of the life of King Uzziah (the Judean King) and seems to have sat in his court as a permanent fixture. And yet he was a man of contradictions… a life held in tension.

Considering some of the things he said, his name (which means The LORD Saves) may have seemed a bit ironic to his fellow Judeans. Judah, after all, was about to be demolished, and Isaiah (one of the King’s own) was asking the people not to fight (something that wouldn’t have been well received). Isiah’s book of the Bible also contains hidden jabs at political figures and other palace officials. Almost like an ancient comic strip in Isaiah 7:6, Isaiah seems to have replaced a politician’s name with (Ben Taval), which means “Good for Nothing”. The politician’s real name is unknown, but apparently it rhymed with Ben Taval, and this didn’t escape Isaiah’s particular sense of humour. Evidently, though, his message didn’t go over all that well, and as the writer of Hebrews tells us, Isaiah was eventually sentenced to death and was actually sawn in half (Hebrews 11:37).

After King Solomon died, his kingdom was split into two: The northern kingdom called Israel and the southern kingdom called Judah (with Jerusalem as the city’s capital). But being a divided people with two separate kings made things like self-defence and political negotiations a bit difficult.

So by the time Isaiah came around about 250 years later, things weren’t really looking that good. His life was difficult, and he lived in an even more difficult time. But despite all of this, Isaiah wrote not just about judgment but also about redemption. And though he spoke of a coming exile as punishment from God, he also dreamed of a day when the Messiah would come and bring a new kind of peace to the unstable world around him.

It seems Isaiah was a dreamer. At the time, the world was dominated by two superpowers: Egypt, and probably the cruellest, most bloodthirsty empire the near east had ever seen: the empire of Assyria. In those days, people would use anything they could get their hands on to fight off Assyrian attacks. Most people were, of course, farmers (primarily of grapes and olives), but unfortunately, pruning hooks probably didn’t fend well against spears. The Assayrian’s had a standing army and amour. It must have seemed ridiculous to the well-trained Assyrian soldiers to see peasant farmers trying to attack them with ordinary farming tools. But that is what happened as waves of army men moved across the land. Israel, of course, wasn’t exactly resting in the safest location either. In fact, it was quite inconveniently located right in between Egypt to the south and Assyria, which was just to the north. Everyone knew it. There was no doubt about it. The day was rapidly approaching when Assyria would come, destroy the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and then come knocking on the door of Jerusalem itself. At this time, war was everywhere; it was constant, and there was no relief in sight.

But Isaiah says that God gave him a vision of a time to come. He says, “In the last days, the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted high above all the hills-”. It must have seemed a bit crazy to his listeners. Mt. Moriah (The Mountain of the Lord), is really just a big hill by Candain standards. The Mount of Olives was just off in the distance, and it’s almost 100 meters higher. Even Cypress Hill, Saskatchewan, has a mountain just outside Medicine Hat that’s almost twice as high as the Temple Mount. But Isaiah says that in the last days the mountain of the Lord will suddenly be raised until it’s the highest mountain on earth. That seems a tad crazy.

But that’s not the only crazy thing that Isaiah says. At a time when farmers defended themselves with mere tools against great weapons of war, Isaiah says that when the Messiah comes, it will be just the opposite. Isaiah envisions a world where weapons are so useless that soldiers begin using them for farming. He says, “They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.” He says, Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” Again Crazy.

But again, that’s not the only crazy thing that Isaiah says. He also says with beautiful poetry that the nahar (or… a river of people) will flow up the mountain). In short, he says that there will be such peace that it will be like the rivers run backwards up the hill as nations full of people flood to the Holy Temple of God.

Well… wait a minute, this is all to happen when the Messiah comes! That’s now. We live in that time that Isaiah dreamed of. We have seen the Messiah. But I don’t know the mountain of Moriah lifted high above all the other mountains. I don’t see rivers of people flowing up to the Temple of God (it was torn down), and I don’t see nations melting down tanks to make combines.

But Isaiah said it. He said the Messiah would bring peace unlike anything we’ve ever known. Was he wrong?

Just take a glance around CNN or the BBC, and you’d be sure that we’re no nearer to lasting-world-peace than Isaiah was.

But then again, perhaps that’s not precisely what Isaiah meant. And maybe we are. Real peace–lasting peace in fact– is here. I think it’s here now. No, it isn’t a peace that humans negotiate with each other from behind big expensive desks, but the kind of peace that only God can inaugurate. And I think Isaiah was right. I believe God did do that when he sent the Messiah. Peace began with the coming of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Peace, after all, is what Jesus is all about. Because Jesus, by his coming, ended the oldest, costliest, and most tragic war of all: the battle between man and God. Our sin had us as enemies as we turned against God. Sin was what we were fighting over. Sin is still the cause of violence. Sin is still what confronts true peace. And yet, Jesus took our sin, killed it on the cross, and buried it in his tomb.

For many Americans, Andrew Jackson is a great war hero. He is an example of outstanding leadership, and the story of his last great Battle (The Battle of New Orleans) is fascinating, to say the least. But what’s most interesting about this fight is that when General Andrew Jackson led his troops into battle that day in early January, 1915… the war had already been won. You see, the peace treaty had been signed on December 24^th, 1814. But this was a long time ago, and news travelled so slowly in those days that neither the British troops nor Jackson’s men had received any word of it. In the end, thousands of people were needlessly killed on both sides of a battle that was fought long after the war had already ended. If only he had known that peace had already been declared, what pointless suffering could have been avoided?

Today, the same is true. The Temple building is no more, and the hill it stood on was never meant to be the highest mountain in the world. Isaiah meant something else. Isaiah never thought that pile of dirt would somehow grow. The Temple is you, and I, and I believe that it is the highest mountain in the world. It is that thing that people look to when they want to meet our God. And today the Temple doesn’t just stand on a high hill… it covers the entire world and reaches out to every nation on earth for all to see (because Christians now exist as the Temple of God in every land th roughout the world). And while things may not be perfect just yet, we do have peace. Like a communion service we have a tiny taste of what is good. We have peace between God and man, we have the kind of peace that makes us want to forgive our neighbours and melt down our weapons. We have the kind of peace inside that only God can bring, and amazingly, when we live that peace – when we can really and truly live that peace – we can be the Temple we were called to be… the rivers will really flow backwards. People will really flood to His new Holy Temple to ask us, “What gives you hope?” Because when we accept that it’s our job to be the body of Christ and live that peace, people will want what we have, and when they do, they will meet the Prince of Peace as He shines through us. Because even though senseless violence still goes on, peace has already been declared; the war is over. When everyone knows it, we will have a lot more combines and a lot fewer bombs. Amen.

Song: Come, thou long-expected Jesus (110)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayer of gratitude, and for others and ourselves

God, transform these dollars into plowshares for Ukraine, rebuilding tools for hurricane victims, hope for traumatized communities.

God who dismantles empires and repurposes weapons, we bring today’s breaking news to your throne:

UKRAINE (47 killed this week) Lord, the missiles falling on Kharkiv, the families sleeping in metro stations, the children learning math by flashlight – you see every tear, every crater, every prayer. Retool this destruction. Turn bomb shelters into places of worship. Raise leaders from the rubble. Protect the vulnerable. Strengthen the church. [10 seconds silence]

MIDDLE EAST (200+ rockets) God of Abraham, Isaac, and Ishmael, the missiles flying between Lebanon and Israel, the hostages still waiting, the soldiers on both sides carrying impossible burdens – you alone can retool this generational hatred. Raise peacemakers from both communities. Protect civilians on every side. Soften hardened hearts. Bring unexpected alliances. [10 seconds silence]

UNITED STATES DIVISION Holy Spirit, our political weapons are aimed at each other. Families are divided at Thanksgiving tables. Neighbours are posting hate instead of help. Leaders are weaponizing every issue. Retool our rhetoric into a relationship. Turn cable news addicts into community servants. Raise up bridge-builders in every city. Heal our national soul. [10 seconds silence]

HURRICANE SURVIVORS For the 2 million still without power, families sleeping in cars, businesses destroyed in Florida, Georgia, Carolinas – you specialize in post-storm restoration. Retool the debris into determination. Turn FEMA frustration into church mobilization. Raise neighbours helping neighbours. Provide miraculous provision. [10 seconds silence]

ECONOMIC WEAPONS Inflation weaponizing grocery trips, housing costs weaponizing the American dream, layoffs weaponizing family stability – you’re the God who provides. Retool our scarcity mindset into generosity—open unexpected doors of provision. Raise creative problem-solvers in every workplace. Multiply resources through your people. [10 seconds silence]

GLOBAL REFUGEES 10 million displaced by war, families walking hundreds of miles, children growing up in camps instead of classrooms – you led Israel through the wilderness. Retool hostile borders into welcome centers. Turn aid workers’ exhaustion into a renewed calling. Raise sponsor families worldwide. Provide safety, shelter, schooling, and hope. [10 seconds silence]

OUR PERSONAL BATTLES [20 seconds silence for individual prayer]

God, you see every weapon aimed at us personally. The medical reports, the fractured relationships, the hidden addictions, the secret fears. We declare today: these weapons have expiration dates. Retool our stories for your glory. Make us plowshares that feed your kingdom. Amen.

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

Sending out with God’s blessing

Go with the confidence that every weapon has an expiration date. Walk knowing God is master of every tool against you. Live expecting Him to retool your greatest pain into your greatest purpose.

May the God who breaks bows and shatters spears strengthen you with supernatural resilience. May the God who turns swords into plowshares transform your story into testimony. May the God who rules over empires and economies fill you with unshakable peace.

The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord repurpose every attack for your good, the Lord give you peace that transcends understanding. Amen!

Response: Sing Amen

Music postlude

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

Advent Preparation

Posted on November 23, 2025November 23, 2025 by John

On this Sunday before Advent, Dayspring dedicated and reflected on a contemporary Advent Wreath that was donated to the congregation by the son of one of our members.

You will find the text of the service here.

Singing a New Song

Posted on November 16, 2025November 16, 2025 by John

Worship on Legacy Giving Sunday
10:00 am November 16, 2025
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs     Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalists: Peter and Cheryl Sheridan     Reader: Saber Fort
Welcoming Elder: Heather Tansem     Children’s timer: 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: Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
P: We will lift up joyous songs and sing your praises.
L: Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it rejoice.
P: Let the hills sing together for joy at the presence of the Lord,
L: For God will come to judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.
P: Let us join with all creation to praise the Lord! Let us worship God.

Opening praise: Here’s my heart, Lord

Prayer of Adoration

God…

You’re the One who made the stars and still knows every tear that slips down my cheek.

You hear the quiet ache in the middle of the night, the unspoken panic, the heavy sigh nobody else notices.

You see the fear that keeps us awake, the despair that whispers we’ll never be enough.

But You—You don’t just see. You step into the mess with us.

You walked our broken roads in Jesus, felt the dust, carried the weight, bled real blood.

And right now, in this room, You’re here.

We can feel it.

We’re desperate for the day when every wrong is made right, when heaven crashes into earth and justice isn’t just a dream.

We long to see every child safe, every heart healed, every lonely soul found.

You promise it’s coming.

So we lift our shaky hands and say:

We trust You.

We praise You.

We need You.

Keep working in Your church, in our city, in the hidden corners of our lives.

Make the broken beautiful again.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—You are our hope, our home, our everything.

Jesus…

We’re tired of pretending.

We cling to yesterday like it’s safer than tomorrow.

We nurse grudges like old friends, replaying hurts on repeat.

We grumble when change knocks on the door—even when deep down we know we need it.

We see the person who’s been pushed to the edges—

the one who looks different,

sounds different,

carries scars we don’t understand—

and instead of pulling up a chair, we look away.

We build walls with our silence, our judgment, our comfort.

We say “Lord, Lord,” but our hearts stay locked.

Forgive us.

Not because we deserve it—

but because You already paid for it.

Tear down what we’ve built wrong.

Soften what’s gone hard.

Replace our resentment with Your kindness.

Give us courage to say “I was wrong.”

Give us tears for the people we’ve hurt.

Give us hands that reach, voices that bless, lives that welcome.

We’re laying it all down—

every secret shame,

every sharp word,

every lazy excuse.

Take it, Jesus.

Wash us.

Start over in us.

Make us new from the inside out.

(Long silence)

Response: We come to ask your forgiveness

Assurance of God’s Love

Listen close, family—

this is for you.

The world sizes you up, points fingers, keeps score.

But God?

He looks at you and says, “Mine.”

Every mistake? Covered.

Every tear? Seen.

Every wall you built? Jesus tore it down on the cross.

You don’t have to earn this.

You can’t lose it.

You are loved—

not after you get it together,

but right now,

in the middle of the mess.

So hear it, feel it, let it sink deep:

Your past is forgiven.

Your future is wide open.

Your Father is running toward you.

In Jesus, everything is made new.

You get to start again—

today.

Walk out of here free.

Walk out of here loved.

Walk out of here His.

We listen for the voice of God

Children’s Time

Song: Open our eyes, Lord (445)

Story

As the story goes, the only survivor of a shipwreck washed up on a small, uninhabited island. The man prayed feverishly for God to come and recuse him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst thing possible had happened; everything was lost. The man was struck with grief and anger. And he cried out “God, how could you do this to me!” Shacking his firsts to the sky.

Early the next day, however, he was awakened (frozen stiff) by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him.

“How did you know I was here?” Asked the weary man of his rescuers. “We pass by here every three days” said the man “and we saw your smoke signal”.

The point is clear. It is easy to get discouraged when things are going badly. But we should fear, because God is often at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain. Paul wrote, “I have learned to be content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, living in plenty or in want” (Phil. 4:12). Remember next time your little hut is burning to the ground – what you think of as the worst thing possible may just be the smoke signal God is using to save you.

Song: Sing a new song unto the Lord (422)

Scripture readings: Psalm 98 & Luke 21:5-19

Response: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

Message: Singing a New Song

The book of Psalms is much beloved. In fact, it is generally considered the most widely read book in the world. Who hasn’t heard “I lift my eyes to the hills; where does my help come from?” (121) or “Be still and know that I am God. (46) or “Better is one day in your courts than thousands elsewhere” (84) or “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” (118) or what about… “The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.” (23)?

Truth be told, I could go on and on, and most of us would probably recognize a line or two from each of the 150 Psalms in our Bibles. They stick with us. And they tend to come to mind right when we need them most.

While some debate exists about the book of Psalms, the collection as it presently stands took at the very least 400 years to construct, and many believe it took 980 years (from Moses to Solomon). The book has various writers. Most of the psalms include notes about how, when, or by whom they were written.

Now, if a psalm says “from the house of David,” that doesn’t necessarily mean that David wrote it. It could mean it was written for him, by him, or from the kingly line or various other meanings. But the most traditional view is that Moses wrote one, Herman (a wise man from King David’s time) and Ethan (King David’s drummer) each wrote one, David wrote 73, Asaph (the Director of the Temple choir) wrote 12 (and includes a Selah musical notation in each one of his), the Sons of Korah (one of whom was responsible for baking meat offerings in the Temple) wrote 11, Solomon wrote at least two, and 49 of them are anonymous.

Just as a side note, the word “Psalm” is a Greek word that comes from the word psalm-terion, which refers to a type of ancient stringed instrument that resembles a harp and a guitar combined. Calling the book Psalms is sort of like calling it “Guitars”. However, the Hebrews never referred to this book as “Psalms” to begin with. They called it Tehillim, “Praises”.

Whatever you call it, it’s an incredibly complex and excellent book. And it’s the longest book in the bible.

Often it’s said that “the bible is not a book – it’s a library,” and that’s very true. Still, what’s true of the bible as a whole is also true of the book of Psalms. The Psalms are actually a collection of 5 song books, each one organized to represent one of the five books of the Torah. And it’s incredibly complex the way it’s all been woven together. Within the five songbooks, there are also subcategories of psalms: Cries for Help, Thanksgiving, Praises, Pilgrimage Songs, Wisdom Songs, and Cries for Vengeance. Songs of accent. Theologian Dr. Nicholas Page has called Psalms “the book of Mood Swings” because each chapter is a separate poem or song, composed at a different time, for a different purpose and often by a different person. Because of that, reading the book of Psalms, end to end, is like riding an emotional rollercoaster. But that’s sort of part of the amazingness of them. It’s like life. It’s like a journal. As one commentator puts it, “One day you feel like champagne and the next like crying.” We all have those ups and downs.

There are also a set number of verses that were used in particular ways within certain psalms, such as the 15 psalms of accent, which were sung – one on each of the 15 different temple steps as the people came up three times a year for worship.

The Psalm we read today (Psalm 98) is a scarce kind of Psalm that’s referred to as a “twined hymn”. It was initially intended to be read together as a set of four (96, 97, 98, and 99), where readers could see the word play, similarities, and fulfillment between 96 and 98, and 97 and 99.

In the Jewish tradition, Psalm 98 holds a special place. For thousands of years, it has been and still is read on Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year). In an odd twist of fate (or more likely “providence”), it also holds a special place in Christian worship. You see, Psalm 98 was the muse for the popular Christmas Carol Joy to the World.

Like all Psalms (and proverbs as well), part of the poetry comes from this strange rhythm rather than just rhyming like many English poems do. A famous man once said that “it is as if one person writes the first part of the sentence and a second person is invited to complete it”.

The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed

A refuge in times of trouble

The Lord protects everyone who follows him

But the wicked follow a road that leads only to ruin.

The Lord is my light and my salvation

Whom shall I fear?

There is a kind of quiet dignity, especially in the King James translations, which tends to capture more of the poetic nature than other translations do.

Of course, in Hebrew, there is also a hearty amount of wordplay at work.

W.H. Bellinger Jr. states that Psalm 98 is about how God brings order out of chaos (pg. 138). J. Clinton McCann, Jr. says it’s about the Lord’s Reign over all things made manifest (pg. 153), and he especially notes that all the things that are said to be on the horizon in Psalm 96 (and are spoken about in the past tense) find some fulfillment in Psalm 98.

I like what Walter Brueggemann (one of my favourite theologians) says about it. He writes, “This is an enthronement Psalm whereby the temple trumpet is blown and every created thing, Hebrew or not, is called to worship and adore the LORD. It includes everyone. And – It is a massive summons to praise” (pg147).

I like that… “It includes everyone. And – It is a massive summons to praise”.

The Psalms are incredibly woven together for specific purposes. And it took between 400 and a thousand years to intertwine them and produce what we have before us today. But sometimes it’s good to remember that no matter how complex things are. Some things are actually straightforward at heart. Recently, Dorothy Henley reminded me of that. At heart, Psalm 98 is relatively straightforward.

Sing to the Lord a new song,
For he has done marvellous things;
His right hand and his holy arm
Have worked salvation for him.
²The Lord has made his salvation known
And revealed his righteousness to the nations.
³He has remembered his love
and his faithfulness to Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen.
The salvation of our God.

⁴Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
Burst into jubilant song with music;
⁵make music to the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,
⁶with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—
Shout for joy before the Lord, the King.

⁷Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
The world, and all who live in it.
⁸Let the rivers clap their hands,
Let the mountains sing together for joy;
⁹Let them sing before the Lord,
For he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness.
And the people with equity. (NRSV)

The Psalm says, “Sing a New Song unto the Lord, for marvelous things God has done.“

He writes, “Don’t be afraid. Do something big… something new!”

I love Max Lucado. He is a renowned Christian writer who has published over 100 books to date. Christianity Today called him “America’s new Pastor,” and he’s actually the writer of that children’s book I read a few weeks ago, the one about the little wooden gimmicks that put dots and stars on each other.

Anyway, Max tells this remarkable story about a woman who had a parakeet named Chippie.

He says, “The woman loved Chippie because he was such a happy little songbird. Chippie’s constant chirping just seemed to brighten her day.

One day, the woman was cleaning the bottom of Chippie’s cage as she always did with a vacuum cleaner, when the telephone suddenly rang. She reached for the phone without removing the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner from the cage, which was a mistake. As you can imagine, the vacuum cleaner nozzle got pointed in the direction of poor little chippie, and Slurp the little singing songbird Chippie was suddenly sucked up into the machine, down the hose and into the whirling tornado below.

When the woman heard the strange sound, she looked back at the cage and realized what had happened, and she was horrified. She dropped the telephone, turned off the vacuum cleaner and ripped open the dust bag to rescue her poor little bird friend. Chippie was an absolute mess, but he was still alive, thank God. So, she raced to the kitchen sink and turned the water on as quickly as she could and lo and behold, cold water came blasting out of the faucet – full force – and on little Chippie’s tiny, shocked body.

And of course, the more she tried to wash him, the worse he looked. Oh Now! She thought, realizing now what she’s done. And Ah Ha! She felt a sense of accomplishment as she learned how to fix the problem. And so she raced Chippie to the bathroom and proceeded to dry her little singing friend Chippie with her hair dryer – full force – and on high heat. She stopped when she noticed the odd smell of singed feathers.

Finally, she got the bird dry and put him back in his cage, still half dirty.

Several days later, a friend called and asked how Chippie was doing. “He’s alive,” she said, “but he just sits in his cage and stares out into space. And” she added thoughtfully, “Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore”.

We all know people who are a lot like Chippie. We know people who once had a song in their hearts. However, due to circumstances (mostly beyond their control), they discovered that “life stinks” – sometimes. As a result, they aren’t singing much anymore, and if they do, they’re too scared to sing something new. Have you ever felt a little like Chippie? Have you been abused by people you loved (it doesn’t matter – on purpose or by accident)? Have you been sucked up into something terrible, been blasted by something cold, faced a fire that singed? Have you lost your desire to sing something new?

As Chippie found out, there are no “quick fixes”. Healing takes time. But there is someone who can give you back your song and restore your joy. “Sing a new song unto the Lord, for he has done marvellous things”, says the Psalm.

The trick is not to let your troubles stop your joy. Not to let the fog of difficult times mask your view of the one who can see you, though. The Psalmist had known tough times, but he (or she) wasn’t going to let that stop the songs from coming.

According to the Psalm, we are to “Shout with Joy”, to praise him with “harp” and “trumpet”. That all creation is called to praise… that the lapping of the seas is really clapping for God and that the wind in the highest mountains is like a song for God. And that all that is, and every person that is, is invited to sing a new song unto the Lord. So when you get right down to it. As complex as this all might seem to be… It’s really pretty simple. No matter what you face, face it with the Lord. “Sing a new song unto the Lord”.

The only question now is, “What kind of new song will you sing”? Amen ‘

Song: To show by touch and word (763)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayers for ourselves and others

God, you know us — the messy, tired, hopeful people we are. Thank you for sticking with us through whatever season we’re living in. Thank you for the small, saving things: the hot coffee that wakes us up, the neighbor who waters our plants, the friend who texts at just the right time. Thank you for the people who make our lives steadier than we deserve.

I’m bringing these gifts in gratitude — money, time, things I can offer. Use them where they do the most good. Let them feed people who are hungry, warm a body that’s cold, and remind someone they’re seen. I don’t want to give to score points; I want to give because you give to me.

I have to be honest. I’m not proud of all my choices. I choose comfort instead of courage. I say “I’ll do that” and then life gets full and I don’t. I have shrugged off a call I knew I should’ve taken. I have let resentment sit in my chest like a rock. Forgive me for the small cruelties and the big ones. Help me name where I’ve failed and do the work to fix it — to make that phone call, to show up at that hospital bed, to apologize when I’ve been sharp.

We live in a place of plenty and I am grateful for that. But I also feel guilty sometimes when I look by the window and see not everyone has enough. There are families who don’t know where the next meal will come from, neighborhoods trying to rebuild after fire and flood, people with empty cupboards and full bills. It feels overwhelming. Teach us practical ways to help: who to call, what program to support, which neighbor to bring a casserole to. Give us eyes to see and hands ready to act.

We need to be honest about the things we don’t want to face. There are communities here that carry deep hurts — Indigenous communities who have been wronged, newcomers who escaped violence and now meet suspicion, people who are made small by prejudice. I want to do better than post the right thing online. Help me to listen more than speak, to support real reconciliation work even when it’s slow and uncomfortable, and to stand up when I see someone treated unfairly.

There are people I love who are sick or alone. I’m scared for them sometimes. I don’t know what to do, and that makes me want to hide. Help me not to hide. Teach me the simple things that matter — a hand to hold, a meal, a short prayer. Let my small acts be real comfort.

I worry too about the bigger things: climate change, systems that push people into poverty, the way our politics can harden people’s hearts. Give me the courage to talk about those things with neighbors, to support policies that protect the most vulnerable, and to live in ways that make a difference for the earth we borrow for our children.

Thank you for the doctors and researchers, the nurses, the paramedics, the mental‑health counsellors — the people who show up and keep going. Bless them with patience and rest. And please be close to the ones who wait for diagnosis or treatment. Bring clear answers, steady hands, and relief.

I want to be someone who shows up. Don’t let me be the person who has a plan but never follows through. Push me toward real, practical kindness. Give me a list of two things I can do this week and the strength to actually do them. Let my faith be more than words — let it be the shape of my days.

I’m not perfect. I will probably mess up. When I do, make me humble enough to come back, apologize, and try again. Keep me honest and gentle with myself and others.

And in all of this, remind me of your presence. Not a distant idea, but a real, steady presence. When nights are long and answers seem thin, let me feel that you are close. Let me hear a word of hope in ordinary moments — a child’s laugh, a bird song, a neighbor’s wave. Let those reminders feed me when I’m weak.

God, make us a people of small, persistent love. Let our ordinary choices — the ones nobody applauds — be the way your work gets done. Help us to keep our eyes open for opportunities to be kind, and our hands ready to act. Amen.

Song: To God be the glory (350)

Sending out with God’s blessing

May you have courage to do the small, hard things that show love.

May you have patience when answers are slow and grace when people fail.

May you have sharp eyes for the needs around you and ready hands to help.

May you have a calm heart in the middle of noise and a steady breath in the face of fear.

May you have friends who hold you up and wisdom to ask for help when you need it.

May you have rest that restores, work that matters, and faith that keeps you moving.

May you go this week knowing you are held, and may the God of courage, compassion, and peace go with you. Amen.

Response: Benediction (as you go)

Music postlude

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

Justice vs. Vengeance (Major the Rev. Kenneth MacRae)

Posted on November 9, 2025November 11, 2025 by John

Worship on Remembrance Sunday
10:00 am         November 09, 2025
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs     Service led by: Major (Padre) Kenneth MacRae
Music Director: Binu Kapadia     Vocalists: Sam and Ann May Malayang
Welcoming Elder: Jane de Caen     Children’s time: Padre Ken
Reader: Tracy Childs
We gather to worship God

Music prelude

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

Lighting of the Christ candle
Welcome and announcements
Preparation for worship

The National Anthem: O Canada vs 1

Memorial Message

O God, we remember . . .

We remember today that you are the giver of every good gift, and one of your gifts is peace. You have blessed us with freedom, and you have met all our needs.

O God, help us never to forget your gifts.

We remember those who gave their lives in two world wars, the Korean War and other countless conflicts. We know that their sacrifice is part of your gift of peace and freedom.

O God, help us never to forget the price they paid.

Lord Jesus Christ, you said that people have no greater love than to lay down their life for their friends. You laid down your life for us, and you call us your friends. Those who were killed or maimed or scarred in wars laid down a piece of their lives for us. Some their whole lives.

They did as you did.

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

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

O God, bring an end to hatred and senseless violence, and give peace in our time that last long after we are gone.

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

O God, help us to accept your offer and to find another way, the way of Love, the way of the healer and great physician – Jesus Your son.

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

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

. . . may we ever pray: Lord God of Hosts: Be with us yet,

In Flanders Field
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)

Last Post
1 minute of Silence
Reveille

Act of Remembrance
They shall grow not old,
as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them,
nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun
and in the morning
We will remember them.

RESPONSE: We will remember them.

Call to worship
L: On this day of memories, we gather to sing and to pray;
P: we remember the past and look to the future.
L: On this day when the guns and cannons fell silent,
P: we come before you, God, seeking your peace.
L: On this day of hope in the face of terror,
P: we come before you, God, believing in your promise.
L: Let us worship God together, in peace

Opening praise: Great are you, Lord

Prayers of Adoration and Confession

Loving God, this morning and on Remembrance Day we pause to remember those who have sacrificed so much in defence of our nation. We remember those who never made it home and are thankful for those who did come home. Some have had their body, minds or souls forever damaged by the destruction of war, or the horrors that they have seen and experiences. We gather as a congregation to give praise to you who knows all about sacrifice. We praise you for Jesus Christ, who out of love for all of us, went to the cross, and died for us so that we might have eternal life through him. We thank you for that love that has been shown to us in many different ways through family, friends, teachers, and our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Lord, we confess that we have not always returned that love to others. We still live in a world where there is much hatred and bigotry. We live in a world of terror where people like to do harm to people and to make others live in fear. And we are not people who tend to not forgive others easily. Help us to seek justice, without releasing undue anger or violence. Forgive us for the times when fear has paralysed our acts of love and kindness. Give to us the courage and the wisdom to know when we must stand up to help those who are weaker than ourselves. Guide us in knowing what is your will for our life. This we pray in Christ’s name. Amen.

Response: We come to ask your forgiveness

Assurance of God’s peace

In John 14:27 Jesus states, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.”

Let us receive the mercy that Christ freely gives to us and be at peace with the Lord.

We listen for the voice of God

Music Open our eyes, Lord” (445)

Children’s time

The youth made a wreath with a lot of poppies and want it presented during the children’s story.

Wreaths: Date back to ancient Greece and Rome and were worn as crowns by victors and symbolized both victory and death. Today wreaths are laid to honor the sacrifices of armed forces members who have died in the line of service.

In the services, you will often (almost always) see a military member leading a civilian up to place the wreath. They stop and salute.

Today, lets pretend you are in the military and I’m going to teach you how to salute, with the help of my good friend Sgt Dave Smith.

Now a few tricks to learn.

The one who is the lower rank salutes first. He is a Sgt and I’m a Major.
He starts and has to keep saluting until I salute him back.
Right hand, straight
Marching – start with left foot

Saluting and marching.

Dave can instruct
Start left foot, etc
Have the children present wreath and salute

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Song: The kingdom of God is justice and joy ( 787)

Scripture readings: Genesis 34:11-31; Psalm 17:1-9;
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5,13-17; Luke 20:27-38

Response: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

Message: Justice vs Vengeance

Have you ever had a strange idea or thought that you cannot get rid of?

You are trying to get to sleep and your mind is thinking, “How do dragons blow out candles?”

I used to love the show Home Improvement with Tim Allen.

He would get this strange idea to add more power to basically everything.

Everyone needs a supercharged v8 lawnmower.

He would add Christmas lights to him home that could guide in airplanes.

It was a funny show.

*****
Well over a month ago I had Brad contact me about doing today’s service.

In my daily devotions at home, I had just read Genesis 34.

We read this text this morning about how brothers got revenge against the people who had raped their sister.

They were able to convince a city that every male should be circumcised to give honour to their faith.

Long story short, while the men were recovering, the two brothers went into that city and killed all the males.

My mind had this strange thought that this would be a great text for Remembrance Day.

*****
Immediately my mind also thought, “This is a stupid idea!”

I could preach on peace.

I could preach on love thy enemy.

I could preach on how anger needs to be turned into calmness and understanding.

I could preach on many great texts in the Bible.

But no….my mind kept thinking…a text where 2 people killed a city of men would be great.

So after 2 weeks of trying to get rid of this thought, I said, “Fine! I’ll write a sermon on Genesis 34 and see where this goes.”

Disclaimer: If anyone is triggered by this story, please see Brad or myself. The Bible is not always about nice and wonderful events.

******
Genesis 34 begins with a story about a horrible crime.

Dinah, the daughter of Jacob- who would later be called Israel, was out to visit other women in the countryside.

While she was walking around, Shechem – the son of a Prince, raped her.

The Bible is more tactful with the wording.

In verse 2 it reads, “He saw her, he took her and lay with her and violated her”.

This is a story of rape which is a crime beyond words.

He raped her because he saw her and wanted her.

There was no mention that he tried to talk to her, or court her, or attract her in a good way.

He raped her.

Only after the crime had been committed did he go to his father the Prince and try to make some arrangements with Jacob to marry her.

******
Sadly, the first part of this story is very familiar to us.

On any given day people are being violated in body, mind or soul.

I have talked to women who have been raped.

Their horror is beyond my counselling skills, but I will be the friend who directs them to the police, and to the right counsellors who are trained to help people who have been sexually violated.

There are other acts of violence in the world.

The war continues between Russian and Ukraine and people have been killed or injured.

There is a truce between Palestine and Israel, but the feeling of betrayal or vengeance is strong on both sides.

In the United States ICE are picking up people at random and treating them shamefully.

No due process at all.

We may have been victims of financial fraud.

We may have been mugged.

We may have been bullied at school, or harassed in the work place.

Sadly, there are a lot of horrible things that happen in this world.

******
The next part of the story in Genesis we can also understand.

When the brothers of Dinah heard about their sister being violated, vs 7 tells us that they were grieved and very angry.

This is very normal.

There are times when I struggle with Bible verses

In James 1:19-20 we are told “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

It is natural for us to experience anger in life.

When we see injustice, we should feel anger.

The emotion, in and of itself, is not wrong.

It is always what we do with that emotion that is important.

If our anger motivates us to seek justice, to help the weak, to comfort the downtrodden than that is good.

It is when our anger motivates us to get revenge, to seek an eye for an eye that it gets dangerous.

A car cuts us off traffic so we chase the car down and cut it off in a dangerous road race, is not a smart idea.

*****
When the brothers of Dinah heard what happened to their sister, they were angry, which is perfectly fine.

But then they decided to get revenge.

Before we get into the vengeance part, we also have to understand what happened after Dinah was violated.

There does not seem to be any remorse from Shechem after his act of violence.

Instead, he convinces his Father, the Prince, to go talk to Jacob about the possibility of his son marrying Dinah.

Think about how that woman must have felt.

She was raped and now the rapist wanted to spend more time with her.

No apology.

No punishment by the father of the one who raped Dinah.

There wasn’t even any discussion by the father with Jacob as to “What can be done to make up for such a crime.”

The Father simply tried to negotiate with Jacob about the price of the young woman.

The son even said

Vs. 12. Sheckem (The one who raped Dinah) who was there for the negotiation asks of Jacob, “ask me ever so much dowry and gift, and I will give according to what you say to me; but give me the young woman as a wife.”

******
The gull of Sheckem to ask for Dinah must have infuriated Jacob and the sons.

This is where the story gets a bit weird.

The sons came up with a plan, that Jacob was not aware what the sons planned to do.

The brothers of Dinah said, “Well we can’t have our sister marry anyone who is uncircumcised.”

Now we know that circumcision was part of the covenant that God made with Abraham.

It was a blood covenant that every male went through to be part of God’s family.

Every Jew, to this day, as part of their faith gets circumcised.

*****
I was talking to a friend of mine who works as a chaplain in a prison in New Brunswick.

Sometimes the prisoners want special treatment.

Geoff told me that one day a person was tired of the normal prison food and declared himself Jewish so he would get different meals.

So Geoff, sat down with the person to discuss the sincerity of his faith.

Geoff then began to talk about the bris ceremony that all Jewish males must comply with.

The prisoner, nods his head and then asks, what is the bris ceremony.

Geoff explains that in order to be Jewish, to be in compliance with the Jewish faith, a special ceremony is held where the foreskin of your penis is cut off.

For some unbelievable reason, the prisoner no longer wanted to be Jewish.

Go figure!

******
What is interesting about his text, is that the brothers convinced the Father, the son and all the men in that city to get circumcised.

This was nothing to do with religion.

This was not about convincing these people that they needed to become Jewish and part of the covenant with God.

It was all part of a revenge plot.

These men were told, “Well if you want to marry with our women, you have to become circumcised.”

And they did it!

The Prince convinced all his people in that city to be circumcised because if they did this, they would be able to intermarry with the Jewish people and eventually all their livestock, their property and their animals would eventually be theirs!

It was all about greed.

By being circumcised the men would get to marry the Jewish women and eventually get all their wealth.

******
On the third day after all the males of the city got circumcised that Simeon and Levi decided on their own to go into the city and kill every male they could find.

Two men against a whole city, but none of the males were up to defending themselves.

When Jacob heard what happened, he was not happy.

At the end of chapter 34 we can read that Jacob was worried that other inhabitants of the land would hear what happened in that city and rise up to kill Jacob and all his family.

Jacob was thinking the big picture.

But the sons merely defended their actions by saying, “Should he treat our sister like a harlot?”

******
In case we have any doubt that what these brothers did was wrong, go to Genesis chapter 49.

As Jacob was nearing death he gathered all his sons near him to give blessings or curses.

In verses 5-7 we can read:

“Simeon and Levi are brothers- their swords are weapons of violence. Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.”

******

So what lessons are we to learn from this?

Are we to simple forgive and forget, which is not a Biblical phrase.

No.

Forgiveness does not mean an absence of justice.

Forgiveness does not mean there should be no consequences for our actions.

The question remains, how do we balance the concept of justice, with our desire for revenge.

*****

As part of the Canadian Armed Forces, we are personnel trained to be violent.

We are not a social club.

We are not a feel-good club.

We are trained to kill.

We are trained to mess with the enemies’ minds.

HOWEVER, and this is a big HOWEVER, we have ROE’s

Rules of Engagement.

There are things we can do.

There are things we can’t do.

For example,

we are only to target opposing Forces and Military objectives, not civilians.
We are not allowed to attack those who surrender. We are to Disarm and Detain them.
We are to treat all detained people humanely in accordance with the Geneva convention.
Torture is prohibited.

As a nation, we usually abide by what is called the Just War Theory.

There are two components of the Just War Theory.

The right to go to War
The right conduct within war.

When we consider if we should go to war we need to consider:

Just cause: War is permissible to confront a significant wrong.
Legitimate Authority” Only duly recognized leaders or governments can declare war.
Right Intention: What are we hoping to obtain? Are we hoping for peace, or justice.
Last Resort: War should only be entered into if all other peaceful alternatives have been exhausted. (Diplomacy, sanctions, seizure of assests)
Probability of Success: Is there a reasonable chance of success to avoid unnecessary loss of life.
Proportionality: The anticipated benefits of the war much outweigh the potential harm it may cause.

In Genesis 34, the two brothers failed some of these moral criteria, which didn’t exist back then.

They may have had right case, but they were not the leaders of their people, so they took vengeance into their own hands.

There was no desire to seek repentance, or reparation for the persons crime.

This act of violence was not a last resort issue; it was the only thing told to us in this chapter.

There was no proportionality.

If the brothers sought to kill only the rapist, perhaps this wouldn’t have been too bad.

They decided to kill all the men of that city.

Many of these men would have had no connection to the rape of Dinah.

*******

We often need to apply these same principles to our own life.

A bully punches in at school.

Lets burn down his home.

Perhaps that is a little too much.

Our boss makes inappropriate comments to us.

Let’s get him or her fired.

Or perhaps we should go to human resources and do guided mediation and perhaps get an apology and have the person learn from their mistakes.

******

When we are wronged, talk to someone.

Hopefully that person will temper our anger.

Hopefully we can figure out how to get justice without going overboard in revenge.

We have to be careful about rash decisions.

There is wisdom when we are told to “sleep on it”.

Perhaps don’t send that ugly email telling off our boss, or friend who wronged us.

Write it but don’t send it until you sleep on it.

******

Seek justice.

Seek repentance from people who have wronged us.

But don’t lose your soul, in the desire for revenge.

******

So what have we learned.

There is injustice in the world.

We have desire for revenge, but we need calm minds to figure out what is an appropriate and just response.

Even when justice is done, there can be a lingering feeling of injustice on the part of the one who has been wronged, and lots of emotional distress from those entrusted to carrying out acts of violence.

On this Remembrance Day Sunday, we need to pray for peace and for justice.

We need to pray for appropriate and balanced responses to international crimes and for harms committed in our own country.

We need to pray for people among us, who are also struggling and need our help, comfort and advice.

We need to continue to pray for those who are serving and for veterans who are often placed in harms way and have to live with their actions.

******

This is easy for me to preach, but like you I have been wronged in the past and I have thought about revenge.

Thankfully, God helped to temper me.

We need to be there for people, to help, to comfort, to assist people in getting justice.

Listen to their anger and frustration.

But don’t give in to that anger that may lead you down a dark place.

Ultimately, there will be times when we feel justice is not found in this world.

That is when we can only hope and pray, that God will enact justice and if need be vengeance.

In Deuteronomy 32:35, it is written, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,”

That may be small comfort to us, but it may be all we get at times.

May God guide our actions as individuals and as a nation. Amen.

Song: The kingdom of God is justice and joy” (787)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayers for ourselves and others

Gracious and holy God, we thank you for this opportunity of prayer, where we can confide in you not only our joys in life, but also our fears and worries. We pray for our country. It is indeed a beautiful place to live. We are bordered by oceans whose waves represent your tireless energy. We have mountains that testify to the height of your love for us. We have plains that seem to stretch out to infinity that reminds us of the eternal life you have for us. And you have filled this land with a very diverse people that reminds us that you love people of all colour, of all race, sex or age. We know that our country is not perfect. We know that we are a little scared about the direction our country is headed for we are not a country that is getting closer to you, but farther away. Guide us in your wisdom. Give your blessing upon the leaders of our country, as they lead with love, compassion and a sense of fairness.

We pray for the people in our country, who have been affected by the horror of war. There are many refugees who have come to our land to escape the insanity of violence that exists in many countries. May our country be a safe haven for those who have lived in fear of their life. We pray for the men and women who are serving in our armed forces today. Watch over them and bring them safely back to their loved one. We pray for the leaders of other countries and hope that reason and love will prevail in the midst of all this turmoil.

Lord, you are aware of the battles that we face in our own lives. We can battle the various diseases or injuries that plague our weary body. We can battle the frustration or depression that can haunt us and cripple our activities. We can be battling our grief and we wrestle with our loneliness, and the separation of one we dearly love and miss. And we can be having a spiritual battle, as we struggle to know what to believe or not to believe when it comes to our faith in you. Give to us your strength and courage in our time of need. Give answer to our many questions in life, and give to us the faith to trust you when some of our questions are left unanswered.

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

Sending out with God’s blessing
Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
The love of God
And fellowship of Holy Spirit
Reside with us now and forever more. Amen

Response: Benediction (as you god)

Music postlude

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

Zaccheus

Posted on November 2, 2025November 2, 2025 by John

Worship on All Saints Sunday
10:00 am November 02, 2025
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Linda Farrah-Basford Welcoming Elder: Heather Tansem
Reader: Godfrey Esoh, Sr.

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: Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength.
P: They shall mount up with wings as eagles;
L: They shall run and not be weary;
P: They shall walk and not faint.
L: In the company of all God’s saints and pilgrims, come and worship.
P: We come with prayer and praise to find our strength renewed!

Opening praise: This, I believe

Prayers of approach and confession

God of every age and every life, we celebrate your gifts: your wisdom that teaches us, your grace that reaches us, your Spirit that nudges and guides us, and your comfort that holds us in our grief and fear. In the mystery of your love, we trust that we remain connected to those who have walked this way before us; even as we miss them, their lives still instruct and inspire us. May their example stir us to generosity, kindness, and courage in our own time.

We also come with honesty and humility. You have been faithful, even when we have strayed. We confess the ways we have turned toward easier things: we have sought comfort instead of challenge, convenience instead of costly love. We admit to fleeting enthusiasm that fades quickly and promises made without thought. We confess the times we judged rather than listened, isolated rather than reached out, and clung to control instead of trusting you.

Forgive our small‑mindedness, our selfish choices, and the ways we have failed to be the church you call us to be. Help us to repent where repentance is needed — to apologize, to repair relationships, and to act with renewed humility. Give us the courage to embrace costly discipleship: to stand with the vulnerable, to speak for justice, and to love our neighbours as ourselves.

Send us out with eyes open to the needs around us and hands willing to serve. Let the hope that sustained those who’ve gone before sustain us now. May we be a blessing to our neighbours, a place of welcome for the weary, and a living sign of your grace in our community — until the day we join the great company of saints in one eternal hymn of praise.

We ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ, who binds us together with the saints past and present, and through whom we find the courage to begin again. Amen.

Response: We come to ask your forgiveness, O Lord

Assurance of God’s forgiveness

Even though we all fall short and make mistakes, a more profound truth holds: God’s love in Jesus forgives us. Receive that forgiveness now, and go in peace, with God, with yourself, and with one another.

We listen for the voice of God

Song: Holy, holy, holy (299: vss1,3,4)

Scripture readings: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4,11-12; Luke 19:1-10

Response: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

Message: “Zacchaeus”

At the time of Jesus, there was a very complex caste system in place (who was important, who was lower on the totem pole, and so on). Women had their place in society; men, another; married people, one place; unmarried, another. There were the engaged, the divorced, the well and the sick. There were divisions between the north and the south…even the twelve tribes. There were the priestly class who attended the temple rituals, the scribes who were experts in the law, and the people who made copies of the scriptures. There were strict conservative but respected Pharisees and the liberal educated Sadducees, all with their own rungs and degrees in the social world. There were the wealthy, considered blessed by God, and the peasants, considered ordained by God to a lowly position. There were the Essenes, mystics in the desert, refusing to pay the temple tax… and there were the Zealots who hoped for war and political upheaval.

Again, each had its place in the social system. Coats and cloaks also held status, much as a nice car does today. A good, clean cloak meant a good family, a large ring, and both might be able to function a kind of credit card.. But despite the complex caste system that existed within Judaism and the very well-ordered structure in place… at the time, there were really only four groups of people that truly mattered in the minds of most Jews. At the top, there were Real Jews called “children of Abraham”, below them, there were (the half Jews) those “heretic-Samaritans” with their “phony Bible” and their “phony temple” who claimed to be the real Hebrews and… below them, there were the Gentiles (which depending on how it’s said means either just “a different nation” or Barbarians). There were the traders (those rare people who were born Jews – born Children of Abraham – but who sold out to the Roman oppressors for wealth and privilege.

And in the ancient world of Israel, there is no doubt… There were few more despicable than a Roman tax collector (the very symbol of Roman oppression)… except maybe a Jew turned traitor, doing the Romans’ job for them and collecting taxes for the enemy.

Jericho… At this time, Jericho was a magnificent city. The city had planted giant “sycamore-fig” trees along the main roads with great, low-slung and thick branches stretching out from each side (forming shade for weary travellers). Respected Jewish business people filled the city as they slowly strolled the cobblestone boulevards (ever careful not to come too close to those people lower than them in social standing). Real Children of Abraham (Jewish men of respect) walked slowly as a sign of their status (they never ran—only children ran). The streets bustled with traffic, but like everything else, all was very orderly.

The city of Jericho was and is the oldest known city in the world (now approximately 9,000 years old) and had planted Sycamore trees not just for their beauty, but also for a kind of social justice. You see, sycamore trees, with thick branches, rough bark, and gushing, sticky sap, also produced a small, bitter fig that would ripen almost without any care, even with little water. The homeless and vagrant travellers mainly used the trees. They provided free food (though they are, in truth, not the people’s first choice). Nevertheless, it was considered to be free food for the poor (the only kind of people low enough on the social pyramid who might be willing to climb one of these sap-covered trees). Wealthy, well-respected Jews might walk beneath large branches for shade, but they would never be caught dead touching one of them. Besides, expensive robes (a symbol of one’s high status) were easily torn. Most people owned just one or perhaps two sets of clothes. What true respectable “Child of Abraham” would be willing to do anything that might get thick, sticky sap all over his new cloak or get it torn to shreds by jagged bark?

Tax Collectors also wandered the streets (those traitors with their pockets heavy with blood money). Men who taxed not only their neighbours but also the temple itself… meaning that they raided the treasury yearly as a tribute to the Romans, who in turn left the Hebrews relatively to themselves and were allowed to keep their own religious system so long as it bowed to Roman authority.

Unlike today, tax collectors at this time made no salary. Yet, they were among the wealthiest people in the ancient world. They hobnobbed with the Romans and made their living through lies… telling people the taxes were higher than they actually were to line their own pockets with the added charges. And along these streets strolled the worst of them all. Luke tells us of this man. His name was Zacchaeus, and as Luke says, he was the “chief tax collector”. Now this could mean either one of two things: 1) That Zacchaeus was either the head of the ancient Roman version of Revenue Canada, or more likely 2) That Zacchaeus was simply the man who charged the highest rates (selfishly collecting most of the money for himself, the “Chief” or “highest” tax collector).

This is where our story begins.

Zacchaeus (whose name ironically means “innocent”), a traitor with a Jewish name, stealing from the poor to give to the rich… (the lowest of the low) came to know that Jesus was coming to town. Although we are never told why, this man, Zacchaeus, wanted more than anything to see Jesus; we are told that he was eager to do so. We are shown that he’s desperate too, but it seems he just was not tall enough to see beyond the large crowd. And that is where our story gets very strange, because Luke says that this wealthy man ran (as businessmen did not), pushed his way through the crowded streets, and, finding no suitable place in sight due to being “comparatively short from others”, climbed the very symbol of the poor and lowly (the sycamore tree) to catch a better look.

And there, probably with his expensive cloak covered in sap and snagging on the crisp, hard bark, he climbed unbecomingly up the branches of that bitter tree, like a silly child, to catch a glimpse of Christ as he passed by. With all those people present, hoping upon hope that they might get to catch a glimpse of this famed man from Galilee… There in front of all those people… Zacchaeus made a fool of himself. The crowd… especially, those on the top rung of society… the True Children of Abraham, must have loved it. Oh, how they must have relished seeing that traitor shuffle his stubby little legs up the trunk of that tree. It would be so embarrassing for him.

Those fantastic Germans have a word for how this would be seen. Schadenfreude is a German term for “Joy in Damage”. Specifically, it means taking delight in seeing someone else’s trouble or receiving their “just desserts”.

Pause for a second. Who are the traitors in our lives? How would you feel if you saw them embarrassed? Do you dream of the day you will get to revel in seeing someone you don’t like get their just desserts? Is that who we are to be?

And then in verse 5 it says, “When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus (innocent?), come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”

Out of all the people travelling that road that day… at that exact moment. Jesus calls out the lowest of the low of the Hebrews. The streets are full of respected people… Pharisees, Sadducees, priests, Levites, rich, Scribes… Real “Children of Abraham”… and Jesus chooses to speak to this short, disgusting traitor! While the Pharisees foolishly looked down on the Sadducees and the rich arrogantly looked down on the poor, and the men wrongly looked down on the women, Jesus picked perhaps the only person in the whole crowd whom most people could absolutely agree on. Everyone probably agreed that they all hated him. And Jesus then says to this person, “Zacchaeus, I’m coming to your house today”.

How does Jesus know Zacchaeus’ name? Is the “wee little man” famous? Maybe Jesus doesn’t call him by name – not exactly anyway. The name means “innocent”. Maybe Jesus says, “You there! Innocent man”, “I’m coming to your house today”.

What would the crowd have thought? Well, in verse 7, we find out exactly what they thought. The crowd that gathered in those bustling streets, all of the sudden, becomes a mob. Though they had gathered to see Jesus (this Holy Man?), they now turn on him. They say, “He has gone to be the guest of this sinner?” The people are disappointed and sickened. The wealthy and the blessed, the real, actual, religious and respected people came out to see this Holy Man they had heard so much about, only to find that he wants to hobnob with a small, tax-collecting, Roman sympathizing… traitor (now behaving like a child or an animal hanging out in some dirty tree).

In response, Zacchaeus comes down from the tree and accepts Jesus’ offer. But perhaps he also accepted that he wasn’t living the way he hoped to. For whatever reason, Zacchaeus stands up and announces to the whole crowd his repentance and restitution. Because Jesus has blessed him, something changes. And so Zacchaeus declares that in response, he will give half of all his possessions to the poor and more than that, if he has defrauded anyone, he will pay them back four times what he stole.

And at that, Jesus does something that would make the crowd even angrier. Jesus declares Zacchaeus forgiven and restored, saying, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and save the lost.”

In this moment, all the caste systems fall away. People cease to be a part of this group or that group, worthy or not. The physician has come to rescue the sick, regardless of who they are, whether loved or hated, good or bad. In this, Zacchaeus moves from eager curiosity to personal encounter, to repentance, and restitution, and Jesus affirms that he is restored and saved. Perhaps just as importantly, he, too, is loved.

The thing is, we read this story as if it happened 2,000 years ago. However, that’s just the first step in understanding it. We forget that we, too, have a caste system: people worthy of respect and people not. People of good stature and those without; good people and those who are traitors to their own nation and to humanity. There are people we want to see blessed, people we believe are worthy of forgiveness, and people we hate and hope to see “get what they deserve”. This story actually takes place billions of times with billions of people every day. And each of us has a role to play.

One of the things that stops us from thoroughly examining a text like this is the simple problem of the banality of evil. We assume we are either Jesus or the crowd, but rarely think of ourselves as the monster in the story.

Most people, when reflecting on a story like this, automatically assume that they would be the good guy in the story and subsequently demonize the other characters. We wrongly assume that we are the good guys because we are all the authors of our own stories, and we don’t like admitting when we are less than the best. When we read this story, we think “of course Jesus came for someone hated by others”. We don’t think, “Of course, Jesus loves that person I loathe”. We think, “Of course, Jesus can see this man’s true value as a child of God”. But would we really believe that if we hated Zacchaeus as much as we hate (fill in the blank) from our own time and own lives?

We watch Schindler’s List and cast ourselves as the saviour in the shadows, scribbling names on a list to defy the darkness. But history whispers a harsher truth: in the camps’ shadow, most of us would have been (while not the monsters) probably still, the silent clerks, the averted eyes, the ordinary souls who let the trains roll on; proving that heroism is rare, and complicity is the human default. But honestly, who are we in the story? If every time I read a Bible story, I agree with the good guys, I’m probably not reading it deeply enough. In truth, I suspect we probably play all the roles of all the characters at one time or another.

WHO ARE WE IN THIS STORY?

JESUS – the one who sees those people all around us that others reject (not just the poor and lowly but also the haughty and the traitors, comes to them with arms outstretched, sits down with them and tells them they are loved?

ZACCHEUS – the one that’s lost. The one who is willing to drop everything and race to God. The one willing to climb out on that tree limb, no matter how embarrassing, to catch a glimpse of Jesus, no matter what the cost?

Or… are we THE CROWD – the ones that saw God’s care for the outcast of society and instead of caring for them too, turned on God for being too good to the people we think are evil?

WHO ARE WE IN THIS STORY? Maybe it depends on the moment. But more importantly, who are we called to be? Amen.

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

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayers of the Saints

Let us pray to the God of all creation, who hears the cries of the oppressed and the weary.

We pray for those facing ongoing issues in the Middle East: for those working on hostage negotiations, and for the bodies of Israel’s concert goers to be returned, and for the families of the latest 61 Palestinians who have died in conflict as well as the resulting exacerbated Peace Talks negotiated by the State Department.

We pray for the innocent caught in the deadly police operation in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in what is the most deadly police crackdown in the country’s history.

We ask for an end to the Sudan Genocide as well as outbreaks of disease, causing even more pain and strife in a part of the world already suffering from extreme violence.

Our mind Lord also fall upon those threatened or harmed by the movements of Hurricane Melissa moving through the Caribbean and particularly in Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.

On our hearts are also those facing flash floods and landslides in Vietnam, and for the families of those still missing. Similarly, we also think about our sisters and brothers in Kenya, where torrential rains have killed many people and destroyed homes and much-needed agriculture.

Closer to home, we pray for our teachers and educators, as well as for school staff and all those affected. While differences of opinion will continue to be expressed, we pray for a resolution that makes sense where both sides feel heard and the most vulnerable are most cared for.

For the needs of this congregation and those we hold dear. We pray especially for those among us facing illness, grief, or hardship: for Iris and Adrian and Ruth and others who have said goodbye to a treasured Father and constant fixture in life.

God of boundless compassion, receive these prayers as offerings of trust in your eternal promise, through Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Passing the peace

The Sacrament of Holy Communion

Invitation

Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. In a week marked by violence in Rio and Gaza, by landslides in Sudan and floods in Vietnam, by trade wars and trembling peace talks: Jesus still says: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden. These gifts of bread and wine are signs of his promise: that no darkness is beyond redemption, no grief beyond his reach.

Happy are we who are called to his supper.

Song: You satisfy the hungry heart (538; vss1,2 ,3, 5)

The Apostles’ Creed (539)

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

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

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

The Communion Prayer

It is truly right and our greatest joy to give you thanks and praise, O God of the covenant, maker of heaven and earth.

You formed us in your image, set us in a garden of abundance, and walked with us in the cool of the day. When we turned away, you did not abandon us; you spoke through prophets, sent judges and kings, and promised a day of justice and peace.

Therefore, we praise you, joining our voices with choirs of angels and with all the faithful of every time and place, who forever sing to the glory of your name:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

You are holy, O God of mercy, and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Born of Mary, he shared our life; he ate with sinners, healed the hurting, and welcomed the outcast.

Remembering your boundless love revealed in his life, death, and resurrection, we offer ourselves as a living sacrifice and celebrate the feast of victory.

Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts of bread and wine, that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ, and that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.

By your Spirit unite us with the living Christ and with all who are baptized in his name, that we may be one in ministry in every place. As this bread is Christ’s body for us, send us out to be the body of Christ for the world.

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

Sharing of the Bread and Wine

On the night before he died, our Lord Jesus took bread, gave thanks to you, Our God, broke the bread, and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take, eat; this is my body, given for you.’ Do this in remembrance of me.

When supper was over, he took the cup, blessed it, and shared it with them, saying: Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me.

Song: Eat this bread (527).

Prayer after Communion

Almighty God, we give You thanks for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ, truly present to us in this holy meal. By Your Spirit, You have fed us with the bread of life and the cup of salvation, renewing our faith, binding us to Christ, and uniting us as one body in Him. Forgive us where we have strayed, strengthen us where we are weak, and send us forth in the power of Your love to live as faithful disciples in a world that needs Your grace. All glory be to You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Song: I’m gonna live so God can use me (648)

Sending out with God’s blessing

May the God who gathers the saints — past, present, and yet to come — keep you in hope.

May Christ, the firstborn from the dead, hold you in courage to love and to serve until we also raise from death.

May the Spirit strengthen your hearts with peace, deepen your compassion for one another, and give you confidence that nothing in life nor in death can separate you from God’s love in Jesus Christ.

Go in faith, beloved, to live as people of resurrection — carrying the memories of those who have gone before, sharing their witness, and making room for the saints yet to be. Amen.

Response: Benediction (as you go)

Music postlude

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

Wolves: Imagined and Real

Posted on October 26, 2025October 26, 2025 by John

Worship on Reformation Sunday
10:00 am October 26, 2025
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs     Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Vivian Houg     Reader: Leah Eisen
Welcoming Elder: Darlene Eerkes   Children’s time: Brad

We gather to worship God

Music prelude

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

Lighting of the Christ candle
Welcome and announcements
Preparation for worship

Call to worship:
L: From the routines of work and school, home and play,
P: we have come to worship God.
L: With the weight of the world heavy on our hearts,
P: we have come to worship God.
L: In the midst of our fears and our hopes,
P: we offer our prayer and praise in Jesus’ name.
L: For we trust in God’s power and presence,
P: so let us worship God with heart, mind, soul and strength.

Opening praise: Here I am to worship

Prayers of approach and confession

Creating God, the mountains you raised reflect your strength and majesty.

Sunrise and sunset frame the day with your light and joy.

Fields bursting with grain and trees coloured with autumn glory ing of your steadfast love.

Pictures from the depth of space give a glimpse of your infinity, yet in Christ you have walked the humble earth.

You alone are worthy of our praise.

You alone give us hope.

Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer of Life, we praise you, and join our voices to those of every precious thing to wonder at your mystery and majesty.

Merciful God, You created human beings with gifts of intelligence and imagination.

Yet we confess we often use these gifts to exploit your creation and put others in their place.

So often we think that we are great when we are small. Or we claim smallness when you set a challenge before us. We convince ourselves that our sin is not nearly as great as others, yet, every sin offends your purpose for us.

Forgive us, we pray, and grant us a truer picture of ourselves. Amen.

Response: I will trust in the Lord

Assurance of God’s peace

Friends in Christ, God is gracious. Christ has promised that those who humble themselves will be exalted. Having confessed our sin, let us trust the good news of the Gospel. In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Thanks be to God.

We listen for the voice of God

Response: Jesus we are gathered (514)

Children’s time

Theme:	Don’t think too highly of yourself. Proper 25 (30) Year C
Object:	“Yertle the Turtle” by Dr. Seuss.
Scripture:	For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Luke 18:14b (NIV)

Have you ever known someone who thought they were much better than everyone else and deserved special treatment? Dr. Seuss wrote a story about a turtle who was like that. Perhaps you have read the story. The title of the story is “Yertle the Turtle.”

Yertle was the ruler of a little pond on the island of Sala-ma-Sond. All of the turtles at the pond had everything they needed and were quite happy. They were happy, that is, until Yertle decided that his kingdom was too small. “I am ruler of all that I see, but I don’t see enough. My throne is too low down,” complained Yertle.

So Yertle lifted his hand and gave a command. He ordered nine turtles in the pond to stand on each other’s backs so that they could become his new and higher throne. He climbed up onto the backs of the turtles, and he had a fantastic view. But Yertle still wasn’t satisfied. “Turtles! More turtles!” he called from his lofty throne. Yertle swelled with pride and a sense of importance as turtles from all over the pond came to climb on the stack of turtles that made up Yertle’s throne.

At the very bottom of the stack was a plain and ordinary turtle named Mack. He struggled under the weight of all the turtles until finally, he decided that he had taken enough. That plain little turtle named Mack did a very plain little thing. He burped! His burp shook the throne, and Yertle fell right into the mud! And now the great Yertle is King of the MUD.

When you think too highly of yourself, you often wind up taking a big fall, don’t you?

In our Bible lesson today, Jesus tells a story about a man who thought he was better than everyone else. In the story that Jesus told, two men went to the temple to pray. One of the men was a Pharisee, a religious group that was very strict in obeying the law of Moses. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: “I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I’m certainly not like that tax collector over there! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of all my income.”

The tax collector stood at a distance and would not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he bowed his head in sorrow, saying, “Oh God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.”

Now, which of these two prayers do you think was pleasing to God? You are right—the prayer of the tax collector. Jesus said, “The tax collector, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, but those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

When we are tempted to brag about ourselves, we need to remember that other people are not impressed… and neither is God!

Prayer

Dear Father, we pray that you would help us to remain humble so that we would not think more highly of ourselves than we ought. So now we pray the prayer Jesus’ gave his first disciples to pray.

Our Father…

The Lord’s Prayer (535 )

Song: Spirit of the living God (400)

Scripture readings: Joel 2:23-32; Luke 18:9-14; and 2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18

Response: Glory to the Father

Message: Wolves: Imagined and Real

There is a massive rivalry in college basketball between the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky.

The story is told that at one of the games between the two schools, an elderly woman was sitting alone with an empty seat next to her. Soon, someone approached her and said, “Ma’am, I have rarely seen an empty seat in this Arena, let alone at a game between these two teams. Can I please ask… Whose seat is this?” Immediately (and with pride) the woman responded that she and her late husband had been season-ticket holders for 28 years, and that the seat had belonged to him. “Well,” said the man, “Couldn’t you find a friend or relative to come to the game with you? It’s not good to be alone, and I’m sure someone would love to be here with you tonight.”. “Are you kidding me?” the elderly woman replied. “I’m not alone. God’s here in this seat with me. Besides, my friends and family are too busy for me. They’re all at my husband’s funeral.”

Everyone has felt abandoned at some point. Sometimes we do it to ourselves. Sometimes it’s just the rotten way the world seems to have turned out. But it’s never really, actually true. You can’t be alone.

The year was 67 A.D., and the Apostle Paul was virtually alone. Today, when someone goes to prison, it’s because they’ve been found guilty of a crime and sentenced to a set period of incarceration to “pay their debt to society,” but in First Century Roman culture, imprisonment was really just the a place you went while awaiting your trial. Prison wasn’t punished. It’s just where you went before they decided how best to punish you. For the most part, once your trial was over, your time in prison would be pretty short. After a trial came to completion, you would be either set free, released into slavery to pay off debts, forced into maritime service, beaten, have a body part chopped off or be executed. The different lengths of time Paul spends in prison throughout his life reflect how geographically far Paul (a Roman citizen) was from the legal Roman judges. Other long imprisonments were likely the result of executive decisions to delay sentencing to avoid backlash from followers of popular figures. In other words, they might let Paul rot in prison because giving him a sentencing could mean his followers would start a revolt.

By the end of 2 Timothy, we know that Paul has finally had his trial. Though 1, 2 Timothy and Titus were all written at essentially the same time, we also understand that this was the last trial Paul faced. And while he never explicitly states the punishment he will soon face, we do know the general tone of his trial. It’s all just a matter of time, really. His fate was sealed, and Paul knew it. He writes, “⁶For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. ⁷I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” In short, Paul sees his life like the drink offering the fathers of his faith used to splash on the side of the altar after the animal sacrifice had been killed in dedication to the Lord, just before it was cut to pieces and burned.

Sometimes the wolves we fear are very real.

Paul’s death was already decided and already underway. Paul knew death was coming. And he felt alone.

One odd thing about life, however, is that just how alone we feel is often a matter of our own attitudes.

As the story goes, an organization in conjunction with the state of Montana offered a bounty of five thousand dollars for every wolf captured alive. The year was 1976, and two hunters named Sam and Jed decided to head for the hills and make some quick money capturing wolves. Day and night, they scoured the mountains and forests searching for their valuable prey. But it always seemed like the wolves were just out of reach. Then, in the evening, exhausted after three days of hunting without any success, they both fell asleep with the flap open in a small tent near an even smaller fire.

During the night, Sam suddenly woke up to find that he and Jed were surrounded by a pack of 30 or so wolves, with flaming red eyes and bared teeth, snarling at the two hunters and preparing to pounce. Sam nudged Jed, who woke up with an immediate look of terror on his face. “Jed… get up.” Sam said, “We’re gonna be rich!” And today we know this story – because Sam was right.

The fact is, sometimes in life, when we are surrounded by what appears to be many difficulties, as if it’s just us against the world, facing impossible odds, we may in fact be surrounded by opportunities and blessings (without even realizing it). Sometimes, when we think of something as a crisis, we can choose to be frightened and run—or to stand firm and be courageous. Sometimes it’s just a matter of perspective.

Many years ago American President John F Kennedy famously and incorrectly popularized the idea that the Chinese word for Crisis also means Opportunity. It’s a good sentiment, but it’s not quite correct. The word Kennedy referred to actually means “a dangerous point of change”.

Sometimes are worries (our wolves) are very real and very dangerous. Sometimes. Not all the time. Sometimes, a pack of wolves is really just a pack of wolves.

As Paul writes to his trusted protégé Timothy, he recalls a list of friends who left him with no one to speak on his behalf. Prisons didn’t feed people. These were the people who previously cared for Paul and who were meant to speak at his trial. But they had almost all abandoned him. Demas had previously been a co-worker with Paul in the Church, but, fearing he might also be sentenced to death, he left Paul just before the trial began, rather than standing up for him. Luke, who would later write this gospel, had previously gone on a mission, but the trail was called before he returned, and now there was no point in coming back. In case you didn’t know, the gospels were actually written after Paul’s books. They come first in the order of the New Testament, but were the last part written down.

Crescens and Titus had left Paul, too, for continued ministry in the months before. They didn’t know the trial would come so suddenly. Their friend Tychicus was in Ephesus doing the good work Paul called him to, as was Timothy. They didn’t exactly abandon him, but it still wasn’t the same as having them with him. Mark had split from Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey (something that at first made Paul very angry), but later Paul came to terms with it. Interestingly, though, had Paul known that Mark was in the process of writing the first gospel at the time of Paul’s trial, Paul no doubt would have felt differently about Mark’s absence. But that’s just it… he didn’t know. All Paul knew was that Mark wasn’t there when Paul felt like he needed him the most.

As Paul sat in the damp, foul, and cold cell, with no personal possessions, he wrote to Timothy asking him to bring a coat and his favourite books (especially parchments—most likely portions of the Hebrew Bible). In essence, like a person in the hospital getting a day pass to go home for a holiday, Paul just wanted a visit—to see a friendly face, to feel, and to have just one last day when things could feel normal again and like being home with his loved ones. And then Paul recalls to his beloved friend the name of the only person who stayed with him during his trial. He says that a man called Alexander was there. But there was a problem. Alexander was a wolf. Alexander, who had at one time been a student of Paul’s, did come to the trial. But instead of speaking out for the defence, he spoke on behalf of the prosecution. And in the end, not a single voice stood up for Paul at his trial.

With no one to speak in his defence, one witness running for his life and a final one turning on him, Paul was doomed before the trial even began. He was, in fact, precisely what he said he was: “already being poured out”. His last offering before his God would be his very lifeblood. And like Jesus, he would die deserted by his friends.

But in his loneliness, there was also a feeling of completion and support and providence, as if Paul saw the “footprints in the sand,” so to speak, carrying him along the way.

There is an old story from the Swahili-Arab and Congo Free State War. It’s probably not historical so much as it is a parable, but it’s not without grounding. In any case, the story goes like this: There was an African King who grew up with a close friend. The friend had a rather annoying habit (or a rather lovely habit, depending on your view) of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) and always remarking in the same way. As the story goes, good or bad news, this man would always say, “This is good!”

One day, the king and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. Because the King was the King and the friend was just a friend, the friend would load and prepare the guns for the King. However, on this particular occasion, it seems either a mechanical error occurred or the friend actually did something wrong when preparing one of the guns. Either way, after taking the gun from his friend, the King fired to see a puff of smoke, a splash of blood, and to smell the smell of burnt skin. When the King looked down, he saw the mess left behind by the gun. Where his thumb once was, now nothing remained but air. His thumb was blown clean off in a backfire

After examining the situation, the friend remarked as usual, “This is good!” To which the King replied, “No, No, No! No, this is not good!” and immediately called for the guards to take his longtime friend away and put him in jail.

As it happens, about a year later, the King was hunting in an area that he should have known to stay clear of. During the short two-year war, this particular region became known for cannibalism (usually having to do with the Congolese taking Swahili-Arab war prisoners for food or at least pretending to do so to instill fear in their enemy). The King was captured and taken to their village. There, they tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to the stake. But as they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. Being superstitious about such things, they never ate anyone less than whole. So, untying the King, they took his clothes and sent him on his way.

As he returned home, the King was reminded of the events that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went right away to the jail to speak with his friend. “You were right,” he said, “I’m sorry.” “It actually was good that my thumb was blown off.” And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just transpired.”

“And so,” the King said, “I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad for me to do this.” “No,” his friend replied, “This is good!” Again, the King in anger yelled out, “What do you mean, ‘This is good’? “How could it be good that I sent my best friend to jail for a year?”

“If I had not been in jail,” said the friend, “I would have been with you, and I’d be dead instead of here with you right now. This is good.”

In a very unusual way, the message here unfolds… You can choose to see life as a seemingly random grouping of events, or you can choose to see a purpose behind what seems like adversity at the time.

I’m sure that if any of us care to reflect on the tragedies, the heartaches, the ‘bad times’ in our lives, that we, too, will discover that we have really grown or developed during that period of time, even though the reflection may still cause us discomfort in some way. Even terrible tragedies can grant us strength.

It is in this way that we slowly gather experience and wisdom, and even though we may think or feel that it is unfair, at least in some small way, “This is good”.

For Paul, his last offering was already being poured out. He was about to die. There was, of course, no way that “this” could be “good” in any way. It was the end, and he was alone.

Or was he?

Paul writes, “At my first defence, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. But may it not be held against them. ¹⁷For the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength”.

For the Apostle Paul, the world was full of wolves. At times, those wolves turned out to be opportunities, and at other times, obstacles to overcome and learn from. At other times, at this time, those wolves turned out to be real. But in all things, Paul never lost sight of the providence of God. Through the good times and the bad, the seat next to him was never truly empty. And neither is the one next to you. We can never be alone. Amen

Song: Those who wait on the Lord (662: vss 1-4)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayers of the people

Good and generous God, receive our humble gifts, offered in hope and gratitude. Make something of them, and of us, so that the world will be surprised by your love and what we can offer them in Jesus’ name.

Just and merciful God, we lift our eyes to you in hope and gratitude. When the world around us seems troubling, we are grateful for your steadfast love.

Thank you for your Spirit at work in all times and places, calling out the best in your people, showing us when we must repent, opening paths to reconciliation where we have offended.

With the humility of the tax collector in Jesus’ story, may we seek your justice and know your mercy.

We pray for justice for the earth:

Protect those creatures and habitats that our way of life is threatening.

Protect those communities and island nations most at risk from climate change.

Open our eyes to see how we can live more responsibly and change our hearts to know we must.

Hold a few seconds of silence.

We pray for justice among the nations:

Create more generous sharing of resources between countries with good harvests and those depleted by famine.

Where resources are extracted for export, protect brave advocates for fair wages and environmental protection.

And where there is aggression and intimidation between nations, raise up the willingness to make peace and settle differences fairly.

Hold a few seconds of silence.

We pray for justice in our court systems:

Guide those who judge and defend to serve with integrity, that those who are accused may receive fair trials, and that those who have been wronged or harmed are restored to fullness of life.

Grant those who are convicted humane treatment so that your Spirit may lead them to rehabilitated potential.

Hold a few seconds of silence.

We pray for justice in the work place:

May those who work for others be treated with dignity and earn a fair wage.

May all who create that work earn a fair return.

Create equity and respect between those of different backgrounds and identities and guide young people to opportunities to develop their gifts.

Hold a few seconds of silence.

God, we all need some kinds of healing in our lives:

We remember before you those struggling with illness of body, mind or spirit, those waiting for diagnosis or treatment, and all whose health challenges are invisible to others.

(Keep silence for 15 – 20 seconds)

Your Spirit prays within us, O God, even when we cannot find the right words, so hear us this day, and answer us in ways that encourage our faith and change the world for the good, for the sake of Jesus Christ

Song: I, the Lord of sea and sky (592)

Sending out with God’s blessing

Go in humble confidence, trusting in God’s love for you, yet sure you have still more to learn and to give. And may grace, mercy and peace from God who creates, redeems and saves us be with you all, now and always. Amen.

Response: God to enfold you

Music postlude

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

Persistence

Posted on October 19, 2025October 19, 2025 by John

Worship on Students and Colleges Sunday
10:00 am October 19, 2025
Minister: Rev. Brad Childs     Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Fionna McCrostie     Welcoming Elder: Gina Kottke
Children’s time: 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: God promises us justice,
P: and teaches us persistence.
L: God promises us compassion,
P: and teaches us not to lose heart.
L: God promises to be with us
P: and teaches us to tend to each other.
L: So let us worship our God of comfort and challenge,
P: We will offer prayers and praise to our God of hope and healing.

Opening praise: I lift my eyes up

Prayers of approach and confession

Awesome and eternal God of grace and beauty and power,
you created our minds to know you better.
You formed our hearts to love you better.
You crafted our voices to speak and sing your praise better.
Fill us with your Holy Spirit, so we may celebrate your glory and worship you in spirit and in truth better each day.

You offer us covenant and write your word on our hearts.

Together we are the body of Christ, and each one of us has the responsibility, the desire, to respond to you in word and deed and love.

Yet, while you are beside us, within us, above us, all around us we still manage to ignore you.

We still forget to contemplate you.

We are pleased to be in your family, but when membership in the family of God requires something of us we often find ourselves feeling busy with other things.

We are satisfied to receive your gifts but when it comes to passing on your abundance and acknowledging that all comes from you,

We can and will still hesitate.

We are happy to say an occasional prayer to you who are always with us, but we spend little time listening to you.

Instead, we tend to treat you like a gene we will call on to serve us rather than the other way around.

Help us to be your people as you are our God –

Help us to love you like you love us.

Help us to make you and your ways our first, last, always and only and forgive us when we fail to do so. Amen.

Response: I will trust in the Lord

Assurance of God’s forgiveness

The Holy One will not abandon us: the Beloved is our grace, the healer of our lives. Though we sometimes grow weary, take heart, for our God remains with us and forgives us. Thanks be to God for such mercy and grace. Amen

Musical offering: Dayspring Singers

We listen for the voice of God

Response: Jesus, we are gathered (514)

Children’s time

God and Prayer: Clothesline story

Hold out your clothesline using both hands so students can see.

When we talk to God, we can imagine that we have a “line” directly to him. It’s sort of like this clothesline.

Give one end to the child sitting nearest to you. Hold onto the other end yourself.

Tell her: Close your eyes. God holds one end”; Our prayers are at the other end.

Shake the rope and ask the student holding the other end with her eyes shut:

Can you feel me at the other end of this rope? Yes.
Because I’m alive and active! I’m God! You can’t see me, but you can sense me moving in your life!

Tell the student to open her eyes, then shake the rope. Close your eyes.

Now I can feel you! When you pray, it’s like you shake God’s rope. There isn’t a prayer that he doesn’t hear, see or feel. If you really, really wanted something from God, how hard would you shake this rope? Let the student shake the rope hard.

And for how long? Until she got an answer.

If we really really want something from God, we have to be like the old widow in the story we’ll hear about later in the service and at Sunday School. We have to be persistent. It’s like we have to “pin ourselves” to God with our prayers and not let go of him until we get an answer.

Using a clothes pins, pin an index card with suggested prayers written on them to the clothes line.

When we “pin” ourselves to God with our prayer requests – when we’re really persistent and pray all the time – it’s like our prayers stay constantly before him. He constantly feels, sees, and hears our needs and desires. And he’s always answering our prayers, whether the answer is yes or no, with our best interest at heart!

Let us pray:
Dear God,
Help me keep praying every day, even when I don’t know how long I’ll have to wait.
Give me a heart that doesn’t give up, and to trust You always to know what is best for me.
Thank You for listening, every time I pray — thank you for the love You have for me.
And now, we pray the prayer that You taught us, …

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Song: How firm a foundation (685)

Scripture readings: Genesis 32:22-31 & Luke 18:1-8

Response: Glory to the Father

Message: “Persistence”

In his video “Name” by Rob Bell, he says, “I was meeting with my counsellor recently and somewhere in the course of our time together, we were discussing some issue in my life, and I asked him, ‘Is it normal for people to…’ and he immediately interrupts me. And he says, ‘Is it normal for who?’ And I said, ‘Well, is it normal for people to…’ and he interrupts me again. And he says, ‘Wait, wait, we’re not here to talk about other people, are we? We’re here to talk about you—your identity and what the next right thing is for you to do. So the better question is: is it normal for you?”

Why do you think we so often worry about what everyone else is doing, saying, or feeling? Should it matter to us what’s “normal” for everyone else?

The stories of Jacob and Esau and the Story of Jacob’s wrestling match are very odd, but the background is pretty simple. See, the whole thing starts back in Genesis chapter 25 when the twin boys are born. In the story, Esau (which means “hairy” – so he must have been a pretty cute baby all covered in “red hair” to deserve that moniker) is born first. Then it recalls, “his brother next came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel, and so he was named Ya’acob (Jacob)” which literally means “Leg Puller” (and figuratively means Trickster or Deceiver). The implication from the story is that Jacob, from his very birth, was a trickster who wanted to be someone he wasn’t, so much so in fact that he’s depicted as a newborn (trying even then) to pull his brother back into the womb so that he could be the firstborn.

The next time we see the two, Esau is working hard in the fields, honing his hunting skills, while Jacob hides out in the tents all day. Next, Jacob scams his brother out of his birthright (still believing he should have been born first) by selling him some leftover food referred to in the text only as “red stuff” (which doesn’t sound very appealing but was probably just red lentils). Next, Jacob fools his blind father into giving him Esau’s blessing. In short, Jacob didn’t want to be Jacob. He tried to be Esau.

When Esau finally discovers what’s happened, Esau vows to kill the little “leg puller,” and so their mother sends Jacob away to live with relatives. There, Jacob doesn’t get much better. Jacob pretty much continues his old ways and tricks his way into a very wealthy life. Eventually, Jacob is found to be embezzling from his family’s business partners and is sent away (of course, they go—but not before his wife steals some things from the main house first). You get the idea. Ja’acob is a jerk.

When our story for today comes, Jacob is doing something hazardous. He’s crossing the Jabbok, a very fast-moving swell of a river (referred to as a “broken leg”) that feeds the Jordon. More importantly, though… It’s the edge of his brother Esau’s land. The river is the border. Jacob is going home. And he isn’t wanted.

That night, Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the broken leg river. After he had sent them across, he sent over all his possessions. Jacob had planned to send five waves of gifts to Esau, hoping Esau would accept the gifts and so also him onto the land without killing him. Next, Jacob sends 220 goats, 220 sheep, 30 camels, 40 cows, 10 bulls and 30 donkeys. It seems Jacob would do anything to be anybody else but Jacob at that moment. But Jacob was such a good guy, of course, that he also made a plan just in case it didn’t work. The old leg-puller planned to split his family into two parties so that if Esau (who by now was very wealthy and very powerful) did decide to kill him, Jacob and the other half of the family might be able to get away while Esau was busy killing off the first group. What a lovely fella, huh?

Well, that night, Jacob got up by himself, crossed the river, and was utterly alone and vulnerable. And there he was, confronted with a man who grabbed him, and the two became involved in a struggle. There, Jacob wrestled with what the scripture says was “a man” until daybreak came. Then, according to the story, when the man saw that he could not overpower Jacob, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was instantly dislocated, leaving our old friend “Leg puller” with his hip out of joint on the broken leg river.

A lot of questions abound. For example, just what does it mean that the man could not overpower Jacob and yet at the same time seems to have had the power to knock a hip out of the socket with just one finger? There are other questions as well. For example, many believe that this man is just like the man outside the city of Sodom (who spoke to Abraham), who, it turned out, was actually an “angel of the Lord”. Some Christian groups believe very strongly that it’s really the pre-incarnate Jesus who wrestles with Jacob. They also see Jesus involved in the creation story, for example, when God says in Genesis, “Let US create man in OUR image.” Some people point out that Jewish Midrash (ancient commentaries) claim that this is an angel who must return to the morning choir of YHWH at daybreak in order to sing the Father’s praises. Certain other commentators, however, claim it’s actually the Canaanite river god, while others say it’s Jupiter, citing a similar story and a nearly identical quote from a Jupiter story. No matter what view you might take, it is hard to ignore the idea that this “man” is not exactly typical but is instead presented as superhuman in some way.

In any case, then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” Then the man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered.

Now you have to understand… In the ancient Near East, your name was more than just words. Name was identity. Your name was reflective of your character, your substance, I mean, the very fibre that made you, you. Your name tells who you are and what you would be.”

Many Bible names are meaningful — they describe something about the person’s character or situation, or express a hope or prophecy about that person’s life. (Yitzchak) Isaac means “he laughs” because Sarah laughed at the idea of having a son. Yishma’el (Ishmael) means God hears me and describes how God hears his Mother, and the boy is saved. Samuel means “heard by God” or “answered prayer,” because Hannah’s prayer was answered. Elijah means “the Lord is my God”, and Elijah stands as one prophet of the Lord against a multitude. Yisra’el (Israel) means “prevails with God” because he overcame struggle. David, referred to as the “Man after God’s own heart”, means “beloved”. Abraham — “father of many”, Sarah — “princess,” Moses means “one called out”, Aaron “exalted”, Solomon, “peace bringer”. Jeremiah, “God awakens”, Ezekiel, “God gives me strength”, Daniel, who the kingdom tries to put on trial and execute – his name means “Only God is my Judge”, Paul means “humble” because he was proven wrong about Jesus, Peter means “Rock”, Joshua (How Jesus is pronounced in Aramaic) means “The Father Saves”. The names are like little clues as to how the stories will turn out in the end.

This is still true to some extent today. When Tracy and I were thinking about names for our children, we had a rule. The name had to sound good with the prefix Dr. or Judge. No one wants to see Judge Barbie Childs or Doctor Candy Childs. Naming Jacob Trickster, it might have described his very first act, but it also set his path for him as a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you name your son “Dirtbag,” you’ve pretty well determined the kind of life he’s going to live.

What is your name? Have you ever thought of your name as a reflection of who you are? We each have this unique path, a calling, a life that God has given us, and Jesus invites us to be our true selves and yet we get sidetracked, we get distracted, we get hung up on how we’re different from her or we aren’t like him, and we end up asking the wrong questions.

Do you have the sense of a unique path in your life? Are there ways in which you tend to get distracted from “your path” because of what others do, say, or think of you?

There is this well-known story in the book of John. After breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Master, you know I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” He then asked a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Master, you know I love you.” Jesus said, “Shepherd my sheep.” Peter was upset that he asked for the third time, “Do you love me?” so he answered, “Master, you know everything there is to know. You’ve got to know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. I’m telling you the very truth now: When you were young, you dressed yourself and went wherever you wished, but when you get old, you’ll have to stretch out your hands while someone else dresses you and takes you where you don’t want to go.” He said this to hint at the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. And then he commanded, “Follow me.” And that’s where we usually end the story. But that’s not actually the end of it.

Here’s the part of the story that is very seldom told. “Turning his head, Peter noticed the disciple Jesus loved (John) following right behind. When Peter noticed him, he asked Jesus, “Master, what’s going to happen to him?” Jesus said, “If I want him to live until I come again, what’s that to you? You — follow me.”

Peter has just been asked by Jesus to care for the disciples after Jesus leaves. Jesus asks him three times, giving Peter a chance to undo the three times he had just denied knowing Jesus. And Peter’s first thought is… well, what about Him; what’s this other guy have to do? Basically, Jesus responds, “What business is that of yours?”

How often do we get caught up in the lives of everybody else, while trying to live any life but our own?

You and I have pasts, families we come from, things we’ve done, mistakes we’ve made, and where we’ve been and what we’ve done have helped shape who we are today. So, we have to embrace our story, our history. You don’t have to be proud of every single piece of it, but you must claim it because it’s yours.

What do you think it means for people to claim their own history? Have you claimed yours?

We have limits. There are all sorts of things we aren’t. There are all kinds of people that we aren’t. Maybe this is why Jesus says to love your neighbour as yourself. How could I ever love and embrace myself, let alone someone else, when I’ve never come to terms with who I am and then who I’m not?”

What are some of your limits? Are you okay with your limitations, or do you still sometimes wish you had the abilities and circumstances of others? How often do you hear God directing you where to go and respond, “Well, what about that person?”.

Proverbs 14:30 says, “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”

Some people live their whole lives according to the expectations of others. Whether it’s authority figures or family members, it’s as if there’s this script that has already been written by someone else, and all they’re essentially doing is just acting it out.

Are there things in your life that you do or you did because it’s “expected” of you? If so, do these things get in the way of you doing what you really feel you should be doing? How much time do you waste wishing you had that thing or that body or that bank account or that gift? How often are you like Peter, looking over at John’s life, wishing you had it?

Jacob would do anything to escape who he was. His whole life, he wanted to have the things that others had. From the day he was born, he wanted to be anyone else but who he was.

There’s this moment by the side of the river as the night cold air begins to depart, and the smell of the water starts to rise with the sun, and Jacob faces this man who has asked him perhaps the question of his life, ‘What is your name?’ and Jacob answers him, ‘I’m Jacob.’ He’s struggled and he’s been broken, and for probably the first time in his life, he’s done pretending, and he takes off that mask he wears, and he says, “Jacob”. And it may not seem like much, but that’s a massive moment in the story and a massive moment in life for him.

He said, I’m Jacob. Not… I’m “Ben Yitsak” (I’m the son of the famous Isaac). Not “I’m Ben Yitsak, Ben Ab-raham,” I’m the grandson of Abraham. “Not even, don’t mess with me, this land we’re on belongs to Esau my twin brother. No. The mystery stranger who is probably the Angel of the Lord says, what’s your name? And he replies, “Deceiver”. “I’m Deceiver”. I’m leg puller!”

I love that.

He owns his name and who he is.

There is this amazing line in Jeremiah 9:4 where Jeremiah say, “every brother deceives” (some translations put it “Everyone sins”) But the word Jeremiah actually uses is the name Jacob. He writes, “every brother Jacobs”.

Here, and perhaps for the first time, the old leg-puller isn’t trying to be Esau anymore or anyone else for that matter. Jacob has wrestled and overcome. Not because he beat the man, because that clearly didn’t happen, but because he struggled with life (even his own errors in it) and would not give up.

And that’s when it becomes clear that the man Jacob wrestled with is really Devine. Because this man sees more in Jacob than Jacob’s father did, more than Jacob saw in himself, he saw a person (not destined to be a leg-puller or a trouble maker) but a person who struggled on. And so God changed Jacob’s name. In short, this stranger changed how Jacob saw himself. So God said, You are not just a Deceiver anymore. So God renamed Jacob Yish-Ri-El (wrestles with God) instead.

Do you think you could live in a way where you’re not comparing yourself to people who have more than you, who dress better than you, who have things you don’t, or who can do things you can’t? Or here’s a much better question. Do you think you can ever fully be you if you’re always concerned about having someone else’s life?

Job 5:2 says, “Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple.” I grew up in an evangelical church. And by the way, that is in fact the way that Martin Luther’s original followers and the first Presbyterians referred to themselves. But anyway, I grew up in a very evangelical church, and we often used words like “born again” and “saved,” and let me be clear, there is nothing wrong with those terms. Those terms come straight from the Bible. Jesus uses those terms. But I do think those terms are used in a far too specific a way.

Because I think we need to be saved from all kinds of things, and I believe the Saviour isn’t just a magical figure that saves us by pulling us up out of the fire and brimstone. I think the saviour of the universe saves us from all kinds of things. In fact, I think sometimes we need to be saved from all the times we haven’t been our true selves.

All the times we’ve tried to be someone else. All of the lies we’ve believed about who God made when God made us. All the names other people give us. All the times we’ve asked the wrong questions: ‘What about him? What about her? What about them?’ And we’ve missed the voice of Jesus saying, Don’t worry about who they are. You be my follower. ‘You, follow me.’”

And I’m not spouting cultural self-help here that says all you need to do is be you. All you need to do is discover yourself. I don’t buy that. But I do think it’s pretty hard to be a better version of you (to be the person God wants you to be) if you’re wasting all your time trying to be somebody else.

We all wrestle with all kinds of things. We all, at one time or another, seek to be that which we are not. We all wear masks from time to time. We all try to be something we’re not – forgetting that God wants to love us and help us be better us, not make us something we’re not.

May you do the hard work of the soul to discover your true self. May you wrestle and struggle on; till your hips are out of joint and yet soldier on anyway. May you find your unique path —the one God has for you, not your neighbours. May you forget what others have or what names others give us. And in the process, may you find yourself comfortable in your own skin, knowing that’s the Your God loves and wants to mold you. Amen

Song: We have this ministry (590)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayers of the people

Creator God,
you call us to love and serve you with body, mind, and spirit
by loving your creation and our sisters and brothers.
Open our hearts in compassion and receive these petitions
on behalf of the needs of the church and the world.

We pray for those who experience your call to serve, and feel inadequate and afraid. We pray for those who seek wisdom in living day to day; encourage them to seek that wisdom in your word and laws. We pray for those who seek to serve fully as disciples of Jesus Christ; enrich them with your compassion and love for all. When we experience doubt, God, encourage us to continue to wrestle with you and with our confusion and misunderstandings. Enable us to be persistent, faithful followers of Jesus. We pray for those who are suffering, physically, spiritually or mentally, God. Enable us to dispense hope and comfort to them. We pray for our own congregation; empower us to become ever more unified in our passion to honour you as your children and serve as disciples of Jesus Christ in bringing to completion your kingdom. We pray for Students in our Theological College as they seek our ministry in your name as well as students who have grown up in this church and seek to claim their own lives now and grow in who you want them to be. We pray specifically for our own Rom, studying at Presbyterian College, for his health, well-being and knowledge. Amen

Song: When we are living (630)

Sending out with God’s blessing

¹²May the Lord our loving Father, make your love for one another and for all people grow and indeed to overflow, just as the Father’s love does for us. ¹³And may God make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before Him on the day Jesus comes again with all his holy people to be presented unto the Father. Amen. (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13, New Living Translation)

Response: God to enfold you

Music postlude

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