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

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

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

We gather to worship God

Music prelude

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

Lighting of the Christ candle
Welcome and announcements
Preparation for worship

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

Opening praise: I lift my eyes up

Prayers of approach and confession

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

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

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

Response: I will trust in the Lord

Assurance of God’s pardon

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

We listen for the voice of God

Song: Open our eyes, Lord (445 )

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

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

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

Scripture: Matthew 17:1-9

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayer for the people

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Song: We are marching/Siyahamba (639)

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

Response: The blessing

Music postlude

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

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

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

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

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

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

We gather to worship God.

Music prelude

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

Lighting of the Christ candle
Welcome and announcements
Preparation for worship

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

Opening praise: Holy is the Lord

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

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

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

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

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

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

Response: I will trust in the Lord

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

We listen for the voice of God

Song: Open our eyes, Lord (445)

Children’s time

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prayer

Leader: “Repeat after me.”

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

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Song: Jesus bids us shine (773)

Scripture readings: Matthew 5:13-20

Minister’s Message: Light under a bowl?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You are the salt of the earth.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That doesn’t mean it’s always easy.

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

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

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

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

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

And he would never say that!

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

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

Song: In Christ alone

We respond to serve God.

Our time of giving

Prayers of thanksgiving and intercession

Thanksgiving for Offerings

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

Prayers of the People

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sending out with God’s blessing

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

Response: The blessing

Music postlude

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

What the Lord Requires / Saying that we will live by rules of justice, mercy and humility is easier than doing it

Posted on February 1, 2026February 1, 2026 by John

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

We gather to worship God.

Music prelude

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

Lighting of the Christ candle
Welcome and announcements
Preparation for worship

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

Opening praise: Love the Lord your God

Prayers of approach and confession

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

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

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

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

Response: I will trust in the Lord

Assurance of God’s pardon

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

We listen for the voice of God.

Song: Blest are they (624: vs 1-4)

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

Response: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We respond to serve God.

Our time of giving

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

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

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

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

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

Passing the peace

The Sacrament of Holy Communion

Invitation

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

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

The Communion Prayer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Lord’s Prayer (sung 469)

Sharing of the Bread and Wine

Song: Eat this bread (527)

Prayer after Communion

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

Song: When the poor ones (762)

Sending out with God’s blessing

May the God of justice strengthen your will to serve.

May the Christ of compassion inspire your heart to love.

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

Response: The blessing

Music postlude

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

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

Posted on January 25, 2026January 25, 2026 by John

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

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

We gather to worship God

Music prelude

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

Lighting of the Christ candle
Welcome and announcements
Preparation for worship

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

Opening praise: This I believe

Prayers of approach and confession

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

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

Response: Glory, glory hallelujah

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

We listen for the voice of God

Song: Jesus we are gathered

Children’s time

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

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

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

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

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

“Alexander, sir”, came the reply again.

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

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

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

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

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

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

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

Response: Behold the Lamb of God

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Two questions to carry home:

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

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

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

We respond to serve God

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

Prayers of thanksgiving and intercession

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Song: We are one in the Spirit (471)

Sending out with God’s blessing

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

Response: God to enfold you

Music postlude

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

Wonderfully Made Disciples / Question for reflection: Who is this mysterious Servant in Isaiah 49? What’s this talk about being arrows in waiting, and how do we all fit into the picture as faithful people today?

Posted on January 18, 2026January 18, 2026 by John

Worship on the Second Sunday after the Epiphany
10:00 am January 18, 2026
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs     Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Fionna McCrostie     Welcoming Elder: Shirley Simpson
Children’s time presenter: Vivian Houg     Reader: Gina Kottke

We gather to worship God

Music prelude

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

Lighting of the Christ candle
Welcome and announcements
Preparation for worship

Call to worship:
L: O Lord, open our lips,
P: And our mouths shall declare your praise.
L: O Lord, open our eyes,
P: So that we may behold your presence.
L: O Lord, open our ears,
P: So that we may hear your call to follow.
L: O Lord, open our hearts,
P: So that we may offer you worship in love and joy.

Opening praise: Holy Spirit, you are welcome here

Prayers of approach and confession

God, our Creator and Redeemer, your faithfulness endures forever.

You offer us new life in Christ Jesus and call us to follow him.

You challenge us to bring life and hope to the world you love.

In you we find strength and courage to face every challenge.

And so we offer our praise and gratitude to you, O God, with Christ and the Spirit, one God, now and always.

Assured of your loving-kindness we confess to you our sins.

Faithful God, you sent Jesus Christ to seek and save the lost yet it’s hard to recognize when we have lost our way.

We judge too quickly, we cultivate and enjoy being upset, we gossip, and we make weak choices.

We seek the next new thing instead of your gift of new life.

We follow the trends of our culture rather than Jesus’ example.

Wash over us with your cleansing Spirit, and renew our commitment to follow your purposes revealed in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Response: Glory, glory hallelujah

Assurance of God’s pardon

Let us rejoice, for God has put a new song in our mouths! Trust in God’s enduring love and mercy, washing over us every day. Know that forgiveness is yours through the grace of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Musical offering: Arise, shine; for your light has come. (Dayspring Singers)

We listen for the voice of God

Song: Jesus we are gathered (514)

Children’s time: Show and Tell

Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Song: Teach me, God, to wonder (704: vss 1-3)

Scripture readings: Isaiah 49-1-7 & John 1:29-42

Response: Behold the lamb of God

Message: Wonderfully Made Disciples

Who is this mysterious Servant in Isaiah 49? What’s this talk about being arrows in waiting, and how do we all fit into the picture as faithful people today?

Let me take you back, way back, to a scene that still hurts to imagine. A people crushed by grief. Jerusalem, their heart-city, is in ruins. The temple, where they once felt closest to God, was nothing but rubble and ash. The land? Desolate, silent, like it forgot how to grow anything green. And the real gut-punch: most folks alive right then had never even seen home. They were born in exile, raised on stories of Zion like old family photos that had faded so much you could barely make out the faces. A few gray-haired grandparents might whisper about the day, seventy years earlier, when soldiers dragged them away as little kids. But for everyone else? Home was a myth. A song their parents sang when they were sad.

Then, miracle of miracles, God does what God does: He flips empires like pages in a book. Cyrus the Great became king of Persia. He was beloved and wanted a kingdom with religious freedom. He issued the Cyrus Cylinder. It freed all the exiled from all the nations and allowed anyone who wished to return to their homes. The guy who just steamrolled Babylon issues a decree: “Go home, Hebrews. You’re free.” The people have been in another land for 70 years. As God told them to, the married had families and made careers. Most decided to stay. Only a remnant returned. This was the first wave. A handful. That’s it. But free.

And into this half-return, this lingering ache, the prophet speaks. We’re deep in Isaiah’s “Book of Comfort”, chapters 40 to 55, long, beautiful poems where hope keeps sneaking through the cracks in the tears. The spotlight falls on Zion’s sorrow… and on God’s chosen Servant, the one who will somehow bring glory right smack in the middle of the mess.

This is the second of the four servant songs. This one is written from the servants’ point of view. The servant is portrayed as a prophet of the Lord, specially equipped to restore the nation of Israel. Taken together, the servant songs present a picture of someone whose success will not come by political might or military action but by becoming a light to the nations.

But what’s odd about these passages is that the Servant mentioned here is called “Israel” and yet is and isn’t. It’s a little odd, but Jewish theologians often suggested that this must be a “perfect” or “ideal” version of Israel. The figure is messianic. Some have suggested that the servant is Isaiah the prophet, some claim it’s Cyrus the Great. Christians generally tend to notice that this servant suffers hardship. 500 years before Jesus, this text says that the Servant will be “pierced for our transgressions”, glorifies God, will have a “mission to all nations”, is given a divine calling and anointing, that he fulfills all the promises of Isaiah’s first 48 chapters, is nevertheless “scorned and rejected” and yet brings salvation even when it seems he has done all his work in vain. And he will make a new covenant.

In other words Christians tend to believe that the Servant called “Israel” here is actually Jesus. Of course this is usually because Luke quotes these verses and attributes them to Jesus (Luke 2:32). So does Simeon who blesses baby Jesus at the dedication service. Also so does Paul in Second Corinthians 6:2 who uses the same language of the arrow in the quiver awaiting use. It’s also in Matthew 28 at the Great Commission and John 8.

Like most of the prophecies of the Old Testament, they are fulfilled partially within the Hebrew Bible themselves, Fuller still through Jesus and then completely when Jesus “comes again”. Which means while Jesus is the Servant, so is Israel. Or maybe the other way, while Israel is the Servant, so is Jesus but more fully.

The servant cries,

“Before you were born God had a plan

Listen to me, you islands;
hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born the Lord called me;
from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.

He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow
and concealed me in his quiver.”

The servant calls to all the Nations, but for a time was hidden away like an arrow in a quiver, waiting its appointed time and use.

And here’s the wonder of it: the same God who formed and named His Servant in the womb knows you that intimately too. As the psalmist bursts into praise: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139:14). You weren’t thrown together by chance; you were knit together with awe-inspiring care, hidden perhaps for a season, but crafted for glory.

In verse 3 he proclaims that God’s glory will shine through this servant.. It reads, “You are my servant, in whom I will display my splendor.”

Next in verse 4 is a bit of a downer because the Servant will see much of his work as fruitless. Much like the prophet Jeremiah is told by God to preach and yet also told that no one will listen when he does, the Servant too feels the sorrow of rejection. It says,

⁴But I said, “I have labored in vain;
I have spent my strength for nothing at all.
Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand,
and my reward is with my God.”

By the next verse the servant is said to return, not just the tiny remnant of Israel back to the homeland but all of it. It says,

^“he who formed me in the womb to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
and gather Israel to himself,
for I am^[^a^] honored in the eyes of the Lord
and my God has been my strength – “

And then this verse gives one of the most amazing verses I think, in the entire bible.

To a people just returning home, just getting back, just starting to build their gates, to make tents where their homes will someday be, to rebuild their place of worship, to spend time on themselves, God says,
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.”

There isn’t enough glory to God in just returning Israel. The servant will call not just Israel back but much greater than that… all nations.

And so God says,

“I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

⁷This is what the Lord says—
the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel—
to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation,
to the servant of rulers:
Kings will see you and stand up,
princes will see and bow down,
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Conclusion

So here we are, Dayspring, not in ancient ruins, not waiting for a Persian decree, but right here in Edmonton, in 2026, with our own lingering aches. Maybe your “exile” is the quiet disappointment of prayers that seem unanswered, relationships that stay broken, efforts at work or in ministry that feel like pouring water into cracked jars. Maybe it’s the bigger ache: watching the world spin further from light, wondering if the gospel still has traction in a city that feels more scattered than gathered.

Listen: God looked at a tiny remnant picking through rubble and said, “Restoring Israel? That’s too small a thing.” If rebuilding one nation was too small for His Servant, then surely our small, tidy dreams, my comfortable faith, our cozy congregation, even our personal breakthroughs—are too small for Him, too.

Believe this: Your life, hidden in the quiver or feeling fruitless right now, is part of something explosively bigger. The same God who called His Servant from the womb calls you. The same Servant who felt labor in vain entrusted Himself to the Father, and resurrection followed. Jesus didn’t stop at saving Israel; He became the light that reaches Edmonton, Alberta, and every dark corner of the earth.

So here’s the charge: Stop settling for “small enough.” Entrust your apparent vain labours to the Lord’s hand, your family struggles, your quiet faithfulness, and your fears about the future. Then rise and carry the light. Speak a word of truth that pierces like a sword. Show up for the neighbour who’s never seen “home” in any real way. Give, pray, go, because the mission isn’t too small; it’s cosmic. Salvation to the ends of the earth starts in this room, with people who believe God’s plans are never limited by our ruins. Amen.

Song: The clay-stained hands of love (296)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayers of thanksgiving and intercession

God of purpose and promise, we open our hearts to you in prayer, trusting in your mercy to bear the burdens we carry.

We thank you for the work and witness of your Church, bringing your Good News into many lives and situations throughout the earth.

Today we pray for the unity of the church and that where we are divided you will unite us, where our witness has grown weak you will strengthen us where we are in error, you will correct us.

We pray for congregations that are in ecumenical shared ministries, and feeling the renewal of your Spirit.

(Hold a few seconds of silence.)

Guide them with your grace.

We thank you for the healing that comes from your hand, O God, in times of reconciliation when your forgiving love is at work, and in times when pain is eased and grief is comforted.

Today we pray for those whose emotions are raw, for those whose bodies are weakened and for any whose minds are troubled in any way.

(Hold a few seconds of silence.)

Give them hope for new life with you.

We lift to you people around the world who work for justice and unity to prevail in the midst of division:

in nations where conflict has broken out or repression rules,

in places facing poverty, famine or destruction from disaster,

and anywhere racial and ethnic disparities weaken common life.

(Hold a few seconds of silence.)

Send your justice to bring relief and your peace to help understanding prevail.

As the followers of Jesus, give us the courage to unite not only in prayer but also in action for the needs of this world. Strengthen us to work together, despite our differences, so others may see what it means to follow you in Christ’s name.

Song: Brother, sister, let me serve you (635: vss1-5)

Sending out with God’s blessing

Go with strength and humility, for you are servants of our Saviour who walks with you. And may the grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the friendship of the Holy Spirit bless and sustain you, 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.

Message: To fulfill all righteousness / Questions for Reflection: Jesus was baptized? Why? What do you think the reason was? Was Jesus seeking forgiveness of sins? Well, no. But why?

Posted on January 11, 2026January 11, 2026 by John

Worship on the Sunday celebrating Jesus’ Baptism
10:00 am      January 11, 2026
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs     Music Director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Linda Farrah-Basford     Welcoming Elder: Heather Tansem
Readers: Gina Kottke     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: We are called to serve in the name of Jesus, God’s beloved Son,
P: God calls us by name because we are beloved.
L: God calls us to be a light to the nations.
P: We wait for God’s teaching and to learn justice.
L: We are witnesses to God’s goodness and grace who claims and loves us.
P: God’s name be praised!

Opening praise: Bless the Lord, oh my soul

Prayers of approach and confession

Eternal God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, on this day we remember the baptism of your beloved Son in the Jordan River, where heaven opened, the Spirit descended like a dove, and your voice declared, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

We approach you with joy and awe, thankful that in Jesus you stepped into our world, identifying with us in our humanity, and inviting us into your divine life.

We praise you for the gift of baptism, by which you claim us as your own beloved children, wash away our sin, and fill us with your Holy Spirit.

Yet, gracious God, we confess that we often forget who we are.

We wander from your ways, gnoring the voice that calls us beloved.

We fail to live as those marked by your Spirit – choosing selfishness over service, division over reconciliation, and fear over faith.

Forgive us, we pray.

Renew in us the grace of our baptism, that we may rise to new life in Christ and walk in the light of your love.

Hear our silent confessions… *(pause for silence)*

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Response: Glory, glory hallelujah

Assurance of God’s pardon

Friends, hear the good news from Scripture.

In Acts we hear that “everyone who believes in [Jesus] receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” And in the waters of baptism, God declares over us what was declared over Jesus: You are my beloved child; with you I am well pleased.

Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who fulfilled all righteousness for us, your sins are forgiven. Rise, beloved children of God, and live in the freedom of this pardon.

Musical offering (Linda): What king would through murky streams

We listen for the voice of God

Song: Jesus we are gathered (514)

Children’s time

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Song: Spirit of the living God (400)

Scripture: Acts 10:34-43 & Matthew 3:13-17

Response: Emmanuel, Emmanuel

Message: To fulfill all righteousness

Questions for Reflection: Jesus was baptized? Why? What do you think the reason was? Was Jesus seeking forgiveness of sins? Well, no. But why?

It’s a serene and vibrant landscape where the gentle flow of water meets the whispers of the crowd. Here, along the banks, the air is filled with the earthy scent of fresh vegetation, punctuated by hints of wild herbs that flourish in the sun-drenched wilderness. Sage, Dill, Fennel, Garlic and Thyme grow wild. The sound of splashing water mingles with the fervent voices of those gathering to witness this significant event, drawn by the powerful preaching of an eccentric John the Baptist. It is a scene alive with the palpable anticipation of transformation, marking the beginning of a journey that will forever alter the course of human history. It happens here on the stony banks next to a three-foot deep river.

Here is Jesus: Perfect, sinless, the very Son of God; walking down to the muddy banks of the Jordan to be baptized by a prophet who preached repentance for the forgiveness of sins. It’s important to note, however, that there is a difference between being baptized by John and John’s disciples and between Jesus and Jesus’ disciples.

John the Baptist’s baptism was a ritual of repentance, emphasizing the need for individuals to turn away from their sins and prepare for the coming of the Messiah. His baptism symbolized purification and a commitment to a new life in anticipation of God’s kingdom. In contrast, baptism in the name of Jesus, as practiced by his followers after his resurrection, signifies a fuller understanding of salvation through Jesus Christ, including the belief in his death and resurrection. This baptism represents not only repentance and purification but also a believer’s identification with Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit. So, while both baptisms involve themes of repentance and renewal, the baptism in Jesus’ name encompasses a deeper theological dimension related to the New Covenant and the transformative power of faith in Christ.

John’s baptism was a public washing, a mikveh as it was called, and John certainly didn’t invent it. Baptism (or baptizo, meaning “to plunge,” a word usually reserved for the washing of clothes as a person plunged them into the river for cleaning) was a ritual immersion that first-century Jews understood as a symbol of purification, turning from sin, and preparation for God’s coming kingdom.

To grasp the shock of this scene, we need to remember what baptism meant in that world. The mikveh was rooted in the Old Testament, used especially to consecrate new priests, cleanse from impurity before the major holidays, and mark a major change in status. By Jesus’ day, it had become more widespread. Groups like the Essenes at Qumran practiced frequent ritual washings as they separated themselves from a corrupt world and awaited the Messiah. Even Gentile converts to Judaism often underwent baptism, along with circumcision, as a public sign of entering the covenant people.

John’s baptism took this symbol further. It was a baptism of repentance, a call to confess sin, turn around, and prepare for the One who was coming. That’s why they called out, “Repent” (a military term for about-face or turn around) and “be baptized” to show it. It carried the cultural implication that the person being baptized was admitting their sinfulness and need for cleansing. It’s like making a public confession and apology. So when the sinless Jesus steps forward, John is stunned. “I need to be baptized by you,” he says, “and do you come to me?” (v. 14). And John is absolutely right. Why is John baptizing Jesus? Actually, why is Jesus being baptized at all? He’s not confessing his sins, repenting, or turning his life around. He’s not washing away his wrongs or joining a religious movement. It makes no sense unless we see the deeper purpose. And good news, Jesus tells us exactly why he is being baptized. Unfortunately, his answer doesn’t fully clarify things for us.

Jesus answers with words that unlock the entire scene: “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness” (v. 15).

Oh, great! But what does “fulfill all righteousness” mean? Well, first off, it means Jesus is not coming to be cleansed. He is coming to complete God’s righteous plan. He is stepping into the Jordan not because He has sin, but because He is choosing to identify fully with us, the sinners.

Here is the core: Jesus’ baptism is an act of humble solidarity with humanity. Though He had no sin to repent of (as Hebrews 4:15 and 2 Corinthians 5:21 declare), He entered the water as if He did. He stands in our place. He assumes the role of the guilty party. The baptism of Jesus is like a miniature crucifixion-type event. In that moment, Jesus is saying, “I will be numbered with the transgressors. I will bear what they bear. I will carry their sins forward to the cross.”

This foreshadows everything that is to come. Every Christmas, we read verses from the prophets that, quite frankly, need some explanation, which is rarely given. It became a tradition to do Old Testament readings on Christmas very early on, but they are lost on most people.

550 or so years before Jesus was born, Isaiah 53 had prophesied that the Servant of the Lord would be “numbered with the transgressors” and “bear the sin of many.” At His baptism, Jesus begins that journey. He accepts his lot in life, he chooses to follow a particular path. He begins his mission. He is baptized into our sin so that we might one day be baptized into His righteousness.

And look what happens next: the heavens are torn open. The Spirit descends like a dove, gentle and pure, resting on Him. Then the Father’s voice booms from heaven: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (vv. 16-17).

This is the divine endorsement. This is a rarity in the bible. The trinity is never spoken of in the bible, and there is no trinity. That’s an explanation we discovered later. There are very few pictures of the Trinity in the Bible. But here we have one. In the baptism of Jesus, the Trinity is present: the Son in the water, the Spirit as a dove, the Father speaking love and pleasure. This moment marks the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. It is the anointing prophesied in Isaiah 61:1. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” And it confirms to John, and to the watching world, who Jesus truly is.

And yet, over the last 2000 years, almost every theologian on earth has had questions and theories about the baptism of Jesus. Why do you think Jesus was baptized? Here’s a list of the major views:

To identify with us sinners, stepping into our place of repentance.
To fulfill all righteousness; perfectly obeying the Father’s will and believing that baptism is a part of that mission.
To endorse John’s ministry and thus also to very publicly agree with John in declaring Jesus as the Messiah.
To launch His mission, empowered by the Spirit in a new way now available to everyone, where the Spirit rest with people forever (unlike in the Old Testament when the Spirit came “for a time” and then left again.
To model humility and obedience for every follower.

To be clear, I believe all of the above to be accurate. Jesus didn’t need the water for cleansing. He was the cleansing. But out of love, He entered it for us. His baptism points straight to the cross: the innocent One baptized into our guilt so we could be clothed in His righteousness.

Let me close with a simple story that captures something of what this means for us. There was once a great pianist giving a concert in a large hall. When he finished, the entire audience rose in a thunderous standing ovation, everyone except one elderly gentleman in the front row, who remained seated, silent, arms folded. As the pianist walked off stage, tears streamed down his face. His manager asked, “What’s wrong? Everyone loved it!” The pianist replied, “You don’t understand. That man in the front row. He didn’t stand. He didn’t clap. “So what! Laughed the manager, who cares what he thinks!” “Well” said the pianist I do. He’s the composer. He wrote the music. He’s the only one who knows what it’s truly supposed to sound like. He’s the only one who matters.”

In the same way, many of us spend our lives chasing the applause of the crowd, the approval of others, the likes, and the praise. But there is only One whose voice we truly need to hear. At the Jordan, the Father declared over His Son: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” And because Jesus stepped into the water for us, died for us, and rose for us, when we trust in Him, that same pleasure is spoken over us. “Well done,” the Father says, not because we’ve earned it, but because Christ has fulfilled all righteousness for us.

Today, may we hear that voice above every other. May we follow the humble path of our Saviour: identifying with Him, obeying Him, and living for the applause of heaven alone. He was born for us. He lived for us. He died for us. And he was baptized like us. In baptism, we join Him. We do what is right. We, too, fulfill all righteousness, to be more like him!

Go in peace, beloved children of God. Amen.

Song: Lord, whose love (722)

We respond to serve God

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

Prayers of thanksgiving and intercession

God of the waters, God of new beginnings, we give you thanks for the revelation of your love in the baptism of Jesus your Son.

Thank you for opening the heavens to us, for sending your Spirit upon us, and for speaking words of delight over your people.

We thank you for the gift of baptism – for the water that cleanses, the Spirit that renews, and the community that welcomes and sustains us.

Thank you for calling us your beloved children and sending us to live as witnesses to your grace.

On this day, as we remember Jesus’ baptism, we pray for all who are baptized:

Strengthen those newly baptized, renew those who have grown weary, and awaken those who have forgotten their calling.

We pray for the church throughout the world – that we may show no partiality, as you show none, but welcome all people with the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

We pray for our world:

For nations torn by conflict, for communities divided by prejudice, for those oppressed by injustice or poverty.

Pour out your Spirit afresh, that your healing and reconciling power may flow like rivers of living water.

We pray for those who suffer – the sick, the grieving, the lonely, the anxious.

Anoint them with your comfort and hope.

And we pray for ourselves:

Help us to fulfill all righteousness in our daily lives – to serve humbly, love generously, and bear witness to your kingdom.

Song: Oh sing to our God (453)

Sending out with God’s blessing
Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immoveable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that, in the Lord, your labor is not in vain.
I Corinthians 15: 58 (RSV)

Response: Gloria in excelsis Deo

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.

Can He also give us bread?

Posted on January 4, 2026January 4, 2026 by John

Worship on Epiphany Sunday
10:00 am January 04, 2026
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs (Communion by video)
Worship led by Led by Romulus Rhoad Music Director: Binu Kapadia

We gather to worship God

Music Prelude

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

Lighting of the Christ candle
Welcome and announcements
Preparation for worship

Call to worship: Psalm 72: 16-17 (ESV)
L: May there be abundance of grain in the land; on the tops of the mountains may it wave;
P: May its fruit be like Lebanon; and may people blossom in the cities like the grass of the field!
L: May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun!
P: May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed!
L: Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.
All: Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!

Opening praise: Here I am to worship

Prayers of approach and confession

Holy God, we approach you today as we are. In your infinite majesty and love we are put at awe. The world which you have made is full of wonders, and also full of things we fear when we ought not to. Lord, as we approach you today in worship, give to us the manna from heaven, and feed us as we seek to know more about you.

With this searching love in our hearts, let us now turn to confess our sins to our Judge and our Advocate.

Heavenly Father, we confess that we have not always lived to your glory. We confess that we have failed to love our neighbours as ourselves. Set our hearts ablaze with you Holy Spirit, and fill us with the loving-kindness you have always shown your people. Renew our love for you and your statutes Lord. In your Son, Jesus Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

Response: Glory, glory hallelujah

Assurance of God’s pardon

Brothers and Sisters, he became flesh. He became fully human. He experienced the toils of human existence. And still he chose to suffer and to die for our sake. The love that God has for us is undeniable. In 1 John it is written- “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.” (1 John 2:2-3) God be praised, Amen.

We listen for the voice of God

Song: We three kings (173)

Scripture readings

Psalm 78: 17-25 & John 6:22-40

Response: Emmanuel, Emmanuel

Message: Can he also give us bread?

Lord, let the words I share today be in accordance with your gospel, full of grace and life. In your Son’s name I pray, Amen.

Now for some reason these passages reminded me of a time back in my high school days, class just got out, and I had basketball practice for the next couple of hours. It was mid-afternoon so there was no time to return home and grab a quick bite. (In some ways this is why I preferred football, because at least I had a couple of minutes to quickly have a meal.) So, I’d have a small snack and get over to the gym. I don’t know if many of you have ever done sports, club or school, but if you have you might remember how much physical exercise those practices would entail. And I remember with a certain lack of fondness the sprints, or worse ladders (you know, running back and forth between lines) we would have to do at the end of practice. It felt like it was specifically designed just to wear us out at the end of practice. And it did. So, after practice there I was, tired, hungry, and I’d have to walk three blocks to get home. Worst of all, it was winter, and even worse so, it was negative forty. So, I finally made it home, tired, hungry, and now cold. Thankfully my home was warm, and my mother was almost done with dinner. Then I was rested, full, and warm, not left alone in the cold.

Before our gospel account in John today Jesus had fed a crowd of five thousand people. In many ways this miraculous event could be compared to this Manna from Exodus that came down from heaven, miraculously. In the book of Exodus chapter 16, in which God tells Moses that he will not let his people starve and die in the wilderness.

They complained groaned and even questioned if God had wrathfully led them out to the desert, just to let them starve to death. An the five thousand who followed Jesus probably felt the same way. Who was this charlatan that led them out to the middle of no-where. How was he going to feed all these people. I’m sure they were hoping that the miracle worker would perform a miracle just like another, prophet, say Moses? But in our account today, Jesus reminds his disciples that it was not thanks to Moses that the grain of heaven was given to the people, but thanks to God. God gave his people nourishment. He did not leave them to suffer alone in the wilderness. He did not leave them, tired, hungry, and alone. And neither did Jesus, he took five loaves and two fish, and the multitude was fed. A miracle. Almost, like manna raining down from the heavens.

Bread from heaven. Jesus expounds on this idea. Our God is an active God. He is not a god that must be invoked by special messengers or prophets. God is the one who chose Moses. He sent his people Moses to lead them and to assure them of his power, and of his love. God sent Moses to do good. To help his people in need and lead them.

To the crowd of the five thousand, Jesus appeared to them to be like Moses, in their minds he was some guy that could talk to God and miraculously give them a whole lotta bread. But Jesus was much more than some miracle worker. Yes, he did just perform a similar miracle that Moses appears to have performed, but he makes it clear, the bread, the manna is not something generated from human hands. It was a gift from God.

John 6:32-34- (32) Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. (33) For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (34) They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

The disciples did not understand. Another kind of bread? A bread of God?

So Jesus clarifies “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” …

What does this mean? How can a man, even if he is God, be bread? It’s not bread as we would have it. It’s not something which we grind from grain and can add water and yeast to, something we can bake with our own hands and fill our stomachs with. It is a gift that he gives to us, and something we as Christians are called to give unto others.

The many starved, and God, Jesus, gave them food to eat. Remember what God did for the Israelites in exile. They were hungry, and he fed them manna from heaven. They were thirsty, and he gave them water from a rock. They were strangers in exile in Egypt, stripped of their homeland, and sick from the oppression imposed upon them by the Pharoah, forced to do extra work for him and not allowed to leave. God freed them from their imprisonment in Egypt. Listen here from Matthew 25:35-36 ’³⁵for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”’

Brothers and sisters, this is what God calls us to do. To be like him who saved us. He has always been this way, and He is this way, and He will always be this way.

God, even here in the Old Testament is not the God of wrath. He is a God of mercy, of nourishment, of deliverance, of love, and so much more. He has wrath in so far as he is just, but our God is not just a singular thing. He is our bread, and he calls us, he teaches us, and he leads us to be His bread. That’s why the Apostle Paul reminds us and the Corinthians of this truth. “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” God gave the Israelites bread, so that they could survive their forty years in the wilderness, giving them the law and foundation that would prepare the way for his coming, his bodily incarnation in Jesus Christ.

Today, we will partake in this bread that the disciples asked for. “Give us this bread always.” And so, he does and we will have his bread today. As we partake in communion, it is important to remember this. When we hear the words said over the bread and the wine they are not just words but signs signifying God’s love for us. Bread that reminds us that we belong to him and that he frees us from the slavery that is sin. Wine that reminds us that he sacrificed himself, shed his own blood, the innocent lamb that was slain for the propitiation of sin, that perfect sacrifice that God alone can give us, to forgive us, to give mercy to us, to stay our deserved wrath against us. When we eat and drink of the body and blood of Christ today, we affirm our belief and our faith in Him, and in the promises that he left to us.

So, can he feed us bread also? Yes, and he calls us to feed others as well. To forgive and to live as he did. To enjoy him and to be fed by him and to feed others. When we do the work that the Lord has put before us, then we are acting as Christ calls us to. To feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, to welcome the strangers among us, to cloth those in need, to comfort and care for the sick and imprisoned. Then we reflect, the God who in his love for us became man, who was born to a woman, who ate food as we do, who had human needs and even temptations, but he did not sin and he lived a life that we seek to follow. A God of wrath alone would not do such a thing nor would a God of Wrath alone teach such things. The God of Wrath, Justice, Mercy, Love, Hope, and Joy, the One, the Good, the King of kings, the Triune God who to us is the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, keeps the promises he made through the prophets, through the Apostles, and the promises that he made when he was among us. He feeds us and we are fed by him. Lord, give us this bread always. Amen.

Song: Break now the bread of life (507)

We respond to serve God

Our time of giving

Prayer of offering: Heavenly Father, bless these gifts we bring as offerings to you. Use them to temper hate, to give fortitude to those in times of trial, to deliver justice to those facing evil, and give prudence to those who distribute these gifts. In your Son, Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Prayer of gratitude, and for others and ourselves

Sovereign God, we thank you for the life that you have given to us. The friends and family that warm our homes and our lives. Lord, thank you for the hope that we have in your promises, in your Son Jesus Christ. Keep leading this congregation in your spirit, and in your love, and in your light.

God our Shepherd, as we begin this new year, comfort those who have lost loved ones, remind them that they are never alone, remind them that you are ever with us.

Heavenly Father, we pray for those who suffer for illness, disease, or poor health. We pray that all discordant strife, in family or at work may be healed.

Loving God, the future is ever uncertain, for us but not for you. You know the courses of the stars to the flight path of the smallest sparrow. We thank you for being our light, the guide that we follow when to live the life that you have set before us.

Lord, we pray for the governments that you have placed over us. Guide them to be peacemakers, preferring love, justice, and peace over their own self interests. Thank you for creating us and the world that we inhabit. Teach us to be stewards of this gift that you have given to us.

In Jesus Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

Passing of the Peace

Now having given our thanks to God, let us greet one another in the same love that he has given us.

The Sacrament of Holy Communion

Invitation: (on video)

Song: All who hunger, gather gladly (534)

The Apostles’ Creed

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

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.

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

The Communion Prayer: on video

Sharing of the Bread and Wine (invitation on video)

Song: One bread one body (540)

Prayer after Communion

Holy God, having partaken in your body and blood, remind us of how we are truly in one body with you. A people that you have delivered, just as you delivered the Israelites from their captivity in Egypt, you have delivered us from our sins.

All Glory be to you Lord, grant us peace on earth, and good will to all men. We praise you, we worship you, and we give thanks to you alone. Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.

For you alone are holy, for you alone are God, for you alone are our Messiah. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, one being, three persons, all glory is yours alone. Amen

Song: Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, (174: vss1-4)

Sending out with God’s blessing (Romans 16:25-27)

Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to [the] gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Response: Gloria in Excelsis Deo

Music Postlude

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

New Year’s Blessings (Lynn Vaughan)

Posted on December 28, 2025December 28, 2025 by John

Worship on the First Sunday after Christmas
10:00 am     28 December      2025
Online & Onsite (Mixed Presence) Gathering as a Worshipping Community
Led by Lynn Vaughan     Music director: Binu Kapadia
Vocalist: Vivian Houg     Elder: Sam Malayang

We gather to worship God

Music prelude

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

Lighting of the Christ candle
Welcome and announcements
Silent preparation for worship

Call to Worship
L: Praise the Lord from the heavens and in the heights;
P: Praise God, sun and moon!
L: God’s name alone is exalted;
P: God is above the earth and heaven.

Opening praise: Holy is the Lord

Prayers of approach and confession
God of glory, angels called to shepherds with songs of your good news.
Mary pondered the mystery of your goodness in the tumult of new birth.
Your splendour shines from a manger where the Light of the world was born.
In the fragility of flesh, you are revealed to us face to face.
And so, we gather in worship and praise of you who are
Creator, Redeemer, and Guide; perfect and eternal, now and forever.
Recalling who you are and what you have done,
we recall who we are and what we have done.
And so, to begin again with you and one another,
we confess our sins
God of compassion, you promise new life, but we confess that we are in love with our old ways; with hurts that we nourish, hatreds that hold us hostage, and fantasies that restrict our faithful living.

You offer to us unconditional love, but we reject our neighbours and live apart from you and one another in many ways. Recreate us in the image of your son, and for your glory’s sake, forgive us.

Response: Glory, glory, hallelujah

Assurance of God’s pardon

Here is the good news of the Gospel: Jesus Christ is chosen for our salvation. In him, we are made acceptable to God. Let us give thanks to God and be at peace with ourselves and with one another.

We listen for the voice of God

Children’s time

Response: My Lighthouse

Story: New life in Christ

Good morning, children. Hope you had a great Christmas with your families. Now, we get to look forward toward a new year starting. Let’s see here…what’s on my list for 2026?

Well, I probably need to exercise more. And drink more water, of course. I should remember to eat more vegetables. I need to read some books, since my home library is so big. I need to find a real job (according to my mom!?). I should pray more, and read my Bible, and… phew. I’m already tired just thinking about this stuff! There’s no way I’ll keep all this up.

Have you ever made goals or resolutions for yourself? We’ll soon begin a new year, and that’s a time when a lot of people try to say that they are going to improve themselves in various ways. People might try to say they’re going to get in better shape, or eat healthier, or sleep more, or work harder. They think that a new calendar year means they should make changes for themselves. And it’s good to have goals. It’s good to try and improve our habits.

But it can be difficult, too. Statistics show that only 8-9 % of people who make New Year’s Resolutions actually follow through with them for the entire year. That’s a pretty small percentage. That’s like if all the people in the sanctuary here today made resolutions, only the few of us sitting up here would actually keep up with them.

The truth is, it’s tough to do things and make major changes on our own. If we are trying to muscle through and accomplish stuff based on just our own personal will power, we are likely to fail. To truly improve, change must come from the inside, AND it’s always a good idea to ask God to help us. With Him on our side, we can do anything!

God can transform our lives better than any New Year’s resolution! God can help us to achieve what we hope to do. But, remember, the most important thing we can do is to seek Him and follow the paths He has for us. When we pray, read our Bibles, and engage in worship (and Sunday School), we can grow stronger spiritually.

This new year, let’s try to focus on being changed by the power of the Holy Spirit. Exercising more or eating better are fine, but true joy comes through our relationship with Jesus and allowing God to work in and through us as we embrace His love.

Let’s pray and thank God for the strength that comes through Christ.
(This is a repeat-after-me prayer)

Prayer

Dear God,
Thank you for sending Jesus.
He is the true way to new life.
Thank you for giving us what we need,
And for always being with us
As we step into a new year.
Now together, we’ll say the prayer that you taught us…

The Lord’s Prayer (535)

Transition music

Song: Standing at the portal (811)

Today’s Message

Scripture reading: Isaiah 63:7-9 & Ephesians 1:3-14

Response: Emmanuel, Emmanuel (114)

Message: New Year’s Blessings

(Based on ‘Pastoral Ponderings’ by Rev. James Laurence, First Lutheran Church, Albemarle, NC}

I have been wondering what New Year’s Resolutions might look like this year … in the midst of all the wars that are never-ending and the constant political turmoil in all corners of the world. Some of these are a little too close to home and some are right here in our own backyard. Then, there’s all the unprecedented weather disasters that seem to happen daily around the globe.

I am one of those people who usually enjoys making New Year’s Resolutions, but I have not been inspired much lately. Ever since the craziness of the Covid pandemic, followed by the loss of my mom and my dear sister a couple years ago, I’m really just happy to reach the end of the year in one piece, let alone be thinking about all the resolutions that I need to make.

Maybe, this would be a good year to think a little less about New Year’s Resolutions – that I’ll end up never keeping, in all honesty!?! – and think a little more about something else. What I want to offer today, in this message, is something a little different: maybe we could pledge to think about New Year’s Blessings rather than making New Year’s Resolutions. The inspiration for this message is the passage from Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians that was just read.

After an opening greeting, Paul turns in Verse 3 to a wonderful reflection on the blessings that we have received from Jesus. He says,

Praise God, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing because we belong to Christ.

In this simple statement, we are reminded of something very important: that we begin this upcoming new year as people who have been blessed with every spiritual blessing. That’s a good way to start the year, don’t you think? By reminding ourselves that we are already blessed, because of our relationship with Jesus Christ!

Everything important, you might say, has already been given to us. Everything eternal, everything undying, everything that we can truly count on, come what may, we have already been given because of our faith. We have already been blessed in Jesus with every spiritual blessing.

We might face all sorts of worldly challenges right now, whether they are concerns for the state of things across the oceans or whether the challenge is right here in our own country, our own community, in our family or even within ourselves. Thinking about all these things can be overwhelming, and it may have been a difficult year to get through. But, we are still blessed because we know that God loves us and blesses us through Jesus with every spiritual blessing. We begin a new year by remembering this simple, wonderful fact: that in Jesus, we are truly blessed.

Often, when you think about it, New Year’s Resolutions usually focus on something negative in our life. We are unorganized, so we pledge to de-clutter the house. We need to lose weight, so we promise to start a new diet and begin exercising more. We’re going to quit smoking or we’re not going to drink so much. We promise to be better parents. The list goes on.

Taking Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians as a guide, we are encouraged to begin the year by focusing on the positive. That seems like a much better idea, especially after a rough year. So, Paul invites us to begin the year by remembering the blessings that we have already received in Christ with every spiritual blessing.

Now, you might be asking yourself: what does it mean to be blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing … especially since I keep repeating it!? These blessings are not just physical or materialistic things. In the words that follow his opening statement, Paul identifies five ways that we are blessed in this way.

First, Paul tells us in Verse 4 that we are blessed in Christ because we have been chosen “long ago, even before he made the world”. Think about that. You and I have been chosen! Even before we chose God, God already chose us, in Christ. We who are baptized into Christ have been chosen as holy in the eyes of God. Before we make any resolutions, before improving ourselves, God has already chosen us and, not only that, he has accepted us for who we are. We don’t have to earn this. We don’t have to change. God’s acceptance is given to us freely, in Christ. That’s a wonderful blessing, isn’t it?

Secondly, Paul tells us in Verse 5 that we are not only chosen, but we have been adopted as one of God’s children through the sacrifices made by Jesus. That is our destiny. That is God’s plan and his wonderful gift to us. And again, it is not something we earn or work toward. It is given to us simply because God chooses to give it to us. And knowing our destiny can then free us to live without fear, even now, in the midst of all the uncertainty and upheaval in our world.

The third blessing that Paul reminds us of is found in Verse 7, when he tells us that we have redemption through Christ’s blood, the forgiveness of our sins. This is also an encouraging message as we begin a new year together, isn’t it? That even if we don’t get it all right, we can count on being forgiven. We may not keep our resolutions. We may not better our lives the way we hoped. We certainly won’t live perfectly this year. We will make mistakes. We will sin. But, in Christ, we have redemption and forgiveness. What a blessing that is!

The fourth way that we begin this year blessed in Christ is found in Verse 9: It states, “God has told us his secret reason for sending Christ”. We often take this one for granted, I suppose. But think about it: we don’t have to guess at what God wants from us. God has told us. We have God’s Word, the Bible, to guide us. God is very clear about how we are expected to live. Maybe not in all the little details, but big-picture-wise, God could not be more clear. And that’s a good thing. We don’t have to guess how to please a stern, distant God. We have a close and loving God who has made known to us the plan he has laid out. And that, too, is a blessing.

And finally, the fifth way that we are blessed in Christ is found in Verse 11, when we are told that, because of Christ, we have also obtained an inheritance, that is: “to be with him forever”. So, we’re not just chosen, destined for adoption, forgiven, and told the mystery of God’s plan – we are also promised an inheritance of eternal life with our Lord and our God. There is no greater inheritance possible, and it has already been promised to us. In fact, we have already obtained it in Christ. So, before we even make any resolutions to better ourselves, we are reminded that we begin a new year chosen by God, with our destiny secure in Christ, and with an awesome inheritance promised to us.

I don’t know about you, but in a very worrisome and sometimes downright scary world, I find these to be comforting words. These promises don’t depend on the uncertainties of our world, or of our lives. They depend on God, and so they are certainties. They are done simply for the good pleasure of God’s will. A gift given to us which we did not earn. They are freely given to us, in love.

So, how can we thank God for this incredible gift? Again, Paul provides an answer for us, in Verse 12. Paul tells us that “we should praise God and give glory to him for doing these mighty things for us”. Okay. The best way to respond to these freely-given gifts is by living for the praise of God’s glory. We can resolve, then, to spend this new year glorifying God.

Now, I know that this sounds a little vague. It is not as specific and measurable as losing 10 pounds or quitting smoking, for instance, but Paul does eventually get very specific later in this Letter to the Ephesians. For now, though, he is simply challenging us to devote our lives to glorifying God. Even in the midst of the chaos that often surrounds us, we are being invited to bring glory to God. We are meant to live for the praise of God’s grace and magnificence.

Now, if you want to find some examples of more concrete ways to do this, I encourage you to read further on in Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. Don’t call it a resolution, but maybe a great way to start the year 2026 could be to read this Letter. Even reading it slowly and prayerfully, with a journal in hand, shouldn’t take you more than an hour. And you will find many tangible ways mentioned to live for the praise of God’s glory.

As one example, chapter 4 of this Letter will offer practical advice like: don’t let the sun go down on your anger – or, another one – let your talk be for building up, that it may give grace to hear. Chapter 5 includes practical suggestions for how to live as a better spouse, and how to live as a better child or parent. Children are urged to obey their parents and parents are advised not to provoke anger in their children. Chapter 6 suggests ways for us to engage in the spiritual warfare that is all around us, by taking up the whole armour of God and praying at all times in the Spirit.

The rest of Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians is filled with all kinds of excellent advice on how we can live for the praise of God’s glory. But he begins the letter by simply reminding us of our blessings. He assures us that we have all received the gift of being blessed with every spiritual blessing because we belong to Christ.

And there are no more hopeful words that I can offer, as we begin another year together, than these words from Paul. He tells us that we begin this new year – as we begin every year – in Christ: chosen, destined, forgiven, and with an inheritance promised to each and every one of us. And all of this is done, so that we might live for the praise of God’s glory.

May each of us be blessed as we strive to live this new year for that purpose. Thanks be to God. Amen

Song: Praise, I will praise (420)

We respond to serve God: Our time of giving

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

Prayer: Gracious God, in your constant love, you nurture our life with your richness. As your love for us is always abundant, we learn to share joyfully what we have received from you. Bless the offerings, and all that we have and all that we are, so that your bountiful, supportive love may reach those in need through what we do and say in Jesus Christ the Lord.

Prayer of gratitude and for others and ourselves

Merciful God, we come before You with praise and thanksgiving!

Through Jesus Christ, you have lavished on us every spiritual blessing we could possibly imagine!

Before the world was created, you already knew us and loved us. You adopted us as your own children and redeemed us through the blood of Christ.

Even more, you have made us your heirs and gave us your own Spirit as a sign and guarantee.

God of love, we give thanks for the many blessings you have given to us during our lives and, specifically, over this past year. We are grateful for opportunities to celebrate life and the birth of our Saviour Jesus with family and friends.

We are aware of those whose hearts this Christmas season are filled with pain and suffering, or fear. For some, we know that Christmas will be linked with loss or anguish for years to come.

We remember before you, O God, those who do not have enough to eat or who eat alone; those who do not have adequate shelter or who lack human contact and comfort; those who have had their hearts and lives broken by some trauma or loss.

Help them and all your children to find solace in you, God. Bring peace to all heavy hearts. We pray specifically for family members and friends who are struggling with hardship and pain.

We pray for all your children, known and unknown to us; stir in their minds, protect their bodies, strengthen their characters, and protect their joy.

As the year draws to a close, help us to look back with gratitude for all that has been, and to look forward with eager anticipation for new opportunities to grow closer to you and to each other in love. In the name of your Son, we pray. Amen

Song: Good Christians, all rejoice (141)

Sending out with God’s blessing

As we step into a new year, may we take the time to recognize all the blessings that God has so generously given to us through Christ, and may we have the energy and the wisdom to use 2026 as an opportunity to bring glory and honour to our heavenly Father through the blessing of our lives in Him.

Response: Gloria in excelsis Deo

Music postlude

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

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