Worship on the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
10:00 am July 05, 2026
Minister: The Rev. Brad Childs Worship led by: Lynn Vaughan
Music Director: Binu Kapadia Vocalists: Cheryl and Peter Sheridan
Elder: Jane de Caen Reader: Jan Ray Moncada
We gather to worship God
Music prelude
Greeting
L: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you
P: and also with you
Lighting of the Christ candle
Welcome and announcements
Preparation for worship
Call to worship:
L: God is gracious and merciful, abounding in steadfast love.
P: God offers compassion to all creation.
L: With all God’s creation, give thanks to the Lord.
P: With all God’s creatures, great and small, we will bless the Lord.
L: In worship, let us speak of God’s glory and tell of God’s wonder.
P: We come to praise God and seek God’s peace in Jesus’ name.
Opening praise: Lord, I need you
Prayer of adoration and confession
Holy, gracious and merciful God, you are overflowing with love, infinite in kindness, and incomparable in glory.
There is no other like you in all our imagining.
Your presence breaks into our lives, reflected in the beauty of creation, and refreshes and inspires us.
You renew us to imagine new things, you strengthen us to meet life’s changes and challenges.
In response to your goodness and glory, we offer you our thanks in the words of our prayers and the praise from our hearts.
We honour you with our lives, worshipping you as Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer,
this day and every day, now and always.
In confidence of your grace and loving kindness, we confess to you our sins in this moment of silence.
…
Wise and patient God, you offer us peace, yet we confess that life often feels frustrating and unsettled.
You offer us courage, yet we are timid and resentful when life is challenging.
You offer us a mission with meaning and purpose, yet we are preoccupied with our own plans and desires.
Forgive us, O God, and draw our attention back to you. Amen.
Response: Glory, glory hallelujah
Assurance of God’s pardon
Jesus said, “Come to me all you who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest”. Trust that peace and forgiveness are God’s gifts to you this day. Be renewed by the power of the Spirit that moves with you into each new day.
We listen for the voice of God
Song: O Lord, thou art my God and King (1-3: vss 1-3.5)
Scripture: Psalm 145:8-14 (The Living Bible) & Matthew 11:28-30
Response: Behold the lamb of God
Message: Come, Take, Learn, Rest
In the scripture reading we just heard, Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
“Rest for your soul,” Jesus offers us in this gospel reading. Rest for our weary souls. And don’t we all need that rest?! I’ve found myself very much leaning into this scripture passage recently, as we’ve had some trials and tribulations in our family with health challenges over the last few weeks. It’s comforting to know that we are not alone on this journey, especially when things get rough and unpredictable.
Thirty years ago, Thomas Moore wrote a book called “Care of the Soul.” And in the first sentence of his book, he made the claim that “the greatest malady of our time, implicated in all of our troubles, and affecting us individually and socially, is loss of soul.” “When soul is neglected,” he wrote, “it doesn’t just go away; it appears symptomatically in obsessions, addictions, violence, and loss of meaning.”
The world has changed a lot since he made that observation, but not in this respect. The world still neglects its soul. And smartphones, and social media, and everything else that has come along in the last thirty years in the name of progress, has not helped this at all. It reminds me of a statement made by well-known author and therapist, Carl Jung, where he says: “people will do anything, no matter how absurd, to avoid facing their own souls.”
When we don’t face our soul, and take care of our soul, it affects every other aspect of our life. Our relationships, our health, our sense of well-being and our purpose. When we ignore our souls, no matter how good our life might seem on the outside, it is rotting from the inside. And sooner or later, it will all collapse on itself. The burdens of life become too great to bear when we’re dealing with them on our own. The weariness becomes too overwhelming to ignore. And we begin leading lives of quiet desperation. When we neglect the soul, these negative outcomes become inevitable.
Come to Me
So, what do we do? Simple, really. Jesus says, come to him. Take his yoke. Learn from him. And find rest for our souls. From Jesus. And only from Jesus. We can’t buy it. There is no pill that provides it. Rest for our souls can only be found through our faith, through our relationship with Jesus, because we were created by God to be in a loving relationship with him. As St. Augustine once famously said, God created our souls to be restless until they find their rest in God.
But it is only when we realize that our souls are restless that we finally accept this invitation. So, the first step to find this rest is to realize how weary and burdened we are. Now, if you are not weary and have no burdens, and you are doing just fine without Jesus, this invitation probably won’t have much meaning. But you are a rare individual, indeed, if that’s the case. Count your blessings!
There’s a book by Brennan Manning called “The Ragamuffin Gospel.” He indicates that he wrote this book for a specific audience – basically, the same audience for which Jesus extends this invitation. The Ragamuffin Gospel, Manning says, is for – and I quote:
The bedraggled, beat-up, and burnt-out. It is for the sorely burdened who are still shifting the heavy suitcase from one hand to the other. It is for the wobbly and weak-kneed who know they don’t have it altogether. It is for inconsistent, unsteady disciples whose cheese is falling off their cracker. It is for poor, weak, sinful men and women with hereditary faults and limited talents. It is for earthen vessels who shuffle along on feet of clay. It is for the bent and the bruised who feel that their lives are a grave disappointment to God. It is for smart people who know they are stupid and honest disciples who admit they are scoundrels.
The Ragamuffin Gospel, he concludes, is for anyone who has grown weary and discouraged along the Way.
And that is exactly who this invitation from Jesus is for today. For all of us who have grown weary. For all of us who are carrying heavy burdens. For all of us who long for true rest for our souls. Come to me, Jesus says, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
Take His Yoke
But how does this happen? What happens when we come to Jesus?
Well, he says, we take his yoke upon us. A yoke that is easy. A burden that is light.
We find rest for our souls by taking up his yoke. How is that even possible? First, let’s remember what a yoke is, in this case. And it is not the yellow part of the egg! A yoke, by definition, is: “a wooden cross piece that is fastened over the necks of two animals and attached to the plow or cart that they are to pull.” This wooden cross piece helps the two animals to pull together.
Take my yoke upon you, Jesus says. When we come to Jesus, and learn from him, we become yoked together with him. He pulls with us. Jesus doesn’t take away whatever we are pulling, but we no longer have to pull it alone. Jesus pulls our burden with us. And he goes on to say that his yoke is easy. Which, in this case, really means “well-fitting.” His yoke is well-fitting and will sit gently on our shoulders.
Biblical scholar William Barclay explains what Jesus means by this:
“In Palestine,” he writes, “ox-yokes were made of wood; the ox was brought to the maker, and the measurements were taken. The yoke was then roughed out, and the ox was brought back again to try on the yoke. The yoke was carefully adjusted, so that it would fit well, and not wound the neck of the patient beast. The yoke was tailor-made to fit the ox.”
So, think about that: the yoke that Jesus offers is tailor-made for each one of us. Which means that it is not then a burden for us to live as Christ wants us to live. He doesn’t want it to be a burden. And he wants to be yoked with us. What a gift and a blessing that is!
Barclay goes on to tell of a legend about Jesus that may or may not be true, but it is worth hearing:
“There is a legend,” he writes, “that [when Jesus was a carpenter], he made the best ox-yokes in all of Galilee, and that from all over the country people came to him to buy his yokes. And, as the legend goes, the carpenter Jesus had a sign over his shop that read, “My yoke fits well.”
His yoke fits well. His burden is light. And when we take up this yoke, tailor-made for us, we begin to find rest for our souls.
Learn from Him
But Jesus does not just invite us to take up his yoke. He also invites us to learn from him. If we are going to find rest for our souls, it will be through learning from Jesus. When you think about it, Jesus had as much reason to be restless as anyone. His life was incredibly difficult. And he knew it would end on a cross. But his soul was always at rest. He was at peace in this world. And he wants to teach us how to have that same peace.
He wants us to take his yoke and learn from him. Now, a soul at rest is not the same as a mind at rest. And one of the ways to find rest for our souls is to continue learning from Jesus. Through Worship, through Sunday School, through our daily Bible reading and devotions, we continue to learn from Jesus. And by imitating his example, we can continue to learn from him. Spending quiet time alone with God. Putting away our electronic distractions, going out to the countryside, or up a mountain, or even just into our closet – somewhere quiet enough to listen for God’s still, small voice. That is what Jesus did. And we can learn from him to do this ourselves.
A Daily Invitation
So, my question today is: what if we actually did this? What if we actually came to Jesus every day, and took his yoke upon us, and learned from him? What if we woke up every morning and said to Jesus: I can’t carry the burden of this day without you. I need you to teach me. I need you to lead me and to guide me. I need you to place your yoke upon me.
If you are anything like me, you probably need a daily reminder from Jesus to come to him and take his yoke upon you and learn from him. It’s all too easy to get caught up in life and forget to do this. It’s too easy to neglect our soul. It’s too easy to forget that we don’t have to bear life’s burdens all by ourselves.
Jesus wants us to take his yoke upon us, so that he can help bear our burden. Most of us need a daily reminder to do this. So, that’s my challenge for you today: set yourself a regular reminder to come to Jesus, take his yoke, learn from him, and find rest for your soul.
A Daily Mission
But maybe don’t end there. This daily invitation from Jesus can become something even more than that. It can also become our daily mission. What if we approached every day with this invitation in mind for others? What if we kept this invitation in mind whenever we met someone who was weary and carrying a heavy burden? What if we tried to live our lives in a way that showed others what it means to have rest for our souls?
We can see plenty of evidence all around our world of this weariness, these burdens. We see a world that is tired and heavy laden … and doesn’t know where to turn for rest. We see a world that regularly neglects its soul and desperately tries to distract itself from all of life’s burdens. A world that will do anything, no matter how absurd, to avoid facing its soul. Our world needs this invitation from Jesus. Our world needs to know that there is a place to turn when life becomes overwhelming. That there is someone who wants to help bear the burden, if we will only come to Him.
So many in our world are desperate to hear this invitation, or to be reminded of it. And there might very well be someone in your life who won’t hear this invitation unless they hear it through you. But don’t see this challenge as a burden. See it as your well-fitting yoke. A yoke that is easy. A burden that is light. Because Jesus himself has tailor-made it just for you. And He promises to help you bear it.
So, come to Jesus today and find rest for your soul. And then go in peace to share this invitation with all who long for rest. Amen.
Based on ‘Pastoral Ponderings’ by Rev. James Laurence, First Lutheran Church, Albemarle, NC)
Song: I heard the voice of Jesus say (671)
We respond to serve God
Our time of giving
Gracious God, receive our gifts as tokens of our gratitude for your goodness to us. Bless them so that they become seeds of generosity, bringing needed gifts to others in Jesus’ name.
Prayer of gratitude, and for others and ourselves
God ever-creating,
God ever-loving,
God ever-leading: we turn to you in uncertain times, trusting in your steadfast love. Where people are anxious about the future, where people are overwhelmed by their responsibilities, where people fear the conflict around them or are in danger of violence in daily life, bring peace and hope, we pray.
And let your kingdom come.
God of all compassion: where people are lonely or isolated, longing for love, where people are trapped in unhealthy or violent relationships, where people are grieving the loss of someone beloved, bring courage and hope, we pray.
And let your kingdom come.
God of tender strength: where people feel pain in their bodies, in minds or spirits, where illness has eroded hope, and where desperation for help fills each day: bring healing and hope, we pray.
And let your kingdom come.
God of trustworthy truth: where leaders work to guide communities to renewed life, where individuals strive to care for the earth and its vulnerable inhabitants, and where people stand up against unjust policies or practices, bring wisdom and hope, we pray.
And let your kingdom come.
God in whom we live and move and have our being: by your Spirit, tend your promise of new life amid the current struggles in the world.
We ask all this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. Amen
Passing the peace
The Sacrament of Holy Communion
Invitation
Friends, this is the joyful feast of the people of God! They will come from east and west, and from north and south, and sit at the table in the kingdom of God. This is the Lord’s table. Our Savior invites all those who trust Him to share the feast which He has prepared.
Song: Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee (637)
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human. For our sake, he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day, he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen
The Communion Prayer
Dear Lord, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts of bread and wine, that they may be for us the communion of the body and blood of Christ. Unite us with Christ and with all your people, until we feast at his table in eternal life.
Sharing of the Bread and Wine: Brad via Video
Song: One bread, one body (540)
Prayer after Communion
Eternal God, we thank you that you have fed us in this sacrament with the spiritual food of the body and blood of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. We thank you for assuring us of your favour and your goodness to us. Send us out into the world in the power of your Spirit, to live lives that honour you and to share your love with all people. Amen.
Song: What a friend we have in Jesus (746)
Sending out with God’s blessing
Go out into the world in the strength of the Lord and let Christ shoulder your burdens. 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.
Response: Sing Amen
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.