Weekly Bulletins
April 21, 2024
WELCOME TO THE EASTER JOURNEY!
BAPTISM SUNDAY
A Service of Prayer, of Song, of Meditation, and of Celebrating Earth Day
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Elizabeth Wegg
PRELUDE (*Indicates that you may stand if you are able…)
“When we pray about the wounds we may have, we have come to believe the
reason these wounds take so long to heal is that we spend more time attacking
them than trying to understand them.”
Gathering
Welcoming to Earth Day (Rev. Jope)
The sun rises without fail, bringing a new day to Earth, and we rise to embrace such a gift…soon…sunflowers, mountain ash trees, purple asters, and potted petunias will stretch and wave in the breeze, singing praise with bold colour, dancing leaves, and wonderful fragrance. We will join them and praise the Creator with our whole being and so this morning, we join together and sing “Morning Has Broken”.
INTROIT HYMN “Morning Has Broken” VU # 409
WELCOMING & ANNOUNCEMENTS
LIGHTING of THE CHRIST CANDLE
ACKNOWLEDGING THE TERRITORY (Unison)
People have lived on this land for thousands upon thousands of years. This land on which we gather is the traditional land of the Blackfoot Confederacy: The Siksika, Peigan, Kainai, TsuuT’Ina and the Stoney Nakoda Nations along with the home of our Metis brothers and sisters. We worship the Creator on this land and acknowledge with respect the thousands of years of ceremony and relationship that are etched in footprint, fire, and faithfulness on the soil and rock that surrounds us.
(Peter Chynoweth, Cochrane, Alta., Gathering Magazine, Pentecost 1, 2023, Year A, pg. 36)
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP (Responsive)
Leader: Welcome to this place of worship…welcome to this place of serenity and hope…welcome to this Sunday of new beginnings and of God revealed.
ALL: May each of us be open to the Spirit as it moves through our worship-time and through each individual heart.
Leader: It’s Sunday once again and in the rhythm of our living, we have come together again for worship. There may even be folks who are here for the first time or have been away for a while and all may seem strange and new.
ALL: But, to most of us, it’s familiar and warm, a safe place to be. We come looking for God and hoping to meet God through what is said and done in this place.
Leader: May our time together lift us up as we celebrate God’s care for us and for all creation. Upon this ‘Earth Day’ and this baptismal Sunday, may we all focus ourselves on making this planet and all which exists upon it a true blessing to be shared and to be nurtured.
ALL: So now we come with open hearts and prepare ourselves for worship. We call upon the presence of the Risen Christ to touch each person here with deep joy, deeper compassion, and the deepest of love.
Leader: We are now in the presence of holiness and our voices now come together to honour the God of the many and great works of the world:
*OPENING HYMN “It’s a Song of Praise to the Maker” MV # 30
OPENING PRAYER of APPROACH (Unison)
O Gracious God, we approach you this morning with some of our hearts being open and some being clouded by so many issues in life. May we sense the others’ needs and may we find the common centre as we worship in this place. Each of us knows that life is filled with hills and valleys, roads which can lead to somewhere and others which may have dead ends. What we call upon you this morning, O Gracious One, is to offer us roadmaps which include all our destinations and how to get there together, safely. Journey with us, worship with us, hold us close, and make us one in the Spirit. Open our eyes to love expressed in many ways. Open our ears to hear your good news and open our hearts to respond with thankfulness and praise… and we each say in our own way…Amen.
*CHILDREN’S HYMN “Draw the Circle Wide” MV # 145
ALL AGES STORY (Baptism, a welcome into God’s family) Fiona Hayes
Sacrament of Holy Baptism
DONOVAN SEAN BRECKON
(During the sacrament of Holy Baptism, we will share in the words of the New Creed)
ALL: We are not alone; we live in God’s world. We believe in God: who has created and is creating, who has come in Jesus, the Word made flesh, to reconcile and make new, and who works in us and others by the Spirit. We trust in God. We are called to be the Church: to celebrate God’s presence, to live with respect in Creation, to love and serve others, to seek justice and resist evil, to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, our judge and our hope. In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God.
*BAPTISMAL HYMN “Child of Blessing, Child of Promise” VU # 444
Engaging the Sacred Text
Reader: Elizabeth Wegg
FIRST SCRIPTURE READING ACTS 4:5-12 (Peter testifies before the high priests…)
SECOND READING 1 JOHN 3:16-24 (Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action…)
HYMN of ILLUMINATION Psalm 23 “The Lord’s My Shepherd” VU # 747
GOSPEL READING JOHN 10:11-18 (Rev. Jope) (Jesus is the good shepherd…)
MESSAGE/SERMON
“What Is a True Shepherd?”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS (Invitation – Leader)
Here, O God, is one way that we live out our baptismal promises: in our act of offering our gifts for the ministry and mission of this church – your church, so that your Word may be shared, and your justice supported here and around the entire world…our offering will now be received…
CHOIR ANTHEM “Four Strong Winds” Arr: Larry Nickel
PRAYER of DEDICATION (Rev. Jope)
CLOSING MEDITATION
(Interspersed with MV # 85 “Take, O Take Me as I Am”)
Leader: Let us pray for those whose lives are wilderness…
Those who are hungry and thirsty…
Those who are all alone…
ALL: Those who are prevented from being the people God made
them to be…
For the stone which the builders rejected is made the
cornerstone. O take, O take me as I am… (Refrain)
“Take, O take me as I am; summon out what I shall be;
Set your seal upon my heart and live in me.”
Leader: Let us pray for those whose own will not receive them…
Those who are not listened to…
Those who are under constant threat…
For the stone which the builders rejected is made the
Cornerstone.
ALL: Let us pray for those whose calling is denied…
Those who cannot speak their name…
Those whose gifts are not recognized and affirmed…
For the stone which the builders rejected is made the
cornerstone. O take, O take me as I am… (Refrain)
“Take, O take me as I am; summon out what I shall be;
Set your seal upon my heart and live in me.”
Leader: Let us pray for those who are judged and condemned…
Those who are blinded by their own self-righteousness…
Let us pray for ourselves…
For the stone which the builders rejected is made the
cornerstone.
ALL: O Christ, you lived as an ordinary man, not in style but
simply, yet you still caused an uproar, and questions everywhere: you drew the expectations of hungry crowds, you brought buried conflicts to the light. May we, who are sometimes swayed by the crowd’s approval, and who often avoid conflict for fear of its cost to us, stand firm in the gospel of justice and peace and follow faithfully in your way of compassion and solidarity with those who are poor and excluded, wherever it may lead us. O take, O take me as I am… (Refrain)
“Take, O take me as I am; summon out what I shall be;
Set your seal upon my heart and live in me.”
Lord’s Prayer (Unison) (Ecumenical version)
God, who cares for us, the wonder of whose presence fills us with awe, let kindness, justice, and love shine in our world. Let your secrets be known here as they are in heaven. Give us the food and the hope we need for today. Forgive us our wrongdoing as we forgive the wrongs done to us. Protect us from pride and from despair and from the fear and hate which can swallow us up. In you is truth, meaning, glory and power, while worlds come and go…Amen.
*CLOSING HYMN “Praise God for This Holy Ground” MV # 42
*COMISSIONING (unison)
And now, knowing our membership in the great family of God, we leave this time and place of worship with open hearts, with stronger faith, with clearer purpose that we are God’s family to one another and to God’s world. May we go in confidence and promise for the Spirit is with us…Amen.
BENEDICTION (Rev. Jope)
POSTLUDE
<><><>HAVE A BLESSED EASTER SEASON<><><>
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Sunday, April 28th, 2024
FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER NEW MEMBERSHIP SUNDAY
ACTS 8:26-40 (New Testament)
1 JOHN 4:7-21 (Epistle passage)
JOHN 15:1-8 (Gospel passage)
April 14, 2024
WELCOME TO THE EASTER JOURNEY!
THIRD SUNDAY of the EASTER SEASON
A Service of Prayer, of Song, of Celebration, and of Experiencing the Risen Christ
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Ann Orr
PRELUDE
(*Indicates that you may stand if you are able…)
“Now that spring has arrived, some pruning may be needed in our flower beds and our bushes and our trees…this is also the pruning time with which we need to allow our Creator God to prune what’s dead and unnecessary in our lives so that new life may emerge.”
Gathering
INTROIT HYMN: “Seek Ye First the Kingdom” VU # 356
WELCOMING & ANNOUNCEMENTS
LIGHTING of THE CHRIST CANDLE
ACKNOWLEDGING THE TERRITORY (Unison)
People have lived on this land for thousands upon thousands of years. This land on which we gather is the traditional land of the Blackfoot Confederacy; The Siksika, Peigan, Kainai, Tsuut’ina and the Stoney Nakoda Nations along with the home of our -and acknowledge with respect the thousands of years of ceremony and relationship that are etched in footprint, fire, and faithfulness on the soil and rock that surrounds us.
(Peter Chynoweth, Cochrane, Alta., Gathering Magazine, Pentecost 1, 2023, Year A, pg. 36)
*OPENING HYMN: “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing” VU # 326
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: We believe in God, the creator and redeemer of all life. We believe in the power of resurrection.
ALL: We live, we love, we laugh, because we have been blessed by God and for the life of Christ, we give thanks day-in and day-out.
Leader: We believe in Jesus the Christ, who is risen to new life. We sing and dance, the power of resurrection!
ALL: We live, we laugh, we love, because of the Good News of the resurrection and for the joy of spring and what this newness brings into each of our lives.
Leader: We believe in the Holy Spirit, who moves us to live in joyous ways. We sing and dance, and we live in the Spirit of life!
ALL: We live…we love…we laugh…because the Spirit IS our inspiration and our guide. We give thanks in this Easter season for the life of this community of faith and what this means to each of us.
Leader: Let us rejoice with thankful hearts! Let us open ourselves to the wonders of the empty tomb and of filled hearts.
ALL: Let us worship in the Spirit!
OPENING PRAYER:
Leader: It is my hope for each of you this Easter season that you will trust the resurrection of your spirit, believe that joy and new life will come for you, even though it may not be there for you now. If you are one of the fortunate ones whose soul sings with happy alleluias this Easter, may you turn often to those who are still awaiting their greening and walk hopefully with all of them. Let us now share in these prayer-words together:
ALL: O ever-renewing and energizing Creator, come….come and stir in our dormant spiritual limbs. Come and wake up our tired prayer. Come and revive our weary efforts of care. Come and sing hope into our sometimes discouragement. Wash our dusty, drab attitude with the cleansing rains of your vision. Go deep to our roots and penetrate our faith with the vibrancy of your grace. Shake loose the old leftover oak leaves of our tenacious ego-centeredness. Come and coax joy to sprout from our difficulties. Warm the buds of our relationships so they bloom with healthy love. Clear out our wintered debris with the wild breeze of your liberating presence. Nudge us…woo us…entice us…draw us to you. We give you our trust and our gratitude as you grace our slowly thawing spirit. Light-filled Being…our Joy and our Hope…let the greening in us begin!!....Amen.
CHOIR ANTHEM: “Awake My Soul” by: Elaine Hagenberg
Engaging the Sacred Text
Reader: Ann Orr
FIRST SCRIPTURE READING: ACTS 3:12-19 (Peter preaches in Solomon’s Portico…)
SECOND READING: 1 JOHN 3:1-7 (We are children of God…)
HYMN of ILLUMINATION: “Deep in Our Hearts” MV # 154
GOSPEL READING: LUKE 24:36b -48 (Rev. Jope) (Jesus invites the disciples to touch his hands and feet…)
MESSAGE/SERMON: “When Easter Passed You By”
CHOIR ANTHEM: “The Storm is Passing Over” Arr: Larry Nickel
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS (Invitation – Leader)
Here, O God, is one way that we live out our baptismal promises: in our act of offering our gifts for the ministry and mission of this church – your church, so that your Word may be shared, and your justice supported here and around the entire world…our offering will now be received…
OFFERTORY MUSIC (Cody Obst)
PRAYER of DEDICATION: (Rev. Jope)
CLOSING PRAYER: (Unison)
O God of Light….O Life of the world….we bring before you ourselves -- some weary, some tired from conversation, some from hard work – each fragile and vulnerable.
Yet you see before us fresh air and fresh relationships…for this we truly offer you praise.
God of Light….we bring before you all of our uncertainties -- our confused thoughts, our worries, our anxieties, our lack of trust, and our sometimes not knowing where to turn.
Yet you set before us the light of truth and understanding which knows nothing of right and wrong, but only knows of love, justice, and compassion…for this we praise you.
God of light….we bring before you our anger, our despair, our rage, our fury, our lives hurting with pain and our minds distraught with fear.
Yet you lay before us your open arms – to embrace; your open ears – to listen; your open heart – to accept and to understand. With this we truly praise you. May we echo your love for us by being great stewards of your creation and stewards of each other. May we now join together in the singing of:
THE LORD’S PRAYER VU # 959
CLOSING CHOIR ANTHEM: “All Together, We Are Love” By: Katerina Gimon
CLOSING HYMN: “Be Thou My Vision” VU # 642
BENEDICTION & BLESSING: (Rev. Jope)
POSTLUDE
><><><>HAVE A BLESSED EASTER SEASON<><><><
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Sunday, April 21st, 2024
FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER BAPTISM SUNDAY
ACTS 4:5-12 (New Testament)
1 JOHN 3:16-24 (Epistle passage)
JOHN 10:11-18 (Gospel passage)
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
This morning we offer our gratitude to Elizabeth Paynter (Musical Director of Scarboro United Church) and the Scarboro Choir for joining with Lakeview United Church’s Choir (led by Cody Obst) and offering beautiful music for Spring…thank you from us all!!
April 7, 2024
WELCOME TO THE EASTER JOURNEY!
SECOND SUNDAY of EASTER (Communion)
A Service of Prayer, of Song, of Celebration, and of Experiencing the Risen Christ
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Heather Mayers
Guest Pianist: Melissa Ko
PRELUDE
For Thomas, seeing is believing, as the saying goes. However, most of us must be content to see Christ through the eyes of faith. For us believing is seeing. Faith opens a realm we never dreamed of. Jesus pronounces his blessing on those who have not seen and yet believe.
Gathering
INTROIT HYMN: “We Sing of Your Glory” MV # 58
WELCOMING & ANNOUNCEMENTS
LIGHTING of THE CHRIST CANDLE
ACKNOWLEDGING THE TERRITORY (Unison)
People have lived on this land for thousands upon thousands of years. This land on which we gather is the traditional land of the Blackfoot Confederacy; The Siksika, Peigan, Kainai, Tsuut’ina and the Stoney Nakoda Nations along with the home of our Metis brothers and sisters. We worship the Creator on this land and acknowledge with respect the thousands of years of ceremony and relationship that are etched in footprint, fire, and faithfulness on the soil and rock that surrounds us.
(Peter Chynoweth, Cochrane, Alta., Gathering Magazine, Pentecost 1, 2023, Year A, pg. 36)
OPENING HYMN: “Called by Earth and Sky” MV # 135
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: We gather for worship this morning, aware of many blessings. If we look around the sanctuary, each person present represents what this blessing is.
ALL: Each of us is so blessed to be one of God’s people. As our voices join in celebration and praise, may God’s Spirit fill and transform us.
Leader: Come, Holy Spirit…come and make us your people and remake us in your image. Young and old and in-between, from near and far, we ‘come home to worship’, for God is our true home.
ALL: We gather now, to renew our covenant with God and with each other, God’s faithful people. Let grace and peace and forgiveness fill this house!
Leader: May our time together lift us up as we celebrate God’s care for us and for all creation.
ALL: Welcome, O Holy Spirit. Welcome into our midst as we turn to you. Prepare each of us to witness the Risen Christ. Come, for now is the time to worship. Come, for now is the time for new life…
We offer ourselves in prayer and in thanksgiving as we centre ourselves with these words to you:
OPENING PRAYER: (unison)
O God of all that is, day by day you give us our lives as a gift and then you surround us with people and share in the things that happen to us – bringing us friends and loved ones to support us, skills of healing so we may walk again, opportunities to buy and sell and make decisions together to earn our living, counselors to help us heal wounded memories and rebuild relationships, warming winds so we can walk outdoors, sometimes making the weight we carry inside us easier. In so many ways you have enriched our lives, responded to our needs, reacted to our pain, and shared our satisfaction in doing the simplest of things. This hour cannot hold all our thanks, so we will live it with our lives, reaching out to help others as if we were reaching out to you, Christ’s name…Amen.
*HYMN: “The Spring Has Come” VU # 187
Engaging the Sacred Text
Reader: Heather Mayers
FIRST SCRIPTURE READING: ACTS 4:32-35 (The believers shared everything in common…)
SECOND READING: 1 JOHN 1:1 – 2:2 (God is light; journey in the light…)
HYMN of ILLUMINATION: “Christ, within Us Hidden” MV # 162
GOSPEL READING: JOHN 20:19-31 (Rev. Jope)
MESSAGE/SERMON:
“If Easter is True….What Do We Do?”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS
Leader: As the offering plates are passed around, may the gifts which we give be transformed for God’s work in this world. Transfigure us in our giving so that we might know that what we give comes from a joyful spirit and may it inspire in us to live a life of sharing in our abundance.
OFFERTORY: Music by Melissa Ko
PRAYER of DEDICATION: (Rev. Jope)
Sacrament of Holy Communion
Leader: May God be with us…
ALL: God is here among us.
Leader: Let us open our hearts to God…
ALL: We open them to God and to one another.
Leader: Let us give thanks to God…
ALL: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Leader: (Words of invitation)
ALL: Source and sustainer of life, we gather at this table to offer thanks, and to taste afresh the wonder of a holy love. In companionship with all creatures, we are one in gratitude for the gift and mystery of life, and one in a longing for a world to be reborn. Creator and friend, we praise you for your presence in and with your creation, ever drawing it toward healing and wholeness. In our joy, you are the overflowing cup; in our need, you are the bread by which we journey on. With all who abide in your presence and care, we lift our voices to say:
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord,
Power of Life and Love!
Heaven and earth are full of your glory!
Hosanna through the ages!
Blest is the one who comes to bring justice to the earth!
Leader: Let us remember together that vision of God’s reign shown to us in Jesus at table:
ALL: He shared food with followers and friends,
Leader: with saints and with sinners,
ALL: with crowds of thousands on the hillside,
Leader: and a few friends in an upper room.
ALL: On the night before he died, he had supper with his companions.
Leader: He took a loaf of bread, and after giving thanks, he broke it, and gave it them….saying…
ALL: “Take, eat. Do this in remembrance of me,” for this is the bread of freedom.
Leader: Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he passed it among them…saying…
ALL: “Drink this. Do this in remembrance of me,” for this is the cup of solidarity.
Leader: Through this loaf and this cup, Jesus lives within us.
ALL: In word and deed, Jesus lives among us
Leader: (Prayer of Transformation)
The Elements will now be distributed amongst all of those present and may the Holy Meal be shared by all who are in attendance…
CLOSING MEDITATION: (Unison) (Be with Me in My Unfolding, Ted Loder)
O God, it is spring, and the land is coming up green again, unfolding outside our well-drawn boundaries and urgent schedules. And there is the mystery and the smile of it.
The willows are dripping honey colour into the bodies of water and the mother birds are busy in manger nests, and we are learning again that “for everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.” O God, you have sketched the lines of spring.
Be with us in our unfolding.
It is spring, O God, and our blood runs warm with the song of the sap, longing for a beauty we would become. And there is the mystery and the smile of it. The buds are swelling on the bush, the sun is beginning to coax the colour from where it’s been curled against the cold, the air is sweet to the nostrils; even the villages seem to be rubbing their eyes from a long sleep; and there is a promise in the season we know no name for, except life. O God, you have sketched the lines of spring.
Be with us in our longing.
It is spring and something stirs within us, reaching, stretching, groping for words, peeking through our defenses, beckoning in our laughter, riding on past our fears, pulsing in our music.
And there is the mystery and the smile of it. Be with us in our reaching, so we will touch or be touched, this time, by a grace, a warmth, a light, to unfold our lives to a new beginning, a fresh budding, a spring within as well as around us. O God, you have sketched the lines of spring.
Be with us in our reaching….
LORD’S PRAYER
*CLOSING HYMN: “Thine Is the Glory” VU # 173
BENEDICTION & BLESSING: (Rev. Jope)
POSTLUDE
HAVE A BLESSED EASTER SEASON
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Sunday, April 14th, 2024
THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
ACTS 3: 12-19 (New Testament)
1 JOHN 3: 1-7 (Epistle passage)
LUKE 24: 36b-48 (Gospel passage)
March 31, 2024
WELCOME TO THE DAY OF RESURRECTION!
EASTER SUNDAY
A Service of Prayer, of Song, of Celebration, and of Experiencing the Risen Christ
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Jocelyn Barton
PRELUDE
WHEN THE STONES ARE ROLLED AWAY IN OUR LIVES AND OFFERS US A NEW FREEDOM, WE BECOME RESURRECTED PEOPLE….WE JOIN IN WITH THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST AND THE BEGINNING OF HOPE…HALLELUJAH!!!
Gathering
INTROIT HYMN: “Stay with Us Through the Night” VU # 182
PROCLAMATION: (Rev. Jope)
*EASTER HYMN: “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today” VU # 155
“Thine Is the Glory” VU # 173
(During the singing of these two hymns, the sanctuary will come alive!!)
THE CANDLE OF CHRIST COMES ALIVE!!
WELCOMING
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ACKNOWLEDGING THE TERRITORY (Unison)
People have lived on this land for thousands upon thousands of years. This land on which we gather is the traditional land of the Blackfoot Confederacy; The Siksika, Peigan, Kainai, Tsuut’ina and the Stoney Nakoda Nations along with the home of our Metis brothers and sisters. We worship the Creator on this land and acknowledge with respect the thousands of years of ceremony and relationship that are etched in footprint, fire, and faithfulness on the soil and rock that surrounds us.
(Peter Chynoweth, Cochrane, Alta., Gathering Magazine, Pentecost 1, 2023, Year A, pg. 36)
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: Welcome to the place where the stone has been rolled away…welcome to this place of new hope, new dreams, and a new life in and with the risen Christ.
ALL: After the tragic torture of Good Friday, why are we all here? How can our tears dry so quickly? For what reason?
Leader: This morning, angels laugh as Jesus does cartwheels through the graveyard, splashing through the puddles of our tears, entering our hearts forever!
ALL: Could it be that what Jesus had said last week might be true? Could Jesus really come back to life again?
Leader: Yes! We believe without having seen, in Jesus risen, present with this family of God’s people. We believe without having seen, in Jesus risen, inspiring the disciples of today.
ALL: So therefore, we believe without having seen, in Jesus risen, standing with the powerless. We believe without having seen, in Jesus risen, to bring God’s realm within our grasp. With this, we open ourselves to worship and to praise our God for offering yet, another unbelievable action of love.
CHOIR ANTHEM: “The Heavens are Telling” By: F. J. Haydn
CHILDREN’S EASTER STORY
*HYMN: “Joy Comes with the Dawn” VU # 166
EASTER PRAYER: (unison)
O Wondrous God, life goes beyond death because life is called to life, not death. This is your plan. And you instill in us that life blossoms into full flower only in those who nurture life here on this earth: in those of us who defend its rights, protect its dignity, and are even willing to sacrifice all in our witness to it. Those who violate life, deprive others of life, and crucify the living, will remain seeds that fail to take root, buds that fail to open, and cocoons that are forever closed in upon themselves. May we always focus ourselves on resurrection moments and sacrifice ourselves out of love for the sake of a more dignified human life for all. And as Desmond Tutu stated: “Goodness is stronger than evil; love is stronger than hate; light is stronger than darkness; life is stronger than death; victory is ours through Jesus who loved us.” Amen.
Engaging the Sacred Text
JOHN 20:1-18 Reader: Rev. Jope (The resurrected Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene…)
MARK 16:1-8 Reader: Jocelyn Barton (The writer of Mark’s rendition of the resurrection…)
HYMN of ILLUMINATION: “Don’t Be Afraid” MV # 90
EASTER MESSAGE :
THE QUESTION TO ASK IS NOT “What happened?” BUT “What does it mean?”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS
Leader: As the offering plates are passed around, may the gifts which we give be transformed for God’s work in this world. Transfigure us in our giving so that we might know that what we give comes from a joyful spirit and may it inspire in us to live a life of sharing in our abundance.
CHOIR OFFERTORY ANTHEM: “Come Find His Rest” By: Eric Dewar
PRAYER of DEDICATION: (Rev. Jope)
CLOSING MEDITATION: (Unison)
(entitled Breaking the Crown, Craig Muir)
“Born to be a king, Jesus took the crown that was fit for a king and broke it…so that we may know life.
Born to be a king, Jesus took the people which were around him (you and I) and molded them so that we may know God.
Born to be a king, Jesus took all the things of life and wove stories so that we may know God’s purpose for us and how we needed to live in community – in love.
Jesus took this status of ‘kingship’ and broke it into servanthood…he molded it into sorrow and wove a whole new path for all of us to follow.
Each of us follows a woven path…broken, remolded.
We become citizens of a kingdom turned upside down.
We become subjects of a government committed to service... tellers of stories fit to proclaim a king…
We, who are the Salt and the Light, enter through the narrow gate that is the way of God.”
O God of Light, the darkness of Friday gave way to the glorious light of resurrection shining on the risen Christ and in the face of Mary. Let that light shine in our lives to reach the darkest corners of our world and proclaim your presence in our midst. Let that light glow from our faces and show in all our actions and words. For we ask it in the name of the light of the world and call upon the reconfigured Crown of Thorns to be brought forward…
Lord’s Prayer
*CLOSING CHOIR ANTHEM: “Gloria in D-major” By: Antonio Vivaldi
BENEDICTION & BLESSING: (Rev. Jope)
POSTLUDE
HAVE A BLESSED EASTER!
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Sunday, April 7th, 2024
SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER
ACTS 4: 32-35 (New Testament)
1 JOHN 1:1 – 2:2 (Epistle passage)
JOHN 20: 19-31 (Gospel passage)
March 24, 2024
PALM SUNDAY (6th SUNDAY of LENT)
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Entering Ourselves
Once Again into the City of Jerusalem
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Elizabeth Wegg
PRELUDE
At the heart of our Christian faith is the memory of suffering. Holy Week is when we consciously call to mind and prayerfully live through the last days of Jesus’ life: his facing of conflict, his betrayal and denial by friends, his unjust trial, and his death by torture. We believe that to participate in that memory is to place ourselves within the scope of hope.
Gathering
WELCOMING
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ACKNOWLEDGING THE TERRITORY (Responsive)
Leader: As Settlers we acknowledge this area as Treaty 7, as the traditional home of the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Siksika, Peigan, Kainai, Tsuut’ina and the Stoney Nakoda Nations along with the home of our Metis brother and sisters. We are bound to this land by relationships.
ALL: We are bound to God’s creation and to one another.
Leader: Those relationships have benefitted this community.
ALL: Those relationships have blessed us and cost others.
Leader: We speak acknowledgement of our presence.
ALL: Our presence is at the expense of others.
Leader: We must learn to share, as God has shared with us.
ALL: In this land of Treaty 7, we are bound to Indigenous neighbours and their fate. Where we have failed in this relationship, forgive us and give us the wisdom to repair.
Leader: May we learn to live into our commitments to Truth and Reconciliation and to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,
All: and cast a better future for all.
(Tony Snow, Indigenous Minister, Chinook Winds Region, Alta., Gathering Magazine, Lent – Easter, 2024, pg. 29)
INTROIT “And on This Path” MV # 8
JESUS’ ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM
*OPENING HYMN: “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna” VU # 123
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Welcome to Jerusalem…welcome to the different places in Calgary and beyond where you may come from. Welcome to places where the Lenten journey has been completed and the holiest of weeks begins.
ALL: Some of us prepare to find our places on the sidelines as the man known as ‘Jesus’ arrives into our world. We have heard about him and are curious to see if he is truly the new and awaited Messiah.
Leader: A colt is waiting for Jesus, or maybe it’s a Harley, and then he enters into our worlds where we live…the crowds all gather around him, crying out:
ALL: “Hosanna! Hosanna!....blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!....Hosanna to God!”
Leader: We wave our palm branches in the air, and it is truly a celebratory moment as each of us becomes part of the excitement.
ALL: But are we truly prepared for what is going to happen as the week unfolds? Will we hold our head up high and stand by the one who offers a new way, a new hope, a new understanding of who we are as beloved children of God? Maybe we should offer a prayer to God for guidance:
PRAYER OF APPROACH: (unison)
O God, do we recognize the one who enters into our world as the new person of hope? Maybe there’s no donkey this time but a borrowed Harley. Jesus riding into town with a black leather jacket, jeans frayed at the knees, and L-O-V-E tattooed on the knuckles of his right hand. Those who saw him said his smile was like the sun, warming shadowed corners and causing the way to blossom unexpectedly. Those who saw him told of all the light left over to be taken home and set in eyes, in hearts, and at windows for strangers…it was like a miracle, they said. The rest of us missed it. We were in another part of the city, of the village, waiting for the Messiah. O God, open our eyes to new possibilities, to new ways of doing ‘church’ and of new ways of living and loving…Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE (Leader) Let all of us go into this Holy Week trusting in the grace of God. And as we go, let us remember that all our lives are held in God’s gracious hands, and we become assured that forgiveness falls upon all of us…Amen.
*HYMN: “Tell Me the Stories of Jesus” VU # 357
CHILDREN’S TIME “The Easter Story”
(With pictures and words from “The Easter Story”, Brian Wildsmith)
Engaging the Sacred Text
Reader: Elizabeth Wegg
PSALM 118 (VU # 837) (Part One, Three, and Four)
(The stone that the builders rejected…)
Refrain: “Hal – le – lu – jah! Hal – le – lu – jah!”
Elizabeth: Let Israel now say:
ALL: “God’s love endures for ever.”
Elizabeth: Let the house of Aaron say:
ALL: “God’s love endures for ever.”
Elizabeth: Let those who fear God say:
ALL: “God’s love endures for ever.”
Refrain: “Hal – le – lu – jah! Hal – le – lu – jah!”
Elizabeth: Open to me the gates of the temple, that I may enter and give thanks to God.
ALL: This is the gate of God; through it the righteous shall enter.
Elizabeth: I thank you for you have answered me; you have become my salvation.
ALL: The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
Elizabeth: This is God’s doing, marvellous in our eyes.
ALL: This is the day that God has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Refrain: “Hal – le – lu – jah! Hal – le – lu – jah!”
Elizabeth: Save us, O God, we pray;
ALL: God, we pray, give us success.
Elizabeth: Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
ALL: We bless you from the house of God.
Elizabeth: God, our God, has given us light;
ALL: with palm branches in hand let us march to the altar.
Elizabeth: You are my God, and I will thank you;
ALL: you are my God, and I will extol you.
Refrain: “Hal – le – lu – jah! Hal – le – lu – jah!”
Gospel Passage: JOHN 12:12-16 (Rev. Jope) (Jesus’ joyful entry into Jerusalem…)
MESSAGE of the DAY:
“OUR PRAYER WALK”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS
Leader: As the offering plates are passed around, may the gifts which we give be transformed for God’s work in this world. Transfigure us in our giving so that we might know that what we give comes from a joyful spirit and may it inspire in us to live a life of sharing in our abundance.
PRAYER of DEDICATION: (Rev. Jope)
PRAYER HYMN: “Come to My Heart” VU # 661
CLOSING MEDITATION: (Unison and parts)
ALL: We believe in God, who is love and who has given the earth to all people.
We believe in the Christ, who came to heal us, and to free us from all forms of oppression.
We believe in the Spirit of God, who works in and through all who are turned towards the truth.
We believe in the community of faith, which is called to be at the service of all people.
We believe in God’s promise to finally destroy the power of evil, and to establish a place of justice and peace for all of humankind.
MEN: We do not believe in the right of the strongest, nor the force of arms, nor the power of oppression.
WOMEN: We believe in human rights, in the solidarity of all people, in the power of non-violence.
MEN: We do not believe in racism, in the power that comes from wealth and privilege, or in any established order that enslaves.
WOMEN: We believe that all women and men are equally human, that order based on violence and injustice is not order.
MEN: We do not believe that war and hunger are inevitable and peace unattainable.
WOMEN: We believe in beauty of simplicity, in love with open hands, in peace on earth.
ALL: We do not believe that suffering needs to be in vain, that death is the end, that the disfigurement of the world is what God intended. But we do dare to believe, always and in spite of everything, in God’s power to transform and transfigure, fulfilling the promise of a new heaven and a new earth where justice and peace will flourish.
(adapted from a creed from Indonesia – Dare to Dream: A prayer & Worship Anthology from Around the World; Geoffrey Duncan, ed. Harper Collins, 1995)
”The Lord’s Prayer”
LENTEN’S SIXTH SUNDAY TENEBRAE:
Leader: “As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road…the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice…” )Luke 19:36-37)
As we journey toward Jerusalem, we remember that we also can “spread our cloaks” by giving of our time, talents, and treasure so that we may praise God joyfully, not with our voices alone, but also with our actions.
Paul tells us that “God loves a cheerful giver,” and “through the testing of this ministry you glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and by the generosity of your sharing with them and with all others. Thanks be to God for this indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthains 9:7, 13-15)
(The sixth Palm Sunday pink candle is extinguished…)
ALL: We shout “Hosanna” as we spread our cloaks of doubt and fear and pain. We shout, “Glory be to God!” as we spread our cloaks of gifts of self and possessions. Thank you, God, for your gift of grace in life, death, and resurrection to eternal life. Amen.
*CLOSING HYMN: “All Glory, Laud and Honour” VU # 122
BENEDICTION (Rev. Jope)
POSTLUDE
HOSANNA, LOUD HOSANNA!!
SCRIPTURE READINGS
THURSDAY, MARCH 28th, 2024…..MAUNDY THURSDAY
EXODUS 12:1-14
1 CORINTHIANS 11:23-26
JOHN 13:1-17, 31b-35
FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2024…..GOOD FRIDAY
PSALM 22
JOHN 18:1 – 19:42
SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2024…..EASTER SUNDAY
1 CORINTHIANS 15:1-11
JOHN 20:1-18
MARK 16:1-8
March 17, 2024
THE FIFTH SUNDAY of LENT
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Being Mindful of Loving God, Loving Neighbour, Loving Self, and Being Open to Change.
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Musical Guests: Hannah Pagenkopf - soprano, Jorge Aviles - tenor
PRELUDE
The language which we use sometimes in our spiritual lives expresses our deep yearning to return from our life in exile to life with God – to “come home” to God by embarking on a journey of return…this is the true Lenten journey, a journey of return. [Jope]
Gathering
INTROIT: “Tree of Life and Awesome Mystery” VU # 121
(We will sing the words to “General” along with words to the 5th Sunday of Lent.)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ACKNOWLEDGING THE TERRITORY (Responsive)
Leader: As Settlers we acknowledge this area as Treaty 7, as the traditional home of the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Siksika, Peigan, Kainai, Tsuut’ina and the Stoney Nakoda Nations along with the home of our Metis brother and sisters. We are bound to this land by relationships.
ALL: We are bound to God’s creation and to one another.
Leader: Those relationships have benefitted this community.
ALL: Those relationships have blessed us and cost others.
Leader: We speak acknowledgement of our presence.
ALL: Our presence is at the expense of others.
Leader: We must learn to share, as God has shared with us.
ALL: In this land of Treaty 7, we are bound to Indigenous neighbours and their fate. Where we have failed in this relationship, forgive us and give us the wisdom to repair.
Leader: May we learn to live into our commitments to Truth and Reconciliation and to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,
All: and cast a better future for all.
(Tony Snow, Indigenous Minister, Chinook Winds Region, Alta., Gathering Magazine,
Lent – Easter, 2024, pg. 29))
*OPENING HYMN: ”Were You There” VU # 144
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: Welcome to this special worship service this morning during this season of Lent as we offer to you Joseph Martin’s
“The Weeping Tree”.
ALL: It is through song where we offer avenues of praise. It is through singing that some of our hearts tend to ‘soar’.
Leader: Each of us knows that music touches our hearts, and it is through this time together where the music of “The Weeping Tree” may open doors to understanding.
ALL: May our voices come together as one and may the writers and composers share with each of us their reasons for praise, lament, hope, and all the other places of the heart.
Leader: Come and sit in the presence of God...come, and be held in song…come, and feel the pulse of a new day, a new opening to what it means to have ‘music in your veins’ which brings the message of God’s love to each of us.
ALL: We come now, to connect ourselves to the Tree of Life, The Weeping Tree, which has been watered by a thousand tears and held the bearer of grace…we open with a word of prayer:
PRAYER OF APPROACH: (unison)
O God of each of our songs,
“We are the dream and you the dreamer. We are the
song and you are the rhyme. You are the tune sung in
every silence. You are the now in the endless stream of
time. We are the bell and you the silence. You are the
yearning we cannot curtail. We are the blest and you
the blessing. You are the wilds in which we lose our
trail. You are the word and we, the echo. You are the
leader and we are the led. You are the joy and we the
laughter. You are the Rock on which we lay our head.”
May these words of this prayer connect us to you and may this worship service of praise and song move our spirits. We ask this in the name of the one who puts music in our souls. Amen.
(Words taken from MV # 106 “I Am the Dream” – By S. Curtis Tufts & Rick Gunn)
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS
Leader: As the offering plates are passed around, may the gifts which we give be transformed for God’s work in this world. Transfigure us in our giving so that we might know that what we give comes from a joyful spirit and may it inspire in us to live a life of sharing in our abundance.
PRAYER of DEDICATION: (Rev. Jope)
PRAYER HYMN: “Jesus Remember Me” VU # 148
CLOSING PRAYER: (Unison)
Thank-you, O God, for music, which adds beauty and longing to our lives. You are in the music, which brings comfort and
stillness to our souls and which sometimes challenges our complacency. So Great Musician, we sing our praises to you, the Composer and Conductor of the whole of creation’s symphony in whom every sphere of earth and heaven rejoices. Yet, we confess that so often our music sounds harsh and discordant….and that with our broken chords of anger and bitterness we drown your harmonies of joy and compassion. With the strident blasts of our pride and ambition we overwhelm your serenade of forgiveness and fragment your beautiful melodies of justice and peace. Forgive us when we only choose the good players in our band and leave the rest standing on the street corners of the world, strumming the blues….we now share in the words which have resonated for millenniums…. ”The Lord’s Prayer”
LENTEN’S FIFTH SUNDAY TENEBRAE:
Leader: When Mary of Bethany washed Jesus’ feet with costly perfume in a shockingly spontaneous and extravagant gesture, she was living out true discipleship in anointing the feet of one who is servant to all, including the poor and outcast.
Jesus, in his response to Judas’ criticism, paraphrased Deuteronomy 15:11, “There will always be some Israelites who are poor and in need, and so I command you to be generous to them.”
We remember the times that we have forgotten those in need or in pain and have been misers with our comforting words and stingy with offerings of help. Knowing that we are the hands and feet of Christ, we can start afresh to share God’s love with all people.
(The fifth purple candle is extinguished…)
ALL: Generous God, help us to be like Mary and become lavish in our love and care, not only for our neighbours but for the entire earth. During this season of Lent, help us to grow and learn to be more sensitive to your gift of Jesus’ sacrifice, which was far more extravagant than anything Mary could have conceived of.
Amen.
*CLOSING HYMN: “Thine Is the Glory” VU # 173
COMMISSIONING: (Unison)
May we go out into the world, always being led by the living Christ. Let all our choices contain peace and love. May the songs on our lips come from a full heart and may the blessing of the Holy One be always with us…Amen.
BENEDICTION (Rev. Jope)
POSTLUDE
WALK WELL ON YOUR LENTEN JOURNEY
SCRIPTURE READINGS
SUNDAY, MARCH 24th, 2024, PALM SUNDAY
PSALM 118 (VU # 837) (Psalm passage)
JOHN 12:12-16 (Gospel passages)
MARCH 10, 2024
WELCOME TO YOUR LENTEN JOURNEY!
THE FOURTH SUNDAY of LENT
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Being Mindful of Loving God, Loving Neighbour, Loving Self, and Being Open to Change.
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Don Branter
PRELUDE
“There is a story about a theologian and an astronomer who were flying in an airplane. They began to talk about their careers. The astronomer confessed that he knew little about theology or the Bible, but he knew the song “Jesus Loves me” and, as far as he was concerned, this was all anyone needed to know about religion. The theologian smiled and said, “I know ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, little Star.’”
Gathering
OPENING INTROIT: “Lord, Prepare Us to Be a Sanctuary” MV # 18
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ACKNOWLEDGING THE TERRITORY (Responsive)
Leader: As Settlers we acknowledge this area as Treaty 7, as the traditional home of the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Siksika, Peigan, Kainai, Tsuut’ina and the Stoney Nakoda Nations along with the home of our Metis brother and sisters. We are bound to this land by relationships.
ALL: We are bound to God’s creation and to one another.
Leader: Those relationships have benefitted this community.
ALL: Those relationships have blessed us and cost others.
Leader: We speak acknowledgement of our presence.
ALL: Our presence is at the expense of others.
Leader: We must learn to share, as God has shared with us.
ALL: In this land of Treaty 7, we are bound to Indigenous neighbours and their fate. Where we have failed in this relationship, forgive us and give us the wisdom to repair.
Leader: May we learn to live into our commitments to Truth and Reconciliation and to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,
All: and cast a better future for all.
(Tony Snow, Indigenous Minister, Chinook Winds Region, Alta., Gathering Magazine, Lent – Easter, 2024, pg. 29))
*OPENING HYMN: “O God, How We Have Wandered” VU # 112
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: Upon this Sunday, as we’ve focused a little on the Sunday’s before, we continue our focus on the different elements and the aspects of Lent. This Sunday we turn our thoughts to SAND…that which blows across deserts and changes landscapes.
ALL: Sand is often seen as a reflection of Jesus’ journey into the wilderness and the paths that he had to walk upon.
Leader: It is with our mind’s eye where each of us envisions the hardships and challenges that ‘desert journeys’ entail. It is in this Lenten season where each of us finds our own treacherous trails.
ALL: We need to always keep before us the surety of God’s promises that God will hold us up no matter where we travel or where we may sometimes find ourselves in ‘desert’ places.
Leader: As a home is built on solid rock and not shifting sand, may we look to the Holy One, our true home, to build us and to create us out of a solid foundation, one that has always been promised to us.
ALL: And now as we journey deeper into the desert, further into the wilderness, advancing ever closer to the heart of the jungle, closer to that place called Jerusalem, may our steps continue to be placed on solid ground and may the shifting sands be calm and quiet…and may our opening prayer be our breath of peace:
PRAYER OF APPROACH: (Unison)
O Sands of Time, O Desert of our journeys…like shorebirds living between sand and surf, we live in a world of in-between:
between punching the clock and smelling the roses,
serving others and renewing ourselves;
between hanging on and letting go,
sticking with the old and risking the new;
between speaking truth and sparing feelings,
seeking justice and avoiding division;
between the economy and the environment,
the ‘loonie’ and the loon;
between computer byte and human touch,
avoiding harassment and needing a hug;
between whom we are and what others think we should be,
who we are and who we may become.
We are shorebirds living between the desert and the cross and beyond, between the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. And the spirit of the one who walked the deserts before us, who felt the constant irritation of sand in sandals, walks with us, hallows this in-between world as God’s world:
We are not alone…for together, we are people of peace…
thanks be to God!….Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE: (Leader)
On the journey of Lent, we seek a spirit of discernment and of wisdom. On this journey, we move ever so much closer toward relationship with God. May we seek the Spirit and know new insight…thanks be to God that we are forgiven people…Amen.
HYMN: “Tree of Life and Awesome Mystery” VU # 121
(We will sing the words to “General” along with words to the 4th Sunday of Lent.)
Engaging the Sacred Text
(Reader: Don Branter)
OLD TESTAMENT READING:
NUMBERS 21:4-9 (A bronze serpent heals the people…)
EPISTLE READING:
EPHESIANS 2:1-10 (We are not saved by our own doing, but by grace…)
HYMN of ILLUMINATION: “Beyond the Beauty and the Awe” MV # 80
GOSPEL PASSAGE:
JOHN 3:14-21 (Rev. Jope) (For God so loved the world...)
SERMON / MESSAGE:
“THE SANDS OF TIME”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS
Leader: As the offering plates are passed around, may the gifts which we give be transformed for God’s work in this world. Transfigure us in our giving so that we might know that what we give comes from a joyful spirit and may it inspire in us to live a life of sharing in our abundance.
PRAYER of DEDICATION: (Rev. Jope)
CHOIR ANTHEM: “Know My Heart” By: Benjamin Hanlan
MEDITATION TIME: “Surprised by Joy” (Rev. Jope)
PRAYER HYMN: “Come to My Heart” VU # 661
CLOSING PRAYER: (Rev. Jope)
SUNG LORD’S PRAYER: VU # 959
LENTEN’S FOURTH SUNDAY TENEBRAE:
Leader: Jesus told a story about a man who had two sons. One son demanded his portion of the family wealth and, after squandering it, came home to be met with great joy. The other son complained that he was not being treated fairly because he was not celebrated as his wayward brother was.
We sometimes perceive that we are not being treated fairly when we see good fortune and material possessions that others around us have. But, it is fair that we live in a land of plenty and possess freedom and security only dreamed of by so many other people in this world?
(The fourth purple candle is extinguished…)
ALL: Loving God, you are not a God of fairness, but a God of generosity. All that we are and all that we have are gifts of your grace. In our journey of faith help us to learn a theology of abundance, rather than a theology of scarcity. Help us practice generosity and justice in our dealings with all of humankind.
Amen.
*CLOSING HYMN: “Sent Out in Jesus’ Name” MV # 212
COMMISSIONING: (Unison)
From the temple, Jesus calls us to action to restore God’s house.
So as we go out into the world, may each of us seek truth and reconciliation in all of many actions, words, and hopes for an enduring peace…Amen.
BENEDICTION (Rev. Jope)
POSTLUDE
WALK WELL ON YOUR LENTEN JOURNEY
SCRIPTURE READINGS
SUNDAY, MARCH 17, 2024 - Fifth Sunday of Lent
(Older Testament) JEREMIAH 31: 31-34
(Epistle Lesson) HEBREWS 5: 5-10
(Gospel passage) JOHN 12: 20-33
MARCH 3, 2024
THE THIRD SUNDAY of LENT
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Being Mindful of Loving God, Loving Neighbour, Loving Self, and Being Open to Change.
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Beth Elliot
PRELUDE
“In a world which sems increasingly bent on destruction, we can imagine that God weeps and yearns for changes of heart and changes of direction. God is calling us back to choose life!”
(Three purple candles, a pink candle, and the Christ candle are lit before the service…)
Gathering
OPENING INTROIT: “God Says” MV # 172
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT (Unison)
Since time immemorial, Indigenous peoples have occupied and cared for this land, the country many call Canada, from coast to coast to coast. In naming this particular land mass, even more specifically Calgary and all of its surrounding areas, as Settlers we acknowledge this area as the traditional home of the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Siksika, Peigan, Kainai, TsuuT’Ina and the Stoney Nakoda Nations. As a community of faith, we seek to rebuild right relations with the First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples, to learn from them, and to live on this land, their land, with respect and gratitude for its creation and Creator. This is our commitment.
(Bill Perry, Consecon P.C., Carrying Place, Ont., Gathering Magazine, Pg, 42)
*OPENING HYMN: “Abide with Me” VU # 436
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: We gather now to worship in spirit and in truth, worshiping as one community of faith and worshiping the one God of love.
ALL: We have been invited to continue in this journey of Lent and like Jesus, we too, are called to a life of suffering for truth, a life of righteousness, and of justice.
Leader: The world has groaned once again this week – it has groaned with the pressures of undemocratic actions and the constant rattling of weapons. We seem helpless in this, our democratic society, which is supposed to speak for freedom.
ALL: This wilderness which we have entered into is the place where the powers of good and evil are challenged. Let us be mindful this morning that we are all human beings, and we must find common ground. Let our worship this morning reflect our concerns.
Leader: May God sustain us this morning in all of the things which we do together. May we somehow be a small instrument of peace in a large unpeaceful world.
ALL: Let us worship together in a solidarity of prayerful words and thoughts which will be echoed across God’s earth. We open now with thoughtful prayer:
PRAYER OF APPROACH: (Unison)
God of all that is and God of that which has not yet happened, our prayers this morning are that you intervene and work your peace upon this earth. We are not apocalyptical people – we are people of open doors and open hearts who are trying to under- stand how to live our lives in a multi-racial, multi-religious, and ofttimes frightening world. We realize that we share this world with darkness, and we pray that your Living water will once again flow through every heart so that every individual will experience a sense of your Holy Light and your Holy Purpose… Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE: (Leader)
Remember that we are a part of God’s Holy earth. We are one with God in brokenness and also in blessing. As we bless each other, let us be reminded that through this, we become people of the peace – forgiven and pardoned…Amen.
THE NEW CREED
HYMN: “Tree of Life and Awesome Mystery” VU # 121
(We will sing all 5 verses along with the words to the 3rd Sunday of Lent.)
Engaging the Sacred TexT
(Reader: Beth Elliot)
OLD TESTAMENT READING:
EXODUS 20:1-17 (The Ten Commandments…)
EPISTLE READING:
1 CORINTHIANS 1:18-25 (God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom…)
HYMN of ILLUMINATION: “Spirit of Life” VU # 381
GOSPEL PASSAGE:
JOHN 2:13-22 (Rev. Jope) (Raising a little ‘hell’ in the temple...)
SERMON / MESSAGE:
“THE AIR in WHICH WE BREATHE”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS
Leader: As the offering plates are passed around, may the gifts which we give be transformed for God’s work in this world. Transfigure us in our giving so that we might know that what we give comes from a joyful spirit and may it inspire in us to live a life of sharing in our abundance.
PRAYER of DEDICATION: (Rev. Jope)
CHOIR ANTHEM: “Lord, Help us Live in Peace” By: Larry Nickel
MEDITATION TIME: (responsive)
(taken from Joyce Rupp’s Out of the Ordinary: prayers, poems, and reflections for every season. Entitled – “A Prayer for Those Who Journey”)
Response: Draw near, O God…draw near!
Leader: As we journey through life, we face fear of the unknown, doubts, hesitations, anxieties, and insecurities…
ALL: R
Leader: Life is an unfolding mystery, sometimes a painful search and sometimes a wonderful discovery. When our hearts are restless because they are pilgrim hearts whose Home is not here… ALL: R
Leader: When our footsteps grow weary, or we stumble along the way, discouragement and doubt easily come forth to greet us…
ALL: R
Leader: We are always learning what to leave behind and what to take with us as we move along the road of life. As we struggle to make good decisions… ALL: R
Leader: We encounter you, God, continually in the constant cycle of setting out and coming home. Sometimes we allow life to be so busy as we travel that we miss your presence. When we need to slow our hectic pace…
ALL: R
Leader: Expectancy, anticipation, and courage rise up in our beings when we are open to your ways, God of the wilderness. As we search for reasons to hope… ALL: R
Leader: In our journeying, we need a strong conviction about the beauty and goodness of life, a vision of hope that endures the pain and struggle, and a thread of love that weaves through all of our dreams. When we try to hold on to what gives our life meaning and purpose…
ALL: Draw near, O God…draw ever so near…Amen.
PRAYER HYMN: “In You There Is a Refuge” MV # 84
CLOSING PRAYER: (Rev. Jope)
LORD’S PRAYER: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever…Amen.
LENTEN TENEBRAE:
Leader: Jesus told a story about a fig tree that was not bearing fruit. It needed help from the gardener to realize its full potential. The gardener refused to give up on the fig tree and gave it extra care and nourishment in the realization that next year, if it didn’t respond and bear fruit, it would be destroyed. Sometimes we forget to be good stewards of ourselves. We rush headlong through life concerned about possibly our jobs, our health, or our mobility, about caring for each other in our aging process until we are burned out from all these activities. We are called to care for others, but we are also called to grow in God’s love ourselves, and this growth takes time and attention. Sometimes we are incapable of change and reap the consequences in the form of sickness and possibly, guilt.
(The third purple candle is extinguished…)
ALL: Gardener God, nourish and tend us so that we may grow daily in your grace. Slow the beating of our hearts, the pressure in our arteries, the frenzy of our lives, and give us your shalom, your wholeness. In caring for ourselves, we will learn to care for others and multiply the fruit of a more abundant life for all.
Amen.
A Reminder of John Wesley’s Directions for Singing (Rev. Jope)
*CLOSING HYMN: “My Life Flows On” VU # 716
COMMISSIONING: (Unison)
As we depart from here, may we be renewed, restored, and revitalized. May the Lenten days ahead of us continually remind us of God’s love which is planted deep in our hearts.
BENEDICTION (Rev. Jope)
POSTLUDE
WALK WELL ON YOUR LENTEN JOURNEY
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Sunday, March 10th, 2024 - Fourth Sunday in the Season of Lent
(Old Testament passage) Numbers 21:4-9
(Epistle passage) Ephesians 2:1-10
(Gospel passage) John 3:14-21
FEBRUARY 25, 2024
WELCOME TO YOUR LENTEN JOURNEY!
THE SECOND SUNDAY of LENT
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Being Mindful of Loving God, Loving Neighbour, Loving Self, and Being Open to Change.
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Peggy Gibennus
Leading Worship Today: Bob Gibennus, LLWL
PRELUDE
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Gathering
*OPENING INTROIT: “Bring Many Names” VU 268
SEED FOR THE SPIRIT: (From Desiderata by Max Ehrmann, 1927)
You are a child of the universe.
No less than the trees and the stars, you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
No doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
One: We are gathered today on what we often refer to as Treaty 7 territory, the traditional home of the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Siksika, Peigan, Kainai, TsuuT’Ina and Stoney Nakoda Nations. Since time immemorial, Indigenous peoples have occupied and cared for this land.
All: As a community of faith, and signatories to Treaty 7, we acknowledge our responsibility to live on this land with respect and gratitude, and to live in peace with and learn from the First Nations, Metis, and Innuit peoples.
OPENING HYMN: “Spirit of the Living God” VU 376
CALL TO WORSHIP:
One: Come into this place knowing that God has called you to be here
All: We come, ready to hear what God has to say
One: Come into this place knowing that God wants to hear from you
All: We come, ready to sing
One: Come into this place knowing that God wants to help you
All: We come, ready to pray
One: Come into this place, knowing that God needs your help
All: We come, ready to be equipped to serve
PRAYING INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD: (Unison)
God, as we gather here in this sacred place,
at this sacred time, on this sacred day.
May we be open to your holy presence.
Help us to set the baggage and clutter aside for now…
So that you can come and sit with us,
to teach, to heal, to challenge.
May this hour that we spend together renew us for the journey.
And may we go from this place
With our burdens lifted and our faith strengthened.
We pray these things in love and in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Engaging
*HYMN: “Open My Eyes, That I May See” VU 371
The ancient texts: (Reader: Peggy Gibennus)
GENESIS 17:1-7, 15-16 (The covenant between Abram, Sarai and God)
ROMANS 4:13-25 (God’s promise rests on grace and faith)
MARK 8:31-38 (Those who lose their life for the gospel will save it)
SERMON / MESSAGE: “Your Name: It’s personal.”
Responding
*HYMN “I have called you by your name” MV 161
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS
PRAYER of DEDICATION:
CHOIR ANTHEM: “What Wondrous Love”
(from “The Weeping Tree”) by Joseph Martin
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE:
…Gracious God, hear our prayer
And in your love, answer.
LORD’S PRAYER: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever…Amen.
*HYMN: “Deep in Our Hearts” MV 154
LENTEN TENEBRAE:
(Taken from ‘Worship for All Seasons II, Year C, page 101, used with permission)
Leader 1: Jesus said, “How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Luke 13:34)
Leader 2: As we put out our second candle, we remember that there are times when we put our trust in technology or medical expertise or opinions of scholars, and our faith in God wavers and dims. We forget that we have the power to pass on God’s love through a kind word or a gentle touch to a neighbour who is in pain.
(a purple candle is extinguished)
All: God of healing and abundant life, we often forget your gift of Jesus who died that we might live and live abundantly. Strengthen our faith and grant us the power to believe the good news and to bring justice and wholeness to our neighbours in a hurting world…Amen
COMMISSIONING: (sung)
” Lord, Prepare Me to Be a Sanctuary” MV 18
BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE
WALK THE WAY OF PEACE
February 18, 2024
THE FIRST SUNDAY of LENT
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Being Mindful of Loving God, Loving Neighbour, Loving Self, and Being Open to Change.
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Peggy Jackson
PRELUDE
Gandhi’s Seven Deadly Social Sins:
…Politics without principle;
…Wealth without work;
…Commerce without morality;
…Pleasure without conscience;
…Education without character;
…Science without humanity;
…Worship without science.
Gathering
OPENING INTROIT: “As the Sun with longer Journey” VU # 111
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT (Unison)
Since time immemorial, Indigenous peoples have occupied and cared for this land, the country many call Canada, from coast to coast to coast. In naming this particular land mass, even more specifically Calgary and all of its surrounding areas, as Settlers we acknowledge this area as the traditional home of the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Siksika, Peigan, Kainai, TsuuT’Ina and the Stoney Nakoda Nations. As a community of faith, we seek to rebuild right relations with the First Nations, Metis, and Innuit peoples, to learn from them, and to live on this land, their land, with respect and gratitude for its creation and Creator. This is our commitment.
(Bill Perry, Consecon P.C., Carrying Place, Ont., Gathering Magazine, Pg, 42)
TENEBRAE CANDLE LITURGY
(Taken from ‘Worship for All Seasons II, Year C, page 101-104, used with permission)
Leader: Lent has traditionally been a time of repentance, of turning back to God, of giving up things that tie us to this world, to look to the cross. Historically, however, the Sundays of Lent were not included in the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter and were seen as ‘mini-Easters,” times to break from the fast, to celebrate the Resurrection and claim the new life in Christ. It is too this end where we begin these Lenten Sundays with the Tenebrae liturgy. Tenebrae means “shadows.” A Tenebrae liturgy dramatizes the gathering shadows as, faithful to our Lenten journey, we approach Good Friday. At the end of this service, one of the purple candles will be extinguished and the first Sunday’s service of Lent will be finished…
*OPENING HYMN: “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” VU # 288
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: Lent has begun as of Wednesday when the ashes and the oil were mixed, and the sign of the cross was lovingly applied to each person’s forehead….and now each of us embarks on a brand-new journey.
ALL: And some of us say to ourselves that we haven’t had an opportunity to pack yet.
Leader: The answer to this statement is that we need not worry for God will provide for all the things which we may need.
ALL: And some of us may say that we haven’t had the opportunity of purchasing a ticket.
Leader: And once more, we need not worry because God will tell us when it is time to move on – to move forward.
ALL: And then we just might say that we don’t have our updated passports, as of yet.
Leader: Don’t worry; God will help us pass all the borders and boundaries that just may be in our way.
ALL: But we haven’t had our vaccinations yet….
Leader: And once more I say, don’t worry for God will protect each of us on this journey.
ALL: But we don’t know where we are going…
Leader: O my friends, O my sometimes-disillusioned people, God will show us the way where we are traveling.
ALL: But we’re not quite sure that we want to take this trip…
Leader: Please don’t worry; God is with us, now and always. Together we can journey with the Holy Presence. So let us join together, let us worship together, and together let us offer praise to the one who guides us always. Our journey now begins with a prayer to the Holy One:
PRAYER OF APPROACH: (Unison)
This is the wilderness time, when every path seems obscure, and thorns have grown around the words of hope…
Please, be the wings of our strength, O God, in this time of wilderness waiting.
This is the time of stone, not bread, when even the sunrise feels uncertain, and everything tastes of bitterness…
Please, be the wings of our strength, O God, in this time of wilderness waiting.
This is the time of ashes and dust, when darkness clothes our dreams and no star shine a guiding light…
Please, be the wings of our strength, O God, in this time of wilderness waiting.
This is the time of treading life, waiting for the swells to subside and for the chaos to clear…
O, please, be the wings of our strength, O God, in this time of wilderness waiting.
O God, hear our prayer….Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE: (Leader)
On the journey of Lent, we all seek a spirit of wisdom and of discernment as we move toward a closer relationship with God. Each of us will be following the journey which Jesus will make and in doing so, we will seek the Spirit and gain new insight. Ultimately, we will know grace…Amen.
*HYMN: “Tree of Life and Awesome Mystery” VU # 121
Engaging the Sacred Text
(Reader: Peggy Jackson)
OLD TESTAMENT READING:
GENESIS 9:8-17 The covenant between God and Noah…
EPISTLE READING:
1 PETER 3:18-22 Baptism now saves you…
HYMN of ILLUMINATION: “Wonder and Stare” VU # 118
GOSPEL PASSAGE:
MARK 1:9-15 (Rev. Jope) The baptism, temptation, and mission of Jesus...
SERMON / MESSAGE:
“OUR JOURNEY INTO the SEASON OF LENT - FOCUSING ON THE ELEMENT OF WATER”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS
Leader: As the offering plates are passed around, may the gifts which we give be transformed for God’s work in this world. Transfigure us in our giving so that we might know that what we give comes from a joyful spirit and may it inspire in us to live a life of sharing in our abundance.
PRAYER of DEDICATION: (Rev. Jope)
CHOIR ANTHEM: “Without His Cross” (from “The Weeping Tree”) By: Joseph Martin
MEDITATION TIME: (unison)
Leader: Jesus….Mentor and Friend, your life and your ministry were constantly clothed with love. We hold the image of your loving qualities and virtues close to us as we pray:
ALL: When our spiritual clothes are soiled with negativity and neglect, may we have the desire and energy to clean up. When our spiritual clothes droop, sag, and do not fit, may we have the wisdom and determination to let our words and actions fit our values and beliefs. When our spiritual clothes need changing, may we have the ability to make good decisions and the courage to follow through with the necessary changes. When our spiritual clothes are not accepted by others, may we have the self-affirmation to be our true selves and not give in to the demands of others. When our spiritual clothes are torn and need mending, may we make amends and be open to forgiveness and reconciliation. When our spiritual clothes become thin and frayed, may we strengthen them with a garment of loving-kindness. O Christ, transform all that we are and all we do into the kind of love that permeated your presence. Clothe us with your love and grant us grace to be truly kind and caring. May our spiritual clothes be spun from the gold of your goodness and last into eternity….Amen.
PRAYER HYMN: “Seek Ye First the Kingdom” VU # 356
CLOSING PRAYER: (Rev. Jope)
LORD’S PRAYER: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever…Amen.
LENTEN TENEBRAE:
Leader: When our ancestors were treated harshly in Egypt, God saw their oppression and brought them into a land flowing with milk and honey. They brought the first fruits of the ground that God had given them, and thanked God for the bounty of the land.
As we snuff out the first candle today, we think of the times when we have acted as if we, not God, are the owners of the land, and that, through our own agricultural practices, we live in a land of plenty. We forget that we are simply the stewards of the earth and that we have abused that trust through our willful, misguided greed and neglect.
(The first purple candle is extinguished…)
ALL: God of Life and Love, we are people who have chosen ways of life that make it difficult to live with respect in creation. We have imposed our values and beliefs on Indigenous peoples, not only at home but in the world at large, and have disrupted their agricultural and economic systems in the name of progress. Encourage us in our journey as we strive to conserve the earth for our grandchildren’s grandchildren…Amen.
*CLOSING HYMN: “Water Flowing from the Mountains” MV # 87
COMMISSIONING: (Unison)
As we depart from here, may we be renewed, restored, and revitalized. May the Lenten days ahead of us continually remind us of God’s love which is planted deep in our hearts.
BENEDICTION (Rev. Jope)
POSTLUDE
WALK THE WAY OF PEACE
February 11, 2024
TRANSFIGURATION SUNDAY
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Being Mindful of Loving God, Loving Neighbour, Loving Self, and Being Open to Change.
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Elizabeth Wegg
Special Musical Guests: Foothills Brass
PRELUDE
“I must confess that I have enjoyed being on this mountaintop and I am tempted to want to stay here and retreat to a more quiet and serene life. But something within reminds me of what the valley calls, despite all its agonies, dangers, and frustrating moments. I must return to the valley.”
[Martin Luther King, Jr. – January 27, 1965]
Gathering
*OPENING INTROIT:
“Come Thou Fount of Ev’ry Blessing” (John Wyeth, 1813 arr: Richard Walters)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT (Unison)
Since time immemorial, Indigenous peoples have occupied and cared for this land, the country many call Canada, from coast to coast to coast. In naming this particular land mass, even more specifically Calgary and all of its surrounding areas, as Settlers we acknowledge this area as the traditional home of the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Siksika, Peigan, Kainai, TsuuT’Ina and the Stoney Nakoda Nations. As a community of faith, we seek to rebuild right relations with the First Nations, Metis, and Innuit peoples, to learn from them, and to live on this land, their land, with respect and gratitude for its creation and Creator. This is our commitment.
(Bill Perry, Consecon P.C., Carrying Place, Ont., Gathering Magazine, Pg, 42)
LIGHTING of the CANDLE of CHRIST
Leader: God of amazing illumination, the light of the single Christ Candle shines its light in an incredible distance. May the light of the candle which I light, remind all of us of the ways which Christ illuminates our lives.
*OPENING HYMN: “Rejoice, The Lord is King” VU # 213
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: Welcome to this mountaintop experience. Welcome to this place of worship as each of us prepares our hearts and our minds for being once again, in the presence of God.
ALL: May each of us become touched by grace and may this Transfiguration Sunday, this last Sunday in Epiphany, offer us the insight for journeying into the Lenten season.
Leader: It is through mountaintop experiences and “Aha” moments where we undergo transcendence – where we change. We do this together in this community of faith.
ALL: Our worship service this morning brings us together. It is through times such as these where Christ is visible.
Leader: It is through times such as this morning where we open ourselves to the living God – where we open ourselves to newness of spirit and newness of life.
ALL: So, it is to the highest mountain where you call us. It is to the deepest waters where you call us. It is to this family where you call us, and why?
Leader: To remind us of who we are: sisters and brothers of Jesus the Christ…part of the family and of the household of God! With this, I say Alleluia! Let us now join together in prayer:
PRAYER OF APPROACH: (Unison)
Transforming God, Ever-changing Holy One, we give thanks for your loving presence in our lives, for the opportunity to answer your call to us, and for the transformation you bring about in us when we truly answer that call. Help us to know that change, that growth, and that improvement in each of us is as clear as when the disciples saw the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountaintop, and they became changed. Make us yours in this hour of worship, O God, and hold us fast to your heart and close to your living breath. Instill in each of us a willingness to let go and to begin our preparations for the Lenten journey. Empower us, strengthen us, encourage us, and ultimately, lead us to ways of your peace and your love. May this time of worship be a gift for us and a gift to you….Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE: (Leader)
The God who gives us a multitude of blessings is the one who forgives us so put a smile upon your face…it’s all good!
ANTHEM: “Beautiful Saviour” (Silesian folksong, tune 1842 arr: Peter Tiefenbach)
Engaging the Sacred Text
(Reader: Elizabeth Wegg)
OLD TESTAMENT READING:
2 KINGS 2:1-12 (Elijah is taken up into heaven…)
EPISTLE READING:
1 CORINTHIANS 4:3-6 (The light of knowledge shines in our hearts…)
GOSPEL PASSAGE:
MARK 9:2-9 (Rev. Jope) (The Transfiguration of Jesus...)
*HYMN: “How Good, Lord, to be Here” VU # 103
SERMON / MESSAGE:
“WHAT! ME CHANGE?”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS
Leader: As the offering plates are passed around, may the gifts which we give be transformed for God’s work in this world. Transfigure us in our giving so that we might know that what we give comes from a joyful spirit and may it inspire in us to live a life of sharing in our abundance.
PRAYER of DEDICATION: (Rev. Jope)
MEDITATION TIME: (unison – please face each other)
Deep peace of the running wave to you, of water flowing, rising, and falling, sometimes advancing, sometimes receding…may the stream of your life flow unimpeded!
Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you, which fans your face on a sultry day, the air which you breathe deeply, rhythmically, which imparts to you energy, consciousness, life.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you, who, herself unmoving, harbours the movements and facilitates the life of the ten thousand creatures, while resting contented, stable, tranquil.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you, which stay invisible till darkness falls and discloses their pure and shining presence beaming down in compassion on your turning world.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of our God to you, who, swift as the wave and pervasive as the air, quiet as the earth and shining like a star, breathes into us his peace and her spirit.
Deep peace of God to you.
(Mary Rogers, adapted from the Gaelic – “Earth Prayers from Around the World”)
PRAYER HYMN: “Jesus, Remember Me” VU # 148
CLOSING PRAYER: (Rev. Jope)
LORD’S PRAYER: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever…Amen.
CLOSING ANTHEM: “All Creatures of Our God and King” (1623 arr: Peter Tiefenbach)
On the final verse, please stand and sing:
“Let all things their Creator bless.
and worship Him in humbleness;
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
and praise the Spirit, Three in One;
O praise Him, O praise Him!
Alleluia, alleluia, al-le-lu---ia!”
COMMISSIONING: (Unison)
As we depart from here, may we be renewed, restored, and revitalized. May the Lenten days ahead of us continually remind us of God’s love which is planted dep in our hearts.
BENEDICTION (Rev. Jope)
POSTLUDE
<><><><><><WALK THE WAY OF PEACE><><><><><>
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Sunday, February 18, 2024
First Sunday in the Season of Lent
GENESIS 9: 8-17 (Old Testament passage)
1 PETER 3: 18-22 (Epistle passage)
MARK 1: 9-15 (Gospel passage)
February 4, 2024
FIFTH SUNDAY after the EPIPHANY
{Communion Sunday}
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Being Mindful of
Loving God, Loving Neighbour, and of Loving Self.
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Don Branter
Flutist: Fiona Hayes
PRELUDE
“To be able to say how much you love is to love but little.” [Francesco Petrarch]
“Love and a cough cannot be hidden.” [George Herbert]
Gathering
CENTREING INTROIT: “Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying” VU # 400
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ACKNOWLEDGING THE TERRITORY (Unison)
Since time immemorial, Indigenous peoples have occupied and cared for this land, the country many call Canada, from coast to coast to coast. In naming this particular land mass, even more specifically Calgary and all of its surrounding areas, as Settlers we acknowledge this area as the traditional home of the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Siksika, Peigan, Kainai, TsuuT’Ina and the Stoney Nakoda Nations. As a community of faith, we seek to rebuild right relations with the First Nations, Metis, and Innuit peoples, to learn from them, and to live on this land, their land, with respect and gratitude for its creation and Creator. This is our commitment.
(Bill Perry, Consecon P.C., Carrying Place, Ont., Gathering Magazine, Pg, 42)
LIGHTING of the CANDLE of CHRIST
Leader: The lighting of the Christ Candle is a reminder of the light that brightens our northern country of Canada at this time of year, a beautiful reminder of the turning of the Earth and the seasons. This light is always the light of presence, of clarity, and of hope. It’s the light of the Christ light amongst us.
*OPENING HYMN: “Worship the Lord” VU # 401
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: Welcome to worship….welcome to a place where you may often come closer to the heart of God.
ALL: We know that some of us nurture others and it is during this time of worship that our nurturing energy is renewed.
Leader: Each of us knows when others have stumbled, and it is for us to come together in this place and to become recharged… to become more invitational
ALL: for we live in community, we work in community, and we share in our lives together.
Leader: As we worship, let us be reminded that each of us has a calling – to walk with those who may have sometimes lost their way, to share with those who may have nothing, and to listen to the heartbeat of God as it pulses through all of humanity.
ALL: Gathered in God’s presence, let us lift up our voices in praise and worship. Let us clear our minds and prepare our hearts with prayer and song. Let us open our eyes to all that surrounds us, for God is with us, embracing us, loving us, and guiding us.
Leader: Come, let us worship God together as we open with some words of prayer to the Living God:
PRAYER OF APPROACH: (Unison)
Living God, in the struggles of our world, we come before you, searching for peace. In the different activities of our church, we come before you, searching for the sure way of Christ. In the ups and downs of family life, we come before you, searching for joy together. When we are not certain what to do for the best, we come before you, knowing you will guide us. Enter into this place this morning and touch each of us with your ultimate grace and your never-ending love. Soothe our sometimes-troubled spirits and lift us to places of grandeur where each of us comes to the realization that we are not only children of you but blessings to each other. May this time of worship move us in the direction of positive action and help us to come closer to you. Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE: (Leader)
As we journey closer to the period of Lent, may we seek a spirit of discernment and of wisdom. May we always move toward a deeper relationship with our God. May we follow Jesus and know new life. May we seek the Spirit and gain new insight. May we move towards God and know grace…yes…we are forgiven…Amen.
*HYMN: “God of the Bible” MV # 28
Engaging the Sacred Text
(Reader: Don Branter)
OLD TESTAMENT READING:
ISAIAH 40:21-31 (Those who wait upon God shall renew their strength…)
PSALM READING:
PSALM 147:1-11, 20c (VU # 869) (God heals the broken-hearted…)
Refrain: “Sing to God in great thanksgiving.”
Reader: How good it is to sing praises to God,
ALL: how pleasant to laud the Most High.
Reader: You are building Jerusalem, O God,
and gathering the scattered exiles of Israel.
ALL: You are healing the broken-hearted,
and binding up their wounds.
Reader: You count the number of the stars,
and call them all by their names.
ALL: Great are you, O God, and mighty your power;
yes, and your wisdom is infinite.
Reader: You raise up the lowly,
ALL: and bring down the wicked to dust.
Refrain: “Sing to God in great thanksgiving.”
Reader: Sing to God in thanksgiving;
make music on the harp to our God,
ALL: who covers the sky with clouds, who prepares rain for the
earth, who makes the hills green with grass.
Reader: You give the cattle their food,
and the young ravens when they cry.
ALL: You set no store by the power of a horse,
nor by the strength of a warrior’s thighs.
Reader: But your delight is in those who revere you,
ALL: in those who rely on your mercy.
Refrain: “Sing to God in great thanksgiving.”
Reader: You make known your word to Jacob,
your statutes and decrees to Israel.
ALL: You have not done this for any other nation,
nor have you taught them your laws.
Refrain: “Sing to God in great thanksgiving.”
GOSPEL PASSAGE:
MARK 1:40-45 (Rev. Jope) (Jesus’ healing of the leper...)
*HYMN: “Soil of God, You and I” MV # 174
(Holy Ground)
SERMON / MESSAGE:
“Good News is Difficult to Silence!”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS:
Leader: At this time, we have the opportunity of giving from our abundance to further the Great News in this surrounding area. It is through our givings where our love flows; it is through our faithfulness where this community of faith becomes ever so much richer in love for each other and love for those yet unknown…
CHOIR SELECTION: “Pieta” By: Joseph Martin
Fiona Hayes: Flute
PRAYER of DEDICATION: (Rev. Jope)
Service of the Table
Leader: May God be with us…
ALL: God is here among us.
Leader: Let us open our hearts to God…
ALL: We open them to God and to one another.
Leader: Let us give thanks to God…
ALL: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Leader: (Words of invitation)
ALL: Source and sustainer of life, we gather at this table to offer thanks, and to taste afresh the wonder of a holy love. In companionship with all creatures, we are one in gratitude for the gift and mystery of life, and one in a longing for a world to be reborn. Creator and friend, we praise you for your presence in and with your creation, ever drawing it toward healing and wholeness. In our joy, you are the overflowing cup; in our need, you are the bread by which we journey on. With all who abide in your presence and care, we lift our voices to say:
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord,
Power of Life and Love!
Heaven and earth are full of your glory!
Hosanna through the ages!
Blest is the one who comes to bring justice to the earth!
Leader: Let us remember together that vision of God’s reign shown to us in Jesus at table:
ALL: He shared food with followers and friends,
Leader: with saints and with sinners,
ALL: with crowds of thousands on the hillside,
Leader: and a few friends in an upper room.
ALL: On the night before he died, he had supper with his companions.
Leader: He took a loaf of bread, and after giving thanks, he broke it, and gave it them….saying…
ALL: “Take, eat. Do this in remembrance of me,” for this is the bread of freedom.
Leader: Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he passed it among them…saying…
ALL: “Drink this. Do this in remembrance of me,” for this is the cup of solidarity.
Leader: Through this loaf and this cup, Jesus lives within us.
ALL: In word and deed, Jesus lives among us
Leader: (Prayer of Transformation)
The Elements will now be distributed amongst all of those present and may the Holy Meal be shared by all who are in attendance…
MEDITATION TIME: (following communion)
(Leader) “Step out onto the planet…Draw a circle a hundred meters round…Inside the circle are 300 things nobody understands, and maybe nobody’s ever really seen…How many can you find?” [Lew Welch]
To help us understand what may be invisible or what may need to come into view, the following words could be helpful:
(Unison)“Knowing how deeply our lives intertwine,
we vow not to kill.
Knowing how deeply our lives intertwine,
we vow to not take what is not given.
Knowing how deeply our lives intertwine,
we vow to not engage in abusive relationships.
Knowing how deeply our lives intertwine,
we vow to not speak falsely or deceptively.
Knowing how deeply our lives intertwine,
we vow to not harm self or others through
poisonous thought.
Knowing how deeply our lives intertwine,
we vow to not dwell on past errors.
Knowing how deeply our lives intertwine,
we vow to not speak of self separate from others.
Knowing how deeply our lives intertwine,
we vow to not possess any thing or form of life
selfishly.
Knowing how deeply our lives intertwine,
we vow to not harbor ill will toward our planet,
animal, or human being.
Knowing how deeply our lives intertwine,
we vow to not abuse the great truths given to
us by our God. [Stephanie Kaza, Green Gulch Farm]
CLOSING PRAYER: (Leader)
LORD’S PRAYER: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever…Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “On Eagle’s Wings” VU # 808
COMMISSIONING: (Unison)
BENEDICTION (Rev. Jope)
POSTLUDE
<><><><><><WALK THE WAY OF PEACE><><><><><>
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Sunday, February 11th, 2024
TRANSFIGURATION SUNDAY
2 KINGS 2:1-12 (Old Testament passage)
2 CORINTHIANS 4:3-6 (Epistle passage)
MARK 9:2-9 (Gospel passage)
January 28, 2024
FOURTH SUNDAY after the EPIPHANY
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Being Mindful of
Loving God, Loving Neighbour, and of Having Wisdom
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Elizabeth Wegg
PRELUDE
When we pray, how often do we say:
“Speak, O God, for your servant is listening?”
More often, I think, we say:
Listen, God, for your servant is speaking!”
Gathering
CENTREING INTROIT:
“Dona nobis pacem interra” from the Iona Community) VU # 955
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
LIGHTING of the CANDLE of CHRIST
Leader: As we gather for worship this Sunday, what is normal for us is to light the Candle of Christ to bring its light into our gathering. This light is always a reminder that we do not live in darkness but strive always to seek the light within ourselves and to share this with the world. May this light shine and gather us in and bring us to a place of calm and shalom…
*OPENING HYMN: “Spirit Dancing” VU # 388
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: Come in, come in and sit down, for you are a part of the family. Let us open ourselves to the Spirit, as we worship together.
ALL: Each of us is on a journey of faith and we all come together to share in this excursion.
Leader: Each one of us is invited to seek new ways of being closer to our neighbour. Each one of us has the gift of building new bridges and tearing down walls of division.
ALL: This is one of the reasons why we are present this morning – to listen to the Spirit of God as it molds us and shapes us.
Leader: As we worship, let’s listen to the silence…let’s listen to the quiet beckoning of the Holy One who yearns for us to be at peace…let’s listen to each other as we share in our dreams, hopes, and visions for a community of faith that transforms lives.
ALL: So again, this morning, we answer the call and enter ourselves into the presence of God. We put aside our troubles, our worries, the things which take away from focusing on what is real. We come to be touched by the grace of God and to be empowered. We now offer our opening prayer to the Holy Life-Force, our God of our unfolding world:
PRAYER OF APPROACH: (Unison)
O God, open us up to the mysteries of the world as they unfold before our eyes. Move us to a place of revolution where we learn to love what is plentiful as much as what’s scarce. In all created things, you are there. In every friend we have, the sunshine of your presence lights our life. In every enemy that
seems to cross our path, you are there within the cloud to challenge us to love…show to us the glory in the grey.
And we alone can devalue gold by not caring if it falls or rises in the marketplace. Wherever there is gold, there is a chain, and we need to know that feathers, shells, and sea-shaped stones are all as rare. This again, could be our revolution: to love what is plentiful as much as what’s scarce. May this morning’s service teach all of us that the love we have for each other is far more precious than gold….Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE: (Leader)
As we gather together in this sanctuary, what some folks may call “The House of God”, may this be a reminder to us that yes, we are children of God, and we are assured of God’s presence amongst us and that each of us are forgiven people…thanks be to God!
*HYMN: “Jesus, Come to Our Hearts” VU # 324
Engaging the Sacred Text
(Reader: Elizabeth Wegg)
OLD TESTAMENT READING:
DEUTERONOMY 18:15-20 (God will raise up a prophet after Moses…)
PSALM READING:
PSALM 111 (VU # 833) (The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom…)
Sung Refrain: “Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.”
Elizabeth: I will thank you, God, with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in their assembly.
ALL: Great are your works, O God,
studied by all who delight in them.
Elizabeth: Honour and majesty are your work;
your righteousness endures forever.
ALL: You have won renown for your wonders;
you are gracious and full of compassion.
Sung Refrain: “Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.”
Elizabeth: You give food to those who fear you;
you keep your covenant always in mind.
ALL: You have shown your power in action,
giving your people the heritage of nations.
Elizabeth: The works of your hands are faithful and just;
all your precepts trustworthy.
ALL: They stand fast forever and ever;
grounded in justice and truth.
Elizabeth: You sent redemption to your people;
ALL: you decreed your covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is your name.
Sung Refrain: “Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.”
Elizabeth: The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom;
ALL: those who practice it have good understanding.
May your praise endure forever.
Sung Refrain: “Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.”
GOSPEL PASSAGE:
MARK 1:21-28 (Rev. Jope) (A man with an unclean spirit is healed in Capernaum...)
*HYMN: “God, Whose Almighty Word” VU # 313
SERMON / MESSAGE:
“The Age of Astonishment”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS:
Leader: Folks, our offering is one of the most profound witnesses we can make. The giving of our gifts – and our lives – always speaks to our faithfulness. So let our witness be so strong that it inspires others to faith. We now offer our gifts to the Holy One…
CHOIR SELECTION: “You Raise Me Up” By: Josh Groban
PRAYER of DEDICATION: (Rev. Jope)
MEDITATION TIME: (Unison) Kahlil Gibran
“Then said a rich man, speak to us of giving. And he answered:
You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. For what are your possessions but things you keep and guard for fear you may need them tomorrow? And what is fear of need but need itself?
There are those who give little of the much which they have – and they give it for recognition and their hidden desire makes their gifts unwholesome. And there are those who have little and give it all. These are the believers in life and the bounty of life, and their coffer is never empty. Through the hands of such as these, God speaks, and from behind their eyes, God smiles upon the earth.”
CLOSING PRAYER: (Peggy Jackson)
LORD’S PRAYER: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever…Amen.
CLOSING HYMN:
“When Hands Reach Out Beyond Divides” MV# 169
COMMISSIONING: (Unison)
Let us go from this place of prayer to lives of prayer and action. May we stand firm and have courage as we live the Good News into reality…Amen.
BENEDICTION (Rev. Jope)
POSTLUDE
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Sunday, February 4th, 2024
ISAIAH 40: 21-31 (Old Testament passage)
1 CORINTHIANS 9: 16-23 (Epistle passage)
MARK 1: 29-39 (Gospel passage)
January 21, 2024
THIRD SUNDAY after the EPIPHANY
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Being Mindful of
Loving God, Loving Neighbour, and of Being Called
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Gerry Scharff
PRELUDE
“When we look around at the state of things in our faith community, our community in which we live, and the world in general, what is necessary in order for the ‘time to be fulfilled’?...What would this fulfillment look like?...What do we need to do?”
Gathering
CENTREING INTROIT: “God, Help Us to Treasure” MV # 147
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
LIGHTING of the CANDLE of CHRIST
Leader: Each Sunday morning, we gather around the Candle of Christ, a truly symbolic reminder of the presence of holiness. This ritual brings focus for our time of worship, a time when we pause to once again, renew our faith and our spiritual life with our Creator God. May this light shine and gather us in and bring us to a place of calm and shalom…
*OPENING HYMN: “O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee” VU # 560
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: Out of our busyness, out of the things which take away from finding our centre, God calls us into stillness.
ALL: We hear the call and we come. We hear the call, and we answer. We come into this place of stillness.
(Prayer bell is rung….)
Leader: God hungers for our fellowship and for our response. God waits for each of us to enter ourselves into stillness.
ALL: We respond out of faith in the ever-presence of our God and enter into this time of worship with calm anticipation.
(Prayer bell is rung for the second time…)
Leader: May each of us be nourished in the Spirit’s power. May each of us know that when we seek the stillness, when we hold our breath in the quietness of the moment, God meets us.
ALL: And it is to this end where we enter ourselves into the place of peace, into the gathering of community, and ultimately, into the lightness of being…
(Prayer bell is rung for the final time…)
Leader: We now open ourselves in prayer to our Creator God…
OPENING PRAYER: (Responsive)
(This prayer is entitled “I Pray Shalom for You” and is taken from ‘Gifts in Open Hands’ by Maren Tirabassi & Kathy Wonson Eddy)
Leader: (Intro words for the prayer…)
ALL: We pray shalom that our faces are turned to God, that we are secure in the forgiveness of Christ, that our lives are infused with the presence of the Holy Spirit, that our whole being is daily transformed and integrated into oneness with Christ, and hence wholeness and wellness, that in having died to self we are alive to our true selves, and that love is our prime motivation…we pray shalom for ourselves.
Leader: (Continuing shalom words…)
ALL: We pray shalom so that the beauty of God’s creation enthralls us, that our love and way of life enhances that beauty and does not deplete the resources of the earth, that the rhythm of our lives may be in harmony with the rhythm of other’s lives and all creation so that we are a part of God’s plan of restoration and of renewal…we pray shalom for ourselves so that our faith may grow, that we’re filled with love, and that hope never dies…Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE: (Leader)
We need to be mindful that the God who chose us to be God’s beloved children before the world was created will not give up on us…never… We know that our worth to God is much more than our worst mistake.
In love, we are a forgiven people…thanks be to God! Amen.
Engaging the Sacred Text
(Reader: Gerry Scharff)
OLD TESTAMENT READING:
JONAH 3:1-5, 10 (Jonah calls Nineveh to repent…)
EPISTLE LESSON:
1 CORINTHIANS 7:29-31 (The time is short for the present form of the world…)
HYMN: “Jesus, You Have Come to the Lakeshore” VU # 563
GOSPEL PASSAGE:
MARK 1:14-20 (Rev. Jope) (Jesus calls Simon, Andrew, James, and John...)
SERMON / MESSAGE:
“HOW DO WE ENVISION CHRIST IN OUR PLURALISTIC WORLD?”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS:
Leader: As an act of thanksgiving, we respond to God’s love by bringing our gifts of time, of energy, and our skills, our offerings of life and love. Through these offerings, we are given an opportunity to give thanks to God. We are given an opportunity to make a difference in each other’s lives and in the life of the world around us. Let us present our offerings…
CHOIR SELECTION: “Amazing Grace” By: Mark A. Miller
PRAYER of DEDICATION: (Rev. Jope)
CLOSING PRAYER: (Unison)
O God, we want to be your church, we want to be your faithful people, but sometimes we get discouraged, and focus on our limitations. When we feel that we are not enough, remind us…
We have all the gifts we need, and we need all the gifts we have.
When we lament that we do not have more children in our worship services, help us to honour the children who do come, and those whom we connect with in the community and in our extended families. Remind us…
We have all the gifts we need, and we need all the gifts we have.
When we focus on our aging bodies and the aches and pains that limit our energy and mobility, remind us to be gentle with one another, and focus on our accumulated wisdom, and
remind us, God…
We have all the gifts we need, and we need all the gifts we have.
When the expense column adds up to more than the income column, nudge us to look deep into our hearts and into our abundance. Remind us, God…
We have all the gifts we need, and we need all the gifts we have.
To offer you praise, to be open to your Holy Spirit, to be a blessing to each other, our community, and this world you love, remind us, God…
We have all the gifts we need, and we need all the gifts we have…May we now share the words which Jesus taught us:
LORD’S PRAYER: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever…Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me” VU # 575
COMMISSIONING: (Unison)
Let all of us go from here rejoicing with thankful hearts for all that we have received and all that we have shared. May we always be faithful followers of Christ, willing and ever so eager to love and to serve others…
BENEDICTION (Rev. Jope)
POSTLUDE
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Sunday, January 28th, 2024
DEUTERONOMY 18: 15-20
PSALM 111 (VU # 833)
MARK 1: 21-28
January 14, 2024
SECOND SUNDAY after the EPIPHANY
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Being Mindful of
Loving God, Loving Neighbour, and Loving Self
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Beth Elliot
PRELUDE
“Welcome to our or your church! We hope you have found or will soon feel part of our church family if you haven’t already. We have gifts, friendship, and love to share with each other. Please share with us and be our brother/sister in God’s family. If you haven’t already, we know you will make new friends here – we know because we have all made new friends here and we try to love and care for each other as Jesus asked us to. So, come, play, have fun, learn, and let us all grow together and may you always know God’s love.” (Jope)
Gathering
CENTREING INTROIT:
“Psalm 42 – As the Deer Pants for the Water” VU # 766
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
LIGHTING of the CANDLE of CHRIST
Leader: Folks, in a cold world, let us be aware that the light of Christ can warm our hearts. And, in a shadowed world, the light of Christ can challenge all of us to seek ways of peace. And, in a world of despair, may we know that the light of Christ can give true hope. May all of us be the light of Christ for each other as the Candle is lit to remind us…
*OPENING HYMN: “A Light Is Gleaming” VU # 82
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: Welcome to this place of worship. Welcome to this community of folks who have been called or are being called to follow the precepts of the Christ.
ALL: Each of us has our own reasons for being present this morning. Each of us knows of the gifts which we have and we have come to share some of these gifts.
Leader: It is into this place where we share our thoughts, our hopes and dreams, our deepest yearnings. This is holy ground.
ALL: May each of us be touched by grace and in turn, grace one another for Jesus’ words ring clearly for each of us as we journey the sometimes-difficult road,
“Follow me.”
Leader: Nathanael’s words were these, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” We may ask, “Can anything good come out of Lakeview?…out of West Hills?...out of Strathcona?...
our resounding answers are, “Yes! So come and follow.”
ALL: So, it is this morning where we answer this call and enter ourselves into the presence of God. It is in this place where we are urged to follow the One who will forever change the landscape of this world. As we prepare to worship, let us offer our opening prayer to the One who breathes us, who loves us, and who calls us.
OPENING PRAYER: (Unison)
O come Holy Spirit; O come. Come and bring us a new breath of freedom, a new heart of fire, a new strength of purpose, to see the story of God, in the people of God.
Come, Holy Spirit, show us the patterns of your presence in the places of our lives where we work and serve, as much as where we worship and pray.
Come, Holy Spirit, make us a sign of God in the darkness and poverty in our world, where hope is frail and daily life a struggle to survive.
Come into this place of worship with your passion and your unending hope for each of us as we answer the call to follow.
Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE: (Leader)
Let us always be mindful that we are forgiven people. We are reminded repeatedly that our light has come so now we are challenged to be light in this world. Let us never forget that we are graced by the Light of Life. Thanks be to God….Amen.
Engaging the Sacred Text
(Reader: Beth Elliot)
OLD TESTAMENT READING:
1 SAMUEL 3:1-10 (Beth & Jope) (God calls Samuel…taken from The Dramatized Bible)
HYMN of ILLUMINATION:
“I, the Lord of Sea and Sky” (Here I am, Lord) VU # 509
PSALM READING:
PSALM 121 (I lift my eyes unto the hills….and mountains…)
GOSPEL PASSAGE:
JOHN 1:43-51 (Rev. Jope) (Jesus calls Philip and Nathanael...)
SERMON / MESSAGE:
“Come, Follow Me…I Need You!”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS:
Leader: As an act of thanksgiving, we respond to God’s love by bringing our gifts of time, of energy, and our skills, our offerings of life and love. Through these offerings, we are given an opportunity to give thanks to God. We are given an opportunity to make a difference in each other’s lives and in the life of the world around us. Let us present our offerings…
CHOIR SELECTION: “Carry the Light” By: Andy Beck
PRAYER of DEDICATION: (Rev. Jope)
CLOSING PRAYER: (Rev. Jope)
LORD’S PRAYER: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever…Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “Draw the Circle Wide” MV # 145
COMMISSIONING: (Unison) Let us go from here rejoicing with thankful hearts for all we have received and have shared. May we go out and be willing and eager to love and serve others.
BENEDICTION (Rev. Jope)
POSTLUDE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024
JONAH 3: 1-5 {10} (Old Testament passage)
1 CORINTHIANS 7: 29-31 (Epistle passage)
MARK 1: 14-20 (Gospel passage)
JANUARY 7, 2024
BAPTISMAL SUNDAY & FIRST SUNDAY of the EPIPHANY
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Being Mindful of
Loving God, Loving Neighbour and Reliving Our
Baptismal Commitments.
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Ann Orr
PRELUDE
“The important thing is not to stop questioning….
curiosity has its own reason for existing. (Albert Einstein)
WELCOMING to the SEASON of EPIPHANY
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or are able to.)
Gathering
CHORAL INTROIT: “Confitemini Domino” (Come and Fill Our Hearts) MV # 16
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
LIGHTING of the CANDLE of CHRIST
Leader: In the book of Genesis, God gave light to the world through the shining of the sun, moon, and stars. In time, God sent Christ to live among us and to shine with glory. So…we light this candle today to remind us of the light of God and the light of Christ that shines also true within each of us, for we, too, are the light of Christ…
*OPENING HYMN: “I Am the Light of the World” VU # 87
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: John waits in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance. We are part of the crowd that begins to gather around, for we are curious people.
ALL: We are part of that crowd that pushes closer to see and to hear what John is saying…Jesus joins them, asking to be baptized.
Leader: The Spirit descends upon the head of Jesus, and we hear a voice: “You are my son, the beloved - with you I am well pleased.”
ALL: And then Jesus heads into the wilderness to discern his calling…to understand what is required of him.
Leader: And we know that Jesus returns from the wilderness proclaiming the Good News which has called us here today.
ALL: Come, let us share in this Good News together and we begin by raising our voices in prayer to our God – voicing this prayer in unison:
OPENING PRAYER: (Unison)
O God of all that is and will ever be, let the peace of this place surround us, invite us, nurture us, and bring us closer to not only you, but also each other. Let the hurry and the worry of our everyday lives fall away. You are with us now, in this place, in this time, and in this realm of possibilities where the mysterious things of life become real. You are our still point. You are the centre of our being, and we are where we are supposed to be, for in this place, at this time, we are at the centre. So still us…draw us into your silence. Grace each of us with new beginnings…O Divine Weaver, gather all the broken fibres of our being and make us whole…make us a finished product on your loom of life and enter into us during this time of worship to make us become instruments of your peace and your passion…may we all be mindful of our baptismal commitments and relive that Holy moment once again…Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE: (Leader)
God loved us so much that the Divine Presence came to live among us, moved into our neighbourhoods and our towns and cities, just to be close to us. God is still here…loving, healing, and forgiving…thanks be to God!
The Holy Sacrament of Baptism
“All Who Are Thirsty” Rev. Jope
AIDEN VINCENT ANSARI
THE NEW CREED (We will share in these words during the baptism…)
ALL: We are not alone; we live in God’s world. We believe in God: who has created and is creating, who has come in Jesus, the Word made flesh, to reconcile and make new, and who works in us and others by the Spirit. We trust in God. We are called to be the Church: to celebrate God’s presence, to live with respect in Creation, to love and serve others, to seek justice and resist evil, to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, our judge and our hope. In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God.
Fiona Hayes (Flute) “Mallaig Sprinkling Song” (Scotland)
Engaging the Sacred Text
(Reader: Ann Orr)
OLD TESTAMENT READING:
GENESIS 1:1-5 (The first day of creation…)
EPISTLE PASSAGE:
ACTS 19:1-7 (Paul baptizes by the Spirit…)
*HYMN of ILLUMINATION: “River” MV # 3
GOSPEL PASSAGE:
MARK 1:4-11 (Rev. Jope) (Jesus is baptized by John...)
SERMON / MESSAGE:
“Come On In! The Water’s Fine!”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS:
Leader: What a privilege we have in sharing God’s mission, to adapt and be responsive to the needs around us. As we’ve offered our financial gifts this morning or this month, whether they are in the offering plate or through PAR or monthly givings, we have supported the ministry and service of this community of faith for today and for many, many years. To God be the glory…let us pray:
Prayer of Dedication: (Rev. Jope)
CHOIR SELECTION: “You Are Wonderfully Made” By: Pepper Choplin
CLOSING PRAYER: (unison voices) (Helen Weaver)
O God of all that is, blessed is your name.
Blessed are your fields and forests, your rocks and mountains, your grasses and trees and flowers, and every green and growing thing.
Blessed are your streams and lakes and rivers, the oceans where our life began, and all your waters that sustain our bodies and refresh our souls.
Blessed is the air we breathe, your atmosphere, which surrounds us and binds us to every living thing.
Blessed are all creatures who walk along your surface or swim in your waters or fly through your air, for they are all our relatives.
Blessed are all people who share this planet, for we are all one family, and the same spirit moves through us all.
Blessed is the sun, our day star, bringer of morning and the heat of summer, giver of light and life.
Blessed is the moon, our night lamp, ruler of the tides, protector of all women, and guardian of our dreams.
Blessed are the stars and planets, the timekeepers, who fill our nights with beauty and our hearts with awe.
O Great Spirit whose voice we hear in the wind and whose face we see in the morning sun, blessed is your name.
Help us to remember that you are everywhere and teach us the way of peace.
VU # 951 “Holy, Holy, Holy” (we will sing this through 3 X’s with the first two in English and the third time in Spanish)
Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever…Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “Arise, Your Light Is Come” VU #79
COMMISSIONING: (Fiona Hayes)
O Christ, in whom the fullness of God dwells, you are deep within our lives and all life, you are deep within this place and every place. In this place and this time and in the depths of our own souls we draw from the inner well of your love that we too might be filled with the fullness of God, filled and refreshed, we go into the world empowered to love and do far more than we could ever ask or imagine…Amen.
POSTLUDE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: JANUARY 14th, 2024
SECOND SUNDAY after the EPIPHANY
1 SAMUEL 3: 1-10 (Old Testament passage)
1 CORINTHIANS 6: 12-20 (Epistle passage)
JOHN 1: 43-51 (Gospel passage)
December 31, 2023 - 10:00 am
New Year’s Eve Service with Eggs Benedict!!
A SERVICE OF THANKS & A TIME of NEWNESS
WELCOMING
GATHERING TOGETHER: (Responsive)
Leader: This morning places all of us on the edge of in a new year, a new time to seek those things which are of importance to us – our families, our friends, our community of faith, our relationship with our Creator, and continual prayers and actions which bolsters world peace.
ALL: As the clock will strike midnight 14 hours from now, we have another opportunity in the coming year of 2024 to make those things come true for each of us and for our planet.
Leader: May the time which we have together this morning bring us all closer to each other in the knowing that we are one family and one enlightened community of faith.
ALL: Our journey has now begun and as the whole body of Christ, we come to give thanks and to share in a meal together.
Leader: May we always be led by the Spirit, led by the power of love, and share this love with each person that we may come into contact with. May our heart-songs soar ever higher and fill the Earth with beautiful light.
ALL: Most loving God of light, to you we commend our dreams and our visions, our lives and our paths. Shine in our hearts and minds; be visible in our lives and break forth upon your world, in Jesus’ name and in the unity of the Holy Spirit.
OPENING PRAYER: (Leader)
*HYMN: “Behold, Behold, I Make All Things New” MV # 115
“Behold, (behold,) behold, (behold,)
I make all things new, beginning with you
and starting from today.
Behold, (behold,) behold, (behold,)
I make all things new, my promise is true,
for I am Christ the way.”
REVELATION 21:1-6
WHAT WILL 2024 BRING TO YOU IN ALL OF YOUR HOPES & DREAMS? WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO FULFILL?
*HYMN: “This Is the Day (This Coming Year)” VU #412
(1) This coming year, this coming year
that our God has made,
that our God has made;
We will rejoice, we will rejoice,
and be glad in it,
and be glad in it.
This coming year that our God has made,
we will rejoice and be glad in it.
This coming year, this coming year
that our God has made.
(2) Open to us, open to us
your gates, O God,
your gates, O God;
We will go in, we will go in,
to your holy place,
to your holy place.
Open to us your gates, O God,
we will go in to your holy place.
Open to us, open to us
your gates, O God.
(3) You are our God, you are our God,
we will praise your name,
we will praise your name;
we will give thanks, we will give thanks,
for your faithfulness,
for your faithfulness.
You are our God, we will praise your name,
We will give thanks for your faithfulness.
You are our God, you are our God,
we will praise your name.
(Back to Verse #1)
CLOSING PRAYER of THANKS (Leader)
December 24, 2023
WELCOME TO CHRISTMAS EVE!
A Traditional Christmas Eve Service Telling the Christmas
Story through Scripture, Song, & Candlelight.
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Readers: Elizabeth Wegg, Teresa Churchill, Michael Rainey
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or possibly able to.)
PRELUDE
*INTROIT CAROL “O Come, All Ye Faithful” VU # 60
WELCOMING
“Take time to be aware that in the very midst of our busy preparations for the celebration of Christ’s birth in ancient Bethlehem, Christ is reborn in the Bethlehems of our homes and daily lives. Take time, slow down, be still, and be awake to the Divine Mystery that looks so common and so ordinary yet is so wondrously present.” (Edward Hayes)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
LIGHTING OF THE CHRIST CANDLE
Leader: Tonight, is Christmas Eve, and I share this thought with all of you…what if we spent a good part of one day filling our chest cavity with a vision of love at every deep breath? Knowing the need for the Holy one in our lives and in this sometimes-heartbroken world, we light the candle of Christ as a shining symbol that God is with us, born in Jesus this night. (lighting)
*CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Hush…hush…listen…can you hear it?
ALL: I think we can if we focus on the silence…
Leader: It’s a mother’s tears…a father’s sigh of relief…the hustle and bustle of the night…hush…listen…can you hear it?
ALL: Yes, we believe we can…
Leader: It’s the rhythm of your heart…it’s the blessing of your neighbour…it’s the cry of the newborn child…can you hear it?
ALL: We hear in the silent places and in the songs of praise, in the peace of the night and in the chaos of the morning, in this place, and in all places, we hear God’s love.
Leader: It’s alive! It’s abundant! It’s for all!!
ALL: Let us worship together this Christmas Eve!!
CHOIR SELECTION “Star Carol” By: John Rutter
AN OPENING PRAYER FOR CHRISTMAS EVE (Rev. Jope)
*CAROL “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” VU # 48
AN AFFIRMATION OF OUR FAITH FOR CHRISTMAS: (unison)
We believe in God, who put music in the universe, so that the birds and the wind, the animals and the insects, and the very stars in their courses are makers of melody. We believe in the God at the centre of Christmas, whose hope for the world was imagined by seers and foretold by prophets. We believe in Christ, whose message of love and grace enables us to sing from the depths of our being, praising our Creator God. We believe in the Holy Spirit, who touches the strings of our lives the way a master musician touches the strings of a harp, causing us to produce beautiful resonance in the lives of others. We believe in the beauty of the manger, transformed by the coming of Jesus, and in the eligibility of every simple place to be ennobled by his presence. We believe in shepherds, in gold and frankincense and myrrh, in angels filling the sky with music, in nights of wonder and moments of grace. We believe in worship, not because it is reasonable or sensible but because we can’t help it: our heart sings in response to our faith – especially on an evening such as this where God touches the Earth one again with living hope…Amen.
PASSING OF THE PEACE AT CHRISTMAS
OLDER TESTAMENT READING: ISAIAH 9:2-7 (Rev. Jope)
*CAROL “O Little Town of Bethlehem” VU # 64
FIRST CHRISTMAS READING: LUKE 2:1-7 (Elizabeth Wegg)
*CAROL “Away in a Manger” VU # 69
SECOND CHRISTMAS READING: LUKE 2:8-14 (Teresa Churchill)
CHOIR SELECTION: “Love Came Down at Christmas” By: Joel Raney
THIRD CHRISTMAS READING: LUKE 2:15-20 (Michael Rainey)
*CAROL “Angels We Have Heard on High” VU # 38
CHRISTMAS MESSAGE: “Bringing Emmanuel, “God With Us”, Closer to Our Heart”
PRESENTATION OF OUR CHRISTMAS OFFERING
Leader: We make an offering in part because one has been made for us, because we have a God who dreamed us up and put us in motion. We make an offering because God has given us eyes to see and imagination to help us wonder where we could go to do the best in this world. May our offerings give blessings and peace beyond us – to the world…the offering plates will now be brought to you…
CHOIR OFFERTORY CAROL “Gentle Mary Laid Her Child” By: Allan Bevan
PRAYER OF DEDICATION: (Rev. Jope)
THIS EVENING’S CLOSING PRAYER of GOD’S PEOPLE (Rev. Jope)
LORD’S PRAYER
CANDLELIGHThrist candle will be taken from the Advent Wreath and brought down the aisles, lighting the outside candles…please hold your candle up when it is lit and the person beside you can tilt theirs and light their candle and so on until all the candles are lit…when we’ve transformed the sanctuary into ‘light’ we will sing “Silent Night”)
*CLOSING CAROL “Silent Night, Holy Night” VU # 67
BENEDICTION (Rev. Jope)
POSTLUDE
WELCOME TO THE FOURTH SUNDAY of ADVENT!
THE SUNDAY OF LOVE
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Continually Sharing Love
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Elizabeth Wegg
Candlelighter: Niesje Bates
“Since you get more love out of giving love to others, you should put a good deal
of thought into the happiness that you are able to give.”
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or possibly able to.)
PRELUDE
Gathering
OPENING INTROIT: “Kindle a Flame to Lighten the Dark” VU # 19
WELCOMING
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
LIGHTING OF THE CANDLE of LOVE:
Leader: On this fourth Sunday in this season of Advent, we have lit the first three blue candles before you have arrived – the candles of Hope, Peace, and of Joy. We remember our longing for God to be with us, to give us peace, and to rejoice with us.
Niesje: Today, we light a fourth candle which is pink. This candle which we light represents that great gift of Love.
(The candle of love is now lit…)
Leader: This candle reminds us of Mary, Jesus’ mother. This candle reminds us of a mother’s love for her child and her willingness to carry him, care for him, and give him a home.
Niesje: This candle is also a symbol of God’s love that was born in baby Jesus on Christmas Day. It is a symbol of God’s love that can be alive in each one of us if we are willing to make room for him.
Leader: It is a reminder of the love we are asked to show to others in our city and throughout the world: those without homes, those whose homes have been ravaged by poverty and war, those whose homes are broken by illness and tragedy.
ALL: O God of Love and Grace, help us to make a home for you in our lives, and help us make room for all those who need your love, especially the homeless in our city…Amen.
CANDLELIGHTING HYMN: “Hope Is a Star” (Verses 1-4) VU # 7
CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: Today, as in days passed, our sanctuary is adorned with a Christmas tree and in the narthex there’s also a tree under which we have placed many gifts to pass on to those who may be less fortunate than we are.
ALL: In the ancient world, evergreens were seen to have magical powers because they never lost their needles. Their green colour amid leafless and brown trees became a symbol of life. Legend tells us that the Christmas tree originated in Germany when a man, walking home one Christmas Eve, looked up through an evergreen tree and saw hundreds of stars twinkling like diamonds.
Leader: He was so enthralled that he cut down the tree, took it home, and adorned it with lights in an effort to recreate this beauty and mystery for his sick child, who could not go outdoors to see it for herself. The Christmas tree came to North America in the 1800s with German immigrants and soon found itself at the centre of most Christmas celebrations.
ALL: So, it is under the Christmas tree where we had placed our gifts. We give gifts to those we love as a sign of joy, the joy that comes from knowing that we are loved and accepted by God simply because God created us.
Leader: And oftentimes we’ve placed under the Christmas tree some gifts which were wrapped in white, which followed the tradition started by Mrs. Winters in 1903. These gifts are given out of love for others, those who are not known to us, but are known to and named by God.
ALL: Knowing that God will take our gifts of love and use them where they are needed gives us great joy. And we’ve lit the fourth candle this morning to speak of our love, a love that comes from being God’s people. O come, O come Emmanuel and be for us the Gift of Love.
CHOIR SELECTION: “Do You Hear What I Hear?”
OPENING PRAYER OF APPROACH: (Unison)
We call upon You once again, O God of Advent…surround us this day with something akin to a warm blanket on a cold wintery night. Be as close to us as breath and as large to us as the endless universe with its sparkling lights which twinkle in the night sky. Embrace us with the warm glow of a fireplace and speak to us through the sounds of Christmas – Christmas carols, children’s laughter, sleighbells ringing, popcorn popping, doorbells ringing as friends and family greet each other with open arms and open hearts. Be to us the joy of Christmas as we share in that love with others. Be to us the still, small voice which heralds a new dawn, a new era of peace and of love – to the world…Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE: (Leader)
The light of love shines upon us, radiating from God Most High, focused through the Christ-child, flooding our hearts and minds through the work of the Spirit. Welcome that light, embrace that forgiving love, live in reconciliation with God, with each other, with your own true selves. We are forgiven people. Thanks be to God!
Engaging the Sacred Text
(Reader: Elizabeth Wegg)
OLD TESTAMENT READING:
2 SAMUEL 7:1-11, 16 Who will build God’s house?…
NEWER TESTAMENT READING:
LUKE 1:47-55 Song of Mary…
PRAYER HYMN for ILLUMINATION:
“She Walked in the Summer (The Visit) ” VU # 12
GOSPEL READING:
LUKE 1:26-38 (Rev. Jope) The angel Gabriel visits Mary…
SERMON/MESSAGE:
“THE MAGNIFICAT & THE LETTER TO ELIZABETH”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS:
Leader: We make an offering in part because one has been made for us, because we have a God who dreamed us up and put us in motion. We make an offering because God has given us eyes to see and imagination to help us wonder where we could go to do the best in this world. May our offerings give blessings and peace beyond us – to the world…the offering plates will now be brought to you…
CHOIR OFFERTORY CAROL: “The Holly and The Ivy”
PRAYER OF DEDICATION: (Rev. Jope)
THIS SUNDAY’S CLOSING PRAYER of GOD’S ADVENT PEOPLE (Rev. Jope…)
LORD’S PRAYER
COMMISSIONING: (unison)
Go into this world that God loves. Bless it with compassion; speak against injustice; act with integrity. May the vision of God’s prophets encourage you. May the life of Jesus the Christ be your example. May the Holy Spirit fill you with courage and love…Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “All Earth Is Waiting” VU # 5
BENEDICTION: (Leader)
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you…and may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you…and may the Lord lift his countenance upon you and give you the deepest of peace…go now into the world with a song in your heart…Amen.
POSTLUDE
DECEMBER 10, 2023
WELCOME TO THE THIRD SUNDAY of ADVENT!
THE SUNDAY OF JOY
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Continually Seeking Joy
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Candlelighter: John Robertson
Readers: Jocelyn Barton, Beth Elliot, Nancy Gant/Brian Burrows, Elizabeth Wegg
Guest Vocalists: Elizabeth Fast (soprano); Brenden Lengsfeld (Countertenor), Gerald Fast (tenor); Kristian Lo (Bass)
“God’s call is mysterious; it comes in the darkness of faith or in the darkness of life…
it is so fine, so subtle, that it is only with the deepest silence within us,
that we are able to hear it…”
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or possibly able to.)
PRELUDE (Sinfonia Recording)
Gathering
WELCOMING
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
LIGHTING OF THE CANDLE of JOY:
Leader: Our waiting is almost over…in these last days of Advent, we stand on the threshold of Christmas…as we have waited, we have experienced the presence of the One for whom we wait…God’s presence brings us peace and brings us joy.
JOHN: We have placed ourselves in the posture of God’s people of the Old Testament, groaning for their Messiah…this is one of the promises that kept their faith strong: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace,”
(Taken from Isaiah 9:6.)
Leader: Jesus was born into a time of turmoil. Herod, threatened by the birth of the child which people were calling a king, ordered the death of all male children in and around Bethlehem aged two and under. We can hardly comprehend it…like so many atrocities taking place around the world today, the powerful are threatened and the innocent die….
but God promises that one day, the fighting will end…the peacemakers will be blessed indeed…Joy will fill the world!
JOHN: And so, we light our three Advent Candles and focus on the third candle, the Candle of JOY.
(The Candles of Hope, Peace, and Joy are now lit…)
CANDLELIGHTING HYMN: “Hope Is a Star” (Vs. 1,2,3) VU # 7
CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: Poinsettias decorate our homes and our sanctuary during this season and from its humble beginning in Mexico, where it grows wild, the poinsettia has become a cherished part of our Christmas traditions.
ALL: Legend tells us that when poor children were invited to come to a Christmas celebration to see the Christ child, they wanted to bring a gift. In their poverty, the only gift they could offer was the wild, red flower –the poinsettia.
Leader: Mary was a poor peasant girl when God spoke to her and told her that she was chosen to be God’s handmaiden, to bear a son, whose name would be Immanuel, ‘God with us’, Jesus.
ALL: Mary had already been promised in marriage to a good man named Joseph. Instead of being fearful, she accepted this news with the trust and innocence of a child. In her poverty she offered herself and her love as she sang her song of praise to God.
Leader: And we’ve lit the candle of JOY to symbolize the great joy that burns in our hearts as we realize that God’s plan will soon be fulfilled…the Promised One will arrive. O come…O come, O great God of might…in cloud, and majesty, and awe…
ALL: O come, O come Emmanuel, and be for us the Prince of Hope…the Prince of Peace…the Prince of Joy.
OPENING PRAYER: (Unison)
O Holy God, you call us together to reflect on your Word and on the Christ-child: our Emmanuel, God with us. He who was born humbly and began his reign on Earth as a lamb, became our Wonderful Counsellor, Prince of Peace, and King of Kings. We call on you to be with us now as we worship you through music, your Holy Word, and prayers on this Sunday of Joy. Allow your Spirit to enter our hearts this day and bring us deep peace. We draw upon the strength and promise of Jesus who said of himself, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” We rely on your grace, and we ask for your wisdom and love to bless us this day and always…Amen.
*OPENING HYMN: “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus”
(Words to this hymn are found on the screen)
SCRIPTURE READING:
JOHN 1:6-8, 19-28 Elizabeth Wegg
TENOR: “Comfort Ye/Ev’ry Valley”
BASS: “Thus saith the Lord”
COUNTERTENOR: “But Who May Abide”
SCRIPTURE READING:
ISAIAH 61:1-4, 8-11 Beth Elliot
BASS: “For Behold, Darkness Shall Cover the Earth”
“The People That Walked in Darkness”
*HYMN: “People Look East” VU # 9
SOPRANO: “There Were Shepherds/And Lo, the Angel/And Suddenly”
CHOIR CHORUS: “Glory to God”
SCRIPTURE READING:
LUKE 1:46b – 55 Jocelyn Barton
SOPRANO: “Rejoice Greatly”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERING
Leader: We make an offering in part because one has been made for us, because we have a God who dreamed us up and put us in motion. We make an offering because God has given us eyes to see and imagination to help us wonder where we could go to do the best in this world. May our offerings give blessings and peace and joy beyond us – to the world…the offering plates will now be brought to you…
COUNTERTENOR: “Then the Eyes of the Blind Shall be Opened”
COUNTERTENOR/SOPRANO: “He Shall Feed His Flock”
PRAYER OF DEDICATION: (Rev. Jope)
THIS SUNDAY’S PRAYER of the ADVENT PEOPLE:
In our lives, we all know that an angel had come at one time or another, into our presence and into our gathering…this certain
angel spoke, touched, smiled, and possibly sang a song to us that might have healed our loneliness or chased away those blues. This angel came, so real, in human flesh and then went again among the crowd not knowing how in that encounter, our lives were forever changed. This angel came, not with a halo or dressed in white, but in a voice that touched our needs, gave us strength, and then was gone in the blink of an eye. It’s what we needed and it’s what we yearned for to make us whole. So, this morning, we bless the angels in our presence, both visible and what our memories can produce, and help each of us to be like them. Help us to change this world as they did, one act of love at a time – one person at a time. O God, hear this prayer as we join together to offer the words that Jesus gave us to share… (Lord’s Prayer)
SCRIPTURE READING:
1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-24 Nancy Gant/Brian Burrows
*HYMN: “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” VU # 48
THANKYOUS and COMMISSIONING (Leader)
May we go out this day blessed by the love of our joyful God who delights in us and in our Advent journey. May we share our joy in this season as a holy gift to God and may your days be blessed by joy so that you may bless those around you…Amen.
FINAL CHORUS: “Hallelujah”
POSTLUDE (Pifa Pastorale Sinfonia Recording)
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Sunday, December 17th, 2023
(Fourth Sunday of Advent --- the Sunday of LOVE)
2 SAMUEL 7: 1-11, 16
LUKE 1: 26-38
LUKE 1:47-55
December 3, 2023
WELCOME TO THE SECOND SUNDAY of ADVENT!
THE SUNDAY OF PEACE
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Continually Seeking Peace
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Heather Mayers
Candle-lighter: Michael Rainey
“I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys." {Charles Dickens}
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or possibly able to.)
PRELUDE
Gathering
OPENING INTROIT: “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” VU # 8
WELCOMING
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
LIGHTING OF THE CANDLE of PEACE:
Leader: As we prepare our hearts for the coming of the Christ-child, we prepare our homes for the arrival of family and friends. We imagine what it will be like to sit and dine and visit with loved ones. We treasure thoughts of home when home is safe and loving.
Michael Rainey: Mary and Joseph had to leave home, just when they needed home the most. Their difficult journey to Bethlehem meant they were alone at a time when they most needed community. Yet God was present to Mary and Joseph in their wandering. They experienced God as protector and sustainer, even as they traveled from their home to the unfamiliarity of Bethlehem for the census.
Leader: We light this candle of Peace for every person who has lost their way from home. We light this candle in acknowledgement that God wants us all to live in safety, to live in peace, and in commitment that we will work to make it so.
Michael Rainey: And so, we light our Hope Candle from last Sunday and this morning, we light the Candle of Peace for a peaceful world.
(Lighting of the candle of Hope and the second candle, the candle of Peace, in the Advent wreath…)
CANDLELIGHTING HYMN: “Hope Is a Star” (Verses 1,2) VU # 7
CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: As we continue our journey to Bethlehem and beyond, we have gathered ourselves together in this place and we have lit our first candle of Hope and now the candle of Peace.
ALL: Long before candles were used as decorations, they served a very practical purpose of providing much needed light. A candle burning would point one in the right direction, guiding one safely home, a place of peace, or keeping a ship from being lost at sea. Candles and the light they provide point the way forward.
Leader: Candles also have great symbolic meaning. From anticipation to thankfulness to peace, candles are often used to relay and symbolize these basic human emotions.
ALL: And we’ve lit this second candle to portray the emotions we have in working towards a world and a community and a household of peace – the peace that comes in the midst of chaos when we allow God to speak to us in new ways.
Leader: O come, O Wisdom from on high and teach us in the ways…
ALL: O come, O come Emmanuel and touch our spirits…
*HYMN: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” (verses 1,2) VU #1
OPENING PRAYER: (Leader)
(I have entitled this opening prayer ‘A Peaceful Quietness”…may you close your eyes for a while and take slow breaths…)
WORDS OF ASSURANCE: (Leader)
When we cannot find kindness within our hearts, we discover it in God’s presence. When we are running short on compassion, Christ has it in full supply. When our generosity is shriveling, the Spirit’s breath springs forth within us. When we turn to God – we become the people God created us to be….thanks be to God.
CHOIR SELECTION: “Creation Will Be at Peace” By: Anna Laura Page
Engaging the Sacred Text
(Reader: Heather Mayers)
OLD TESTAMENT READING:
ISAIAH 40: 1-11 (Comfort, O comfort my people…)
EPISTLE READING:
2 PETER 3: 8-15a (The day will come like a thief in the night…)
PRAYER HYMN for ILLUMINATION: “’Twas in the Moon of Wintertime” VU # 71
GOSPEL READING: MARK 1: 1-8 (Rev. Jope) The preaching of John the Baptizer…
SERMON/MESSAGE:
“There Is Peace in Sharing”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS:
Leader: We make an offering in part because one has been made for us, because we have a God who dreamed us up and put us in motion. We make an offering because God has given us eyes to see and imagination to help us wonder where we could go to do the best in this world. May our offerings give blessings and peace beyond us – to the world…the offering plates will now be brought to you…
Prayer of Dedication: (Rev. Jope)
Sacrament of Holy Communion
Leader: May God be with us as we share in this Holy Meal together.
ALL: God is surely here among us!
Leader: Let us open our hearts to God.
ALL: We open our hearts to God and also to one another.
Leader: Let us give thanks to God.
ALL: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Leader: (Words of welcoming…)
ALL: “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, Power of Life and Love! Heaven and
Earth are full of your glory! Hosanna through the ages!
Blessed is the One who comes to bring justice to earth!”
Let us remember that vision of God’s reign shown to us in
Jesus at table.
Leader: (Words of Institution…)
ALL: (Unison) Come, Holy Spirit, move among us this day. May your energy draw us closer together with our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world to live your peace and your compassion. Come, Holy Spirit, move among us this day. Move among all people of this world with your love and peace! Amen.
COMMUNION ANTHEM: “I Can Rest” Fiona Hayes -- Flute
THIS SUNDAY’S REFLECTION/BLESSING of ADVENT PEOPLE:
(this could be a blessing which you bestow upon others…)
May this Christmas be for each of us, a time of moving – beyond reason to wonder; beyond grasping to letting go, and beyond competition to cooperation, in the power of the Baby of Bethlehem. Let your body be the stable…let your heart be the manger…let your life be like the child’s with the blessing of God upon you as the Spirit goes before you and Jesus lives within you.…hear all of our blessings and our prayers as we join together to offer the words in song that Jesus gave us to share… VU # 959
COMMISSIONING: (unison)
May we go out this day blessed by the love of our joyful God who delights in us and in our Advent journey. May we share our hope in this season as a holy gift to God and may your days be blessed by love so that you may bless those around you… Amen
CLOSING HYMN: “Go, Tell It on the Mountain” VU # 43
BENEDICTION: (Leader)
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you…and may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you…and may the Lord lift his countenance upon you and give you the deepest of peace…go now into the world with a song in your heart…Amen.
POSTLUDE ******************************************************
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Sunday, December 17th, 2023
Third Sunday of Advent --- the Sunday of JOY
Special music from Handel’s Messiah
Scripture readings next week
JOHN 1:6-8, 19-28
ISAIAH 61:1-4, 8-11
LUKE 1:46b-55
1THESSALONIANS 5:16-24
NOVEMBER the 26th, 2023
WELCOME TO OUR FIRST SUNDAY of ADVENT!
THE SUNDAY OF HOPE
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Offering True Hope
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Elizabeth Wegg
Candlelighter: Grace Sweet
Somewhere in the back of our minds is the old adage, “Good things come to those who wait.” Will we trust in this truth? Will we put aside our ‘busyness’ and step back, momentarily, to breathe in the breath of newness?...I hope so…I truly do…
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or possibly able to.)
PRELUDE
Gathering
OPENING INTROIT: “Veni Sancte Spiritus” MV # 75 Holy Spirit, come to us
(This opening processional hymn comes to us from the Taize community in France and is a fitting opening for bringing the presence of the Spirit into our gathering on this first Advent morning. Please feel the flow of the music and we’ll sing it through a few times to ground ourselves and centre ourselves in the Advent Spirit….)
WELCOMING
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
LIGHTING OF THE CANDLE of HOPE:
Rev. Jope: Advent is a time of waiting…of holy expectation for what is to come…it is a time of preparing our hearts and our homes for the HOPE which the Christmas message brings.
Just four weeks from now, we celebrate God revealing what HOPE really is in the person of Jesus.
Grace Sweet: We light this candle in gratitude for God’s divine and perfect love, made visible at Christmas, and our imperfect and sometimes clumsy way of sharing it.
Rev. Jope: We light this candle as a symbol of God’s light shining in the darkness. The Light has come into the world. It shines as brightly now as it did then. The darkness didn’t overcome it then…it never will.
Grace Sweet: And so, we light our first Advent Candle – the Candle of Hope for a hopeful world.
(Lighting of the first blue candle in the Advent wreath…)
OPENING HYMN: “Hope Is a Star” (Verse 1) VU # 7
CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: As we begin our journey once again to Christmas Day, we have gathered ourselves together in this place and we have lit our first candle of Hope in the Advent wreath.
ALL: A wreath is an object that is made circular in shape and often made with branches and has become a beloved part of our Advent and Christmas celebrations.
Leader: In certain periods of history this kind of wreath was used as a crown, such as the Olympic victory crown or the crown of thorns that adorned Jesus’ head. The circular shape symbolizes the totality of God’s love and grace…there is no beginning and no ending…it is a continuous never-ending reality.
ALL: As we’ve experienced this first candle being lit, we are reminded of the beginning and the ending, the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. This is the source of our hope, the reason we are filled with hopeful anticipation on this first Sunday of the church new year.
Leader: O come…O come Emmanuel…and ransom our captive hearts…
ALL: O come, O come Emmanuel and touch our spirits…
HYMN: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” (Verse 1) VU #1
OPENING PRAYER: (Unison)
O God of Hope, enter into these hearts of ours which often loses itself, in self, missing the messages of your encouragement because we are so entangled in the web of our own whirl of life. Enable us to not lose sight of the power of your presence or the truth of your comfort. May we enter into this Advent season with the grace of joy and laughter, and may we fill our faces with smiles of delight and voices which echo the sounds of pleasure. Let this gift come from deep within, given to us from your ever-present love for each of us. O God of Hope, may you be our Morning Star in our midst, the Light that can never go out, and the Beacon of Hope guiding our way to you. Come into our midst and make of our lives, a home…Amen
WORDS OF ASSURANCE: (Leader)
Let us all be mindful that if we focus ourselves on being individuals of hope and spread this hope around, it will be like a warm breeze that develops after a cold spell – it will melt the fears and bring people’s hearts alive and what was once hopeless, now becomes new light and new life.
Engaging the Sacred Text
Reader: Elizabeth Wegg
OLDER TESTAMENT READING: ISAIAH 64:1-9 We are the clay; you are the potter…
EPISTLE PASSAGE: 1 CORINTHIANS 1:3-9 In every way, you have been enriched in Christ
HYMN OF ILLUMINATION: “Beyond the Beauty and the Awe”
MV # 80
GOSPEL PASSAGE: MARK 13:24-37 The Son of Man coming in the clouds... (Rev. Jope)
SERMON/MESSAGE:
“The Word ‘Hope’ Doesn’t Stand Alone”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS:
Leader: May the gifts which we share this morning and possibly have already shared through our different ways of giving be our response to everything which our God has given us…our morning offering will now be taken up as the offering plates are passed around…
Prayer of Dedication: (Rev. Jope)
CHOIR SELECTION: “Come, Spirit, Come” By: Lloyd Larson
PRAYERS OF THE ADVENT PEOPLE:
O Child of Bethlehem, O Light of the World, hear us as we pray…in this season of growing shadows, we pray that your light will shine for the whole world. We pray for light in places of true shadow where there is evil, where there is unfairness, where there is pain or suffering caused by unkindness, malice, or greed. Let the light of justice shine!
We pray for light in places of inner shadow where there is despair or devastating loss or fear or depression. Let the light of gentle hearts and compassion shine!
We pray for light in our own shadowed places when our way is hard to find, when our faith grows dim, when we suffer betrayal or rage. Let the light of peace illumine our path!
O Word made flesh; you came to dwell among us long ago. No matter how dull and lifeless, or how happy and fulfilling our lives may be, there is always a need for a deeper awareness of your hopeful presence. There are signs of your coming, signs of your continued presence, everywhere in our lives. Freshen up our vision so that we can recognize your dwelling within us and among us as we move hurriedly in this busy season of the year. May our lives be filled with love for all those who come our way.
(Taken from “Out of the Ordinary”, by, Joyce Rupp, ave maria press.)
O Child of Bethlehem, Radiant Star, Eternal Sun, Guiding Light, Lighthouse of our souls…hear all of our prayers as we join together in offering the words you gave us to share…
LORD’S PRAYER: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever…Amen.
COMMISSIONING: (unison)
May we go out this day blessed by the love of our joyful God who delights in us and in our Advent journey. May we share our hope in this season as a holy gift to God…Amen
CLOSING HYMN: “Herald! Sound the Note of Gladness” VU # 28
BENEDICTION: (Leader)
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you…and may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you…and may the Lord lift his countenance upon you and give you the deepest of peace…go now into the world with a song in your heart…Amen.
POSTLUDE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2023
(Second Sunday of Advent --- Sunday of PEACE)
ISAIAH 40: 1-11
2 PETER 3: 8-15a
MARK 1: 1-8
NOVEMBER the 19th, 2023
WELCOME TO REIGN of CHRIST SUNDAY!
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Offering Peace
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Nancy Gillean
THEME: “Helping and Being with Those in Need”
May the sweep of this day be steadied by our gestures of presence:
infectious grace, persistent love, outrageous vision;
until iridescence grows within, marking our course with peaceful certainty.
(Keri Wehlander, 600 Blessings & Prayers from Around the World.)
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or are able to.)
PRELUDE
Gathering
OPENING INTROIT: “Come Touch Our Hearts” MV # 12
WELCOMING
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
LIGHTING of the CHRIST CANDLE
Leader: As we light the Christ candle this morning, may we all be mindful that countless people across this planet live in darkness and in fear. We light this to let them know that we truly care and that the light of Christ will never be extinguished as we share our prayers for peace and for justice for all.
OPENING HYMN: “God, Whose Love Is Reigning o’er Us” VU # 399
CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: Welcome…into this place -- your place. Welcome…into this time -- your time. Welcome…to worship -- it’s yours, it’s ours.
ALL: Each of us has been invited or called here to renew our faith once again, to restore our hope, and to prepare the way.
Leader: For your reign on Earth, O Christ, challenge us…encourage us… love us and join us on this day.
ALL: Let us raise the name of the Holy One of the New Israel in this congregation; let us subject all that we honour to the glorious rule of the Spirit of Love.
Leader: Let us praise the God of Ages with the songs of today. Let us enjoy speaking of our Creator and our Sustainer in our homes. Let us radiate Christ’s beauty in the streets of our lives.
ALL: Let us worship with our thankful spirits and let us share in this time with our thankful hearts and with our opening prayer.
OPENING PRAYER: (Unison)
Upon this Reign of Christ Sunday, as Advent approaches, may the Spirit come closer to each of us as we begin to take the journey to the centre, seeking to know the ultimate, to encounter that which is sublime or awe-inspiring. May we all be blessed in the heart of prayer, spirit meeting spirit, always searching, questing, discovering. May the Spirit always be alongside us, especially in those dry times of life, in the experience of thirst, in the longing for refreshing water – spiritual water. May God enliven us as we feel the heat or the coolness of the day as we pause to drink deep, as we draw from spiritual wells. May the Holy One fill each of us as we learn to leave the old self, as we cease to depend on props, as we lay aside those crutches of dependence, as we learn to walk freely, to breathe the air of divine encounter. May God be with us in the joy of remembering, in the purification of forgetting, in the experience of refining. May we journey together to the still centre and be enabled to find true fulfillment and deep inward peace…Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE: (Leader)
As stated in our “Song of Faith” God is holy mystery, beyond complete knowledge, above perfect description…yet…in love, the one eternal God seeks relationship. So, in life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us…we are never alone!
Engaging the Sacred Text
(Reader: Nancy Gillean)
PSALM READING: PSALM 100
(Make a joyful noise all the earth!…)
Nancy: Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come into his presence with singing.
ALL: Know that the LORD is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Nancy: Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name.
ALL: For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
HYMN: “Psalm 100” (Make a Joyful Noise) VU # 820
EPISTLE PASSAGE: EPHESIANS 1:15-23
(May God give you the spirit of wisdom, revelation, and hope…)
GOSPEL PASSAGE: MATTHEW 25:31-46 (Rev. Jope)
(When you helped the least of these, you helped me...)
SERMON/MESSAGE:
“OUR RESPONSE (or not) TO HUMAN NEED”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS:
Leader: May the gifts which we share this morning and possibly have already shared through our different ways of giving be our response to everything which our God has given us…our morning offering is now being brought forward.
Prayer of Dedication: (Rev. Jope)
CHOIR SELECTION: “I Choose Love” By: Mark A. Miller
RESPONSIVE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE: (Fiona Hayes)
(Response: “Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying” VU # 400)
Fiona: Just and Merciful God, we come before you and are knowing that all is not right in the world. We read that innocent people are dying in wars which have little to do with them. We see conflict increasing everywhere we look. Speak to the hearts of those involved in conflict. Help them see a way out of this mess.
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Lord, send your Spirit in this place;
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Send us love, send us power, send us grace!
Fiona: We see signs that our climate is changing, changes that none of us are ready for. We pray for those affected, the people who see rising waters, severe storms, fires and drought. Help us as we try to adjust our lifestyles, recognizing that what we do matters. Help our leaders find the courage to lead, so we can all adapt for what is to come.
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Lord, send your Spirit in this place;
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Send us love, send us power, send us grace!
Fiona: We pray for our community, our families, friends and neighbours, including our Tsuut’ina neighbours who we visited this week. Let’s take a few moments in silence, to pray for those we know and those we don’t know who are having a difficult time.
(A silent moment of prayer….)
Everlasting, ever-present God, we know you are with us in light and darkness, throughout the day and throughout the night, help those who need you to know your presence, your strength and your steadfast love.
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Lord, send your Spirit in this place;
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Send us love, send us power, send us grace!
LORD’S PRAYER: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever…Amen.
COMMISSIONING: (unison)
As we leave this time of worship today, may we remember that Christ’s reign of justice and of compassion is always carried out in the world in us and through our human love. May we continue to be people of peace and of justice, today and always. Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “We Shall Go Out with Hope of Resurrection” VU # 586
BENEDICTION: (Leader)
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you…and may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you…and may the Lord lift his countenance upon you and give you the deepest of peace…go now into the world with a song in your heart…Amen.
POSTLUDE
November 12th, 2023
WELCOME TO SUNDAY WORSHIP
Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Worship Leader: Rev. Clint Mooney
PRELUDE
WELCOMING
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
LIGHTING OF THE CHRIST CANDLE
CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Joy to the world; the Lord is come!
ALL: Let earth receive. Let hearts prepare.
Let heaven and nature sing!
May the nations prove the glories of God’s righteousness
and the wonders of God’s love.
May sin and sorrow cease
and blessings of God’s grace and truth flow endlessly.
Amen
OPENING PRAYER:
All: Holy God, you call us together to reflect on your Word and
to reflect on our life in the world.
Be with us now while we are together
that your Spirit may invade and transform our hearts.
We draw on your strength. We rely on your grace.
We call on your wisdom & love to bless us. Amen
*OPENING HYMN “Bless Now, O God, the Journey” VU # 633
PRAYER (in unison) (Silent Prayer)
Have mercy upon us. Have mercy upon our efforts, that we before thee in love and in faith, righteousness and humility, may follow Thee, with self-denial, steadfastness and courage,
And meet Thee in the silence. Give us a pure heart that we may see Thee, a humble heart that we may hear Thee, a heart of love that we may serve Thee, a heart of faith that we may live Thee.
Thou whom I do not know but whose I am.
Thou whom I do not comprehend but who has dedicated me to my fate.
Thou - (prayer of Dag Hammarskjold, July 19, 1961)
Scripture Readings Reader: Peggy Jackson
Joshua 24: 1-5, 14-15, 24-27
Matthew 25: 1-13
*HYMN “Let There Be Light ” VU # 679
Scripture: Hebrews 11: 1-3, 8-10 (Rev. Clint Mooney)
THE WORD WITNESSED: “Faith Is…” (in a time of anxiety)
*HYMN: “Come and Find the Quiet Centre” VU # 374
PRESENTATION OF OFFERINGS:
The New Creed VU pg. 918
CHOIR SELECTION
“We Will Be a Shelter for Each Other” Music by: Allen Pote
PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING (UNISON)
There are four last (and lasting) things I want to say to you, God, and to my nearest companions/partner in life, my confession, if you will:
Thank you. Thank you for it all, for life with me, for love, for understandings and misunderstandings, for hopes and awarenesses, for all that has happened.
And forgive me. I have been wrong, I have not listened, I have not noticed. I have been insensitive. By times I have been all of these. By times I have not been this way. Please think well of me.
And I forgive you. God and partner, in the moments of pausing, I will only think well of you. I am glad you are and have been, with me
And I love you. As much as I understand – and what I don’t, but try to – has linked me with you, and made be better for it, has brought something into me and out of me that is worthy .
Amen
THE LORD’S PRAYER
*HYMN: “For the Healing of the Nations” VU # 678
COMMISSIONING AND BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE
NOVEMBER the 5th, 2023
WELCOME TO REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY!
(Pentecost 23)
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Remembering
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Elizabeth Wegg
Guest Soloist: Adam Brousseau
Guest Trumpeter: Thomas Joiner
Our Special Guests: The Lakeview 85th Scouting Group
THEME: “The Struggles We Face Today”
"I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all (hu)mankind." (John Diefenbaker)
PRELUDE
*PROCESSIONAL
*PRESENTATION of COLOURS
*LAYING of the WREATHS
*LAST POST (Thomas Joiner)
*MINUTE OF SILENCE
*REVEILLE (Thomas Joiner)
IN FLANDERS FIELDS (Words shared by our Scouting Group)
THE SOLDIERS CRY/WORDS of REMEMBRANCE
Leader: They shall grow not old, as we who are left grow old…age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.
ALL: We will remember them.
*O CANADA
WELCOMING
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or are able to.)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
LIGHTING of the CHRIST CANDLE
Leader: We light this Christ Candle with the hopes that peace may prevail in all parts of the world…one day. Christ has taught us that there is nothing stronger than love so may each of us open our hearts and our minds to that teaching and change our sometimes world of hatred to a place of peace and of love for each other. We light the candle….
INTROIT CHOIR SELECTION: “Danny Boy” Arr: Bob Chilcott
Soloist: Adam Brousseau
CALL to WORSHIP: (Hymn verses found in VU # 278)
Leader: We have been called to service and to witness. In days gone by, our forebears answered the call to serve our nation and the global community. You, O God, call us to be your people, both in times of peace and in times of struggle.
ALL: You call us to help those in need. You call us to defend your values and extend a helping hand. You walk with us in our choices. As survivors and descendants of those who serve, we give thanks.
(Sing: “In the Quiet Curve of Evening” Verse #1 VU # 278)
Leader: Jesus came to bring peace in his nation oppressed by the Roman thugs. He saw the best and the worst of humanity yet served his God with stoic resolve.
ALL: As followers of Christ, we bear witness to bullies. In the past, the present, and in the future, we help nations in need of our skills, our resources, and our selfless compassion. Praise be the one who calls us to duty.
(Sing: “In the Quiet Curve of Evening” Verse #2 VU # 278)
Leader: Holy wisdom, you inspire us to remember and live with our memories both of combat and of peace. We know others want to fight for power. If ever called to stand in harm’s way, we will, as a last resort, to protect our brothers and sisters of this world.
ALL: We thank our fathers, mothers, aunts, uncles, sons, and daughters who did and continue to help in times of peace and in times of combat
(Sing: “In the Quiet Curve of Evening” Verse #3 VU # 278)
OPENING PRAYER: (Unison)
The chilly winds of fall and the sometimes feeling of winter now blows where poppies once bloomed. Silence has replaced the din on many battlefields. Empty places at the table will never be refilled, but your love, O God, warms that which has grown cold, fills lonely silences with a Word of Love, and restores the circle which was broken. On days such as these, in our safe homes and with our happy families, we sometimes forget that our Dads and Moms, our Grandpas and Grandmas, and even some of us, lived in times of war. On nice nights, when we’re safe in our little houses, in safe prairie towns, in safe cities, we forget that little boys and little girls live in places where bombs fall like snow does here, and many live in times of war. There are many days when we forget the price of war. There are many days when we forget to be thankful for those who fought for us so we can live in peace. Forgive our forgetting and help us to live so war comes no more…Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE: (Leader)
A TIME for ALL AGES: “My memories of School – Remembrance Day, 1959”
*HYMN: “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace” VU # 684
Engaging the Sacred Text
(Reader: Elizabeth Wegg)
OLD TESTAMENT READING:
JOSHUA 3:7-17 (Joshua leads the people Across the Jordan River…)
SOLO: “Deep River” Adam Brosseau (soloist) Arr: Mark Hayes
EPISTLE PASSAGE:
1 THESSALONIANS 2:9-13 (Lead a life worthy of God…)
GOSPEL PASSAGE:
MATTHEW 23:1-12 (Rev. Jope) (The greatest one will be the servant...)
SERMON/MESSAGE:
“Wearing the Uniform of Peace” or “How Does One Connect God with the Subject of War & Destruction?”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS:
Leader: What a privilege we have in sharing God’s mission, to adapt and be responsive to the needs around us. As we’ve offered our financial gifts this morning or this month, whether they are on the offering plate or through PAR or monthly givings, we have supported the ministry and service of this community of faith for today and for many, many years. To God be the glory…let us pray:
Prayer of Dedication: (Rev. Jope)
CHOIR SELECTION: “Upon This Rock” By: Pepper Chopin
PRAYERS of the PEOPLE (Rev. Jope)
LORD’S PRAYER: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever…Amen.
COMMISSIONING: (unison)
God’s way is a welcome, of peace, or reconciliation, of unity. Let us walk in God’s way. Go with the blessings of God: Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer…Amen.
CLOSING CHOIR HYMN: “Go Now in Peace” By: Don Besig
BENEDICTION: (Leader)
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you…and may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you…and may the Lord lift his countenance upon you and give you the deepest of peace…go now into the world with a song in your heart…Amen.
POSTLUDE
Deepest thanks to all the Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Ventures, their Leaders and their Parents and Families for participating in today’s special Remembrance Sunday Service. You are all truly blessings!!!
Also, special thanks go out to Adam Brosseau and to Thomas Joiner for their most wonderful gifts of music and of course your very talented Lakeview United Church Choir under the awesome direction of Cody Obst!!!
October 29, 2023
Sunday (Pentecost 22)
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Being Mindful of Loving God and Loving Neighbour.
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus Reader: Beth Elliot
PRELUDE
“When you’re working on the big picture, don’t worry about spilling some paint…
and... the purpose of life is to live a life of purpose.”
WELCOMING
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or are able to.)
Gathering
CHORAL INTROIT: “Matthew 5 (Blest Are They)” VU # 896
The choir will sing the five verses and the congregation
will join in with the chorus:
CHORUS: Rejoice and be glad!...Blessed are you, holy are you!
Rejoice and be glad!...Yours is the kingdom of God.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
LIGHTING of the CANDLE of CHRIST
Leader: With thankful hearts, we all gather here where the doors are
wide open to everyone. We come with open hearts and with open minds
and are thankful that we are children of the light od Christ…with this, we
light the Christ-candle and may this light from the candle be our peace…
*OPENING HYMN: “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” VU # 651
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: It is in this place and in this time together where God
meets us once again – our God who is ever present, ever loving,
and ever visible.
ALL: We are invited to feel the welcome we seek; a
welcome only our God offers to us. What we seek we
receive today. What we do, we do in love for all.
Leader: When we don’t know where we are going, God will
direct us in the ways which are needed so that our destination
may be realized.
ALL: When we don’t know the words to say, God will
whisper in our ears and help us to verbalize what needs
to be said.
Leader: When we don’t know what’s going to happen next, God
will send us words and memories from our saints, our sisters and
brothers, to strengthen us on our way.
ALL: Through their stories, their lives, their loves, your
Holy Spirit teaches us to dance and cry out “Alleluia!”
Leader: May we now enter ourselves into worship with our
thankful spirits and open our hearts to prayer…
OPENING PRAYER: (Unison)
O Creator God, who loves beyond our wisdom and our knowing,
settle humankind into loving ourselves, to finding our true
selves…and…to love life enough to passionately desire peace.
We acknowledge, O Creator God, that peace requires us to open
our souls to the work of creating it, first within, then in action.
Upon this Sunday, may our prayers be for peace for ourselves,
for me, and for you. Peace for all relatives and friends. Peace for
all we have troubles with. Peace for enemies. Peace for those
we love, and those who love us. Peace for the peoples of Earth.
Peace for the creatures of water, of sky, and Earth. Peace for
the planets and galaxies. Peace in the black holes of space.
Peace in the whole universe, and beyond. Peace for what is
unknown and undiscovered. Creator God of the universe and of
the known and unknown, hear our passion for peace…Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE: (Leader)
Engaging the Sacred Text
(Reader: Beth Elliot)
OLD TESTAMENT READING:
DEUTERONOMY 34:1-12 (Moses dies and is buried in Moab…)
EPISTLE PASSAGE:
1 THESSALONIANS 2:1-8 (We care for you like a nurse tenderly cares for her own children…)
HYMN of ILLUMINATION: “Walk with Me” VU # 649
GOSPEL PASSAGE:
MATTHEW 22:34-46 (Rev. Jope) (Love God: love your neighbour as yourself...)
SERMON / MESSAGE:
“Which Law is the Greatest for You?”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS:
Leader: What a privilege we have in sharing God’s mission, to adapt
and be responsive to the needs around us. As we’ve offered our financial
gifts this morning or this month, whether they are in the offering plate or
through PAR or monthly givings, we have supported the ministry and
service of this community of faith for today and for many, many years.
To God be the glory…let us pray:
Prayer of Dedication: (Rev. Jope)
CHOIR SELECTION: “I Lift Up My Eyes” By: Allen pote
CLOSING PRAYER: (Unison)
God of all living, we have seen your presence in the rhythm and
surprises of our years. You have accompanied us through all
that is past…so we thank you in this time of prayer. We
recognize your closeness in this day, especially during this time
of worship as we centre ourselves in your aura. You challenge
and encourage us in each act and decision…so we praise you as
we come to the realization that we are truly loved. Now we look
for you in the promises which stretch before us. You meet us
with hope and call us to freedom to live as your new people. As
Joshua had led his people across the river Jordan, may each of
us also know that there is a fear of newness – a fear of the
unknown. So, we trust you and commit ourselves again, to live
as your people and to live as risen Christians. And with this
being Reformation Sunday or November the 1 st , may we be
mindful of our ancestors.
We are surrounded by many spectators.
Patriarchs, matriarchs, prophets, disciples, martyrs, saints.
We thank you for their example and praise you for their lives of
faith, their faithful lives of following, obeying, and adoring you.
We are surrounded by many spectators.
Loved ones now residing with you, who guided us, nurtured us,
cared for us. They worked, lived, and died so we could be the
believers we are today. For all the saints, who believed that you
are the great one, accept our thanks.
We are surrounded by many spectators.
Members and fellow believers in this world, our friends who
help, guide, and uplift us; all are saints of your redeeming. We
bless and pray that we may live and die as holy in our lives.
We are surrounded by many spectators.
So let is look to Christ, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.
May we do unto others, in love, as we would have them do unto
us. (Taken somewhat from: Gathering, Pentecost 2, 2019 – Doris Van Den Eeckhout, Richmond U.C., Aylmer, Ont.)
Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy
name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in
heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And
lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: for thine is
the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever…Amen.
COMMISSIONING: (unison)
*Commissioning (unison): Refreshed by worship and the Spirit,
we go out into this week knowing ourselves to be your beloved
and recommitting ourselves to the promises of our baptism.
Holy father and mother of us all, remember especially your
children who are suffering; give hope to those who may see no
way out; give peace to those who cannot settle; and give
courage to those who can manage only one step at a time. Let
those who find life easier be humble in their good fortune and
give thanks in outpourings of generosity and caring…Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “When Hands Reach Out Beyond Divides” MV # 169
BENEDICTION: (Leader)
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you…and may the Lord make
his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you…and may the Lord
lift his countenance upon you and give you the deepest of peace…go
now into the world with a song in your heart…Amen.
POSTLUDE
********************************
November 5, 2023 – (Remembrance Sunday) – Pentecost 23
JOSHUA 3:7-17; 1 THESSALONIANS 2:9-13; MATTHEW 23:1-12
October 22, 2023
PEACE SUNDAY
Prelude
Welcome
Gathering
Announcements
Land Acknowledgement
Prayer of Gratitude
Hymn: Come and Find the Quiet Centre VU 374
Lighting of the Candle of Christ
We light the Light of Christ, a beacon of hope in a troubled world
Approach
Opening Prayer (based on Psalm 99)
Holy Mystery,
Strong and Mighty
Greater than all of humankind,
We tremble next to Your awesome power.
Your love and strength are beyond our understanding.
Lover of Justice,
You set the standard for us
of what is right and good.
Holy One,
When the prophets called on You,
You answered them.
We call on You now.
We open our hearts to You.
Responsive Prayer of Confession
Come, let us confess that we have not lived up to God’s plan for us.
Merciful God,
We admit that we have turned away from you, and have done things we are not proud of. You know our sins and weaknesses:
-the times we have failed to be kind or generous
-the times we have held on to wrongs which others have done to us
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer
You know how hard it is to listen to the news these days. There is so much need for restoration and healing in our world, where every day we are hearing of new outrages against innocent people.
Forgive us when we get overwhelmed. Forgive us when we get distracted or amuse ourselves, turning away instead of praying or doing what you call us to do.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer
Declaration of Grace
By Ed Searcy , holyscribblerblogspot.com
Friends,
the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is,
at once ,liberating and terrifying.
To our great surprise,
when we dare to tell the truth
about the power of Sin in the world -
to humbly name our part in the trouble,
to honestly speak of our complicity in the hurt,
to boldly confess our propensity
to blame and to shame -
we discover that the God we meet in Jesus Christ
is waiting there - waiting here -
our Risen Companion
on the long path to reconciliation,
our Loving Shepherd
on the journey to life,
our Trusted Guide
on the holy pilgrimage to healing.
Hymn: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty VU 315
Readings from Sacred Text
Old Testament:
Exodus 33: 12-23 (Moses speaks to God face to face; show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favour in your sight.)
Epistle:
1 Thessalonians 1: 1-10 (We give thanks for you)
New Testament:
Matthew 22: 15-22 (from The Dramatized Bible Give God the things that are God’s)
Message: “We know what belongs to the taxman, but what about things that belong to God?”
Responding
Hymn: Take Time to Be Holy VU 672
Offertory
Blessing of our Gifts
Generous Creator, take these gifts, a small part of your many gifts to us, and use them in your service. Amen
Prayers for Peace (with response)
We pray for peace in our troubled world. We pray for civilians who are facing bombardment, threats and danger, in Ukraine, in Israel, in Palestine, and other war zones around the world. Be with those under fire, and those fleeing to safety. Almighty God, give them strength and courage in these difficult times.
We pray for those who have faced natural disasters: earthquakes, floods, fires and storms, including in Turkey, in Libya and here in Canada. So many have lost homes and loved ones, and there is so much to rebuild. Be with first responders, leaders, community members, those grieving and without homes. Almighty God, give them strength and courage in these difficult times.
Closer to home, we pray for people who are struggling with housing, with finances, with health issues, with difficult relationships. We take a minute silently for family, friends and others in need of our prayers.
Almighty God, give them strength and courage in difficult times.
Jesus, you said Blessed be the Peacemakers, working to reconcile people to each other. They do such important yet thankless work, often in secret. We ask your blessing on all peacemakers now. Almighty God, give them strength and courage in difficult times.
Hymn: Let there be Peace on Earth (by Jill Miller words altered)
Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on earth
The peace that was meant to be.
With God our creator
God’s children all we are.
Let us walk with others
In perfect harmony.
Let peace begin with me,
Let this be the moment now.
With ev'ry step I take
Let this be my solemn vow:
To take each moment and live
Each moment in peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.
Lord’s Prayer
Commissioning
May Jesus Christ, who restores us and all life in our planet, fill us with his presence to share in the restoration of our world. Go in peace, serve others, and care for one another on this planet called Earth. Amen (Adapted from Doris Van Dem Eekhout, Gathering, Pentecost 2 2020)
Hymn: Sent Out in Jesus’ Name MV 212
Blessing
Choir “Old Irish Blessing” Denes Agay
Postlude
OCTOBER the 15th, 2023
WELCOME TO YOUR SUNDAY WORSHIP!
World Food Sunday (Pentecost 20)
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Being Mindful in our Sharing.
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Henry Klassen
PRELUDE
“God is a circle…whose centre is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere.”
(Empedocles)
WELCOMING
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or are able to.)
Gathering
OPENING INTROIT: “In You There Is a Refuge” MV # 84
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
LIGHTING of the CANDLE of CHRIST
Leader: As most of us know, we live in a world where turmoil surrounds us in so many ways. It is truly very difficult to find peace in the world or in our hearts. In this anxious time may we turn to the light of Christ to ground each of us, to guide us, and to comfort us…may this light from the candle be our peace…
*OPENING HYMN: “This Is the Day” MV # 122
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: We are invited to feel the welcome we seek, a welcome only our God offers to us.
ALL: What we seek we receive today. What we do, we do in love for all.
Leader: In wisdom, God has created us to live in families, where we thrive on one another’s love.
ALL: Without the bond of family love, we are incomplete, and do not experience the joy of wholeness.
Leader: We rejoice in that wholeness, only when we give ourselves total commitment to the rest of the family – church family included.
ALL: May our commitment be as such that life and death, joy and sorrow, faith and love, may be a mutual sharing within our families.
Leader: May God fill us this morning with the wonderful Spirit which makes love a reality and makes our souls at ease.
ALL: Let us worship with our thankful spirits and let us share in these words of our prayer to the Holy One:
OPENING PRAYER: (Unison)
O God of all seasons, O God of all beauty…we turn to you as the source of all glory – of all beauty – and of all power. We have come together in worship for many reasons, but now we realize that you are the real reason, the One behind our comings and our goings, the One who bestows life-giving waters at the baptismal font and the One who encircles each of us with inward peace. You are the One who pulls and draws us, who has ordained before we were born that we should worship you this day. Prepare our hearts for hearing your word of confrontation and comfort, for approaching you in prayer and submission, for reaching out to one another in love and forgiveness, and for going out to serve those who dwell in hunger and poverty in the world beyond. Draw us now inward and downward toward the centre of ourselves, where we may know ourselves and meet your transforming Spirit…Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE: (Leader)
Engaging the Sacred Text
(Reader: Henry Klassen)
OLD TESTAMENT READING:
EXODUS 32:1-14 (Worshipping the golden calf…)
EPISTLE PASSAGE:
PHILIPPIANS 4:1-9 (Rejoice in God always; again, I say rejoice…)
A WEDDING BANQUET SONG: (Jope verses – Chorus, everyone)
“The Wedding Banquet” Sister Miriam Therese Winter
(Chorus)
“I cannot come to the banquet, don’t trouble me now.
I have married a wife. I have bought me a cow.
I have fields and commitments that cost a pretty sum.
Pray, hold me excused, I cannot come.”
GOSPEL PASSAGE: MATTHEW 22:1-14 (Rev. Jope)
(Violence at the wedding banquet...)
SERMON / MESSAGE:
“Preparing for the Feast”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS:
Leader: What a privilege we have in sharing God’s mission, to adapt and be responsive to the needs around us. As we’ve offered our financial gifts this morning or this month, whether they are in the offering plate or through PAR or monthly givings, we support the ministry and service of this community of faith for many, many years. To God be the glory…let us pray: Prayer of Dedication: (Rev. Jope)
CHOIR SELECTION: “Creation of Peace” By: Mark Miller
SUNDAY’S REFLECTIVE PRAYER: (Unison)
O God, whose grace is known to us in the beauty of this autumn morning, when the mists from the Glenmore Reservoir drift across the landscape and the leaves of the poplars, of the willow, of the elm, that were just recently painted by countless brushes of colour have blanketed the earth, we thank you and for the other countless evidence of your grace as well:
v for the smell of coffee perking in the kitchen.
v for the taste of fresh milk.
v for the smiles of children and the sounds of scampering feet.
v for the voices of loved ones and embraces of friends, at least in thought.
v for the beauty of church buildings and the singing of hymns when possible.
v for the feel of a Bible richly bound in leather.
v for the words on its pages, springing to life in the
imagination.
v for the font and the table, the twin pillars of our
worship in this sanctuary.
v and for all the saints, living and passed away, who congregate around us at this moment to praise you for your holiness and your love.
We give thanks, O God, for all your gifts and ask you to hear our prayers for those in pain or need. Incline our hearts to you and let us walk in your way. Teach us to live together in love so that we may not perish separately in hate. And let your holy will settle upon our entire world as the blue-sky bends upon the earth from shore to shore and pole to pole.
(Prayers of the People…. Rev. Jope)
Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever…Amen.
COMMISSIONING: (unison)
And the blessing of God, whose love for us is generous beyond the telling of it but not beyond the knowing; the blessing of Jesus, whose stories lead us on good pathways; and the blessing of the Spirit, who moves within us and around us to turn the world upside down, go with us as we leave this place of worship. Blessings galore be with you. Thanks be to God!
(Bob Root, Peterborough, Ont., Gathering Magazine, Pentecost 2, 2023, Year A, pg. 39)
CLOSING HYMN: “Seek Ye First the Kingdom” VU # 356
BENEDICTION: (Leader)
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you…and may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you…and may the Lord lift his countenance upon you and give you the deepest of peace…go now into the world with a song in your heart…Amen.
POSTLUDE
*******************************
SCRIPTURE READINGS
October 22nd, 2023 – (Peace Sunday) – Pentecost 21
Worship Leader: Fiona Hayes
EXODUS 33:12-23
(God speaks to Moses in person as a friend…)
1 THESSALONIANS 1:1-10
(We always give thanks to God for you…)
MATTHEW 22:15:22
(Give to God the things that are God’s…)
October 1, 2023
WORLD COMMUNION SUNDAY
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Being Together.
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Don Branter
PRELUDE
“While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions.” (Stephen R. Covey)
WELCOMING
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or are able to.)
Gathering
OPENING INTROIT: “As We Gather at Your Table” VU # 457
ANNOUNCEMENTS & INTRODUCTIONS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
LIGHTING of the CANDLE of CHRIST
Leader: As we prepare to light our Christ Candle, may we be ever mindful of the light of Christ which dwells in each of our hearts, and, in our personal lives as well. May the light from the candle peel away the possible gloom in our lives and expose us to the love of Christ, so we also may shine today and always…and in lighting the Candle of Christ, we also light our Affirming Candle to remind us of our Affirmation Service which took place on June the 3rd of 2018 – over 5 years ago, and our commitment to being an open and loving community of faith…
*OPENING HYMN: “Let All Things Now Living” VU # 242
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: We come, once again, into the presence of each other and into the presence of that which is holy.
ALL: It is with a renewed purpose and renewed energies where we journey once again together and seek the ways of peace and of joyfulness.
Leader: Let us praise the God of Ages with the songs of today, with the prayers which speak from the hearts, with the thoughts which are loving and nurturing.
ALL: Let us embark on a journey which has many twists and turns yet has the purpose of making a difference: the purpose of which God has called each of us to.
Leader: In the midst of fear and uncertainty that dries up our spirits, the search is on for God’s living waters.
ALL: God surprises us with new opportunities. We live with renewed hope. We are refreshed by the waters of new life that are promised for each one of us. Let us worship and let us share in these words of our prayer to the Holy One and may the ringing of the Prayer Bell bring us into conversation with the Holy Spirit:
OPENING PRAYER: (Unison)
Today, we share in a simple and sacred meal which has been shared in Sydney, Australia; in Tokyo, Japan; Manila, Philippines; Beijing, China; in Mumbai, India; in Kandahar, Afghanistan; Kiev, Ukraine; Rome, Italy; Oslo, Norway; Pretoria, South Africa; Accra, Ghana; Dublin, Ireland; Lisbon, Portugal; Brasilia, Brazil; Port au Prince, Haiti; Washington, USA; and in Ottawa, St. John’s, Regina, Vancouver, and here in Calgary and other communities across this country. In a few hours, they will be celebrating this simple and sacred meal on the Hawaiian Islands as World Communion Sunday draws to a close. May your presence, O God of grain, of corn, of unleavened bread, be felt among all of us as we seek world unity…Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE:
Let us be mindful in the knowing that in God, we know this truth, that as we find healing, wholeness, strength and courage that everything which we may need to be God’s faithful people is present. Let us have the courage to open ourselves to the love that is life itself, the love which forgives and heals each of us…thanks be to God…Amen.
Engaging the Sacred Text
OLD TESTAMENT READING:
EXODUS 17:1-17 (Don Branter) Water flows from the rock for thirsty people…
EPISTLE PASSAGE:
PHILIPPIANS 2:1-13 (Don Branter) Let the same mind be in you that was in Jesus…
HYMN of ILLUMINATION:
“Spirit God, Be Our Breath” MV # 150 (Embracing Change)
GOSPEL PASSAGE:
MATTHEW 21:23-32 (Rev. Jope) By what authority does Jesus act and teach?...
SERMON / MESSAGE:
“How Do We Answer the Call?”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS:
(Invitation – Leader) We offer ourselves and our gifts to the Spirit of Life in the knowing that everything we have is a gift from this Spirit. We give in response to God’s generosity, as a sign of our commitment to serve Christ with our whole lives. The offering will now be received…
OFFERTORY PRAYER: (Unison)
ALL: Gracious God, we bring our gifts this morning, and also in many other ways and days, amazed and gratified that they are considered worthy of your use. Bless these gifts, O God, and bless us in the giving…Amen.
CHOIR SELECTION: “For the Beauty of the Earth” By John Rutter
Sacrament of Holy Communion
Leader: May God be with us as we share in this Holy Meal together.
ALL: God is surely here among us!
Leader: Let us open our hearts to God.
ALL: We open our hearts to God and also to one another.
Leader: Let us give thanks to God.
ALL: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Leader: (Words of welcoming…)
ALL: “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, Power of Life and Love! Heaven and
Earth are full of your glory! Hosanna through the ages!
Blessed is the One who comes to bring justice to earth!”
Let us remember that vision of God’s reign shown to us in
Jesus at table.
Leader: (Words of Institution…)
ALL: (Unison) Come, Holy Spirit, move among us this day. May your energy draw us closer together with our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world to live your peace and your compassion. Come, Holy Spirit, move among us this day. Move among all people of this world with your love and peace! Amen.
SUNDAY’S WORLDWIDE COMMUNION REFLECTION:
Leader: As each of us are called to be healers, we celebrate that as the body of Christ, we come together to not only praise God but to also experience healing of minds, hearts, and spirits. We have lit the Christ candle earlier this morning and it is a sign of the light and love of Christ. Let us join now in celebration and in prayer as we ask our God for healing blessings:
ALL: You said, O Christ, that you are the Bread of Life, that you are the life-sustaining presence that binds us as one, that your Spirit lives within us, guiding and knowing us with the intimacy of yeast, that we rise because you rise. Knead us as dough under your shaping hands so that justice may always flourish. Punch out our air pockets of resistance that we may bake in self-giving. Show us how to rise up and fulfill your call into mending your creation, that in Jesus’ name the world may be transformed. Sand we give thanks, O God, for the oneness with you and offer to you the words which Jesus taught us to offer:
THE LORD’S PRAYER
COMMISSIONING: (unison)
Worship time is concluded, and we go now to resume our daily activities. We have feasted and our spirits are well nourished. Let us take up the challenge of radical loving, courageous justice seeking, and compassionate nurturing.
May the grace of God sustain us.
May the example of Jesus guide us.
May the daring of the Holy Spirit encourage us, today, tomorrow, and in all the days ahead…Amen.
(Laura J. Turnbull, Penticton, B.C., Gathering Magazine, Pentecost 2, pg. 43)
CLOSING HYMN: “Sent Forth by God’s Blessing” VU # 481
BENEDICTION: (Leader)
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you…and may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you…and may the Lord lift his countenance upon you and give you the deepest of peace…go now into the world with a song in your heart…Amen.
POSTLUDE
September 24, 2023
Welcome to Your Time of Worship!!
Pentecost # 17
A Service of Prayer, of Song, of Listening, and of Blessing.
The quote for today
“We need to let go of the ‘to do’ list and enter the ‘to be’ place. What becomes the first thing we lose when we become too busy? Quite often it’s our connection to that which is holy. What might be helpful to use as words is ‘The Holy One is abundance for me…may I be released into imagination’.”
Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney, Rev. Kelley Warner
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Council Chairperson: Bob Gibennus
This Sunday’s Reader: Gwen Jamieson
TODAY’S THEME: “Wisdom”
Gathering
*Indicates please rise as you are able.
Prelude
Welcoming and Announcements
Land Acknowledgement (Rev. Jope)
Lighting the Candle of Christ
Introit: “Take My Life and Let It Be” VU # 506
Call to Worship:
Leader: We come into this place this morning with praise and with a deep thanksgiving. Our hearts are open to receive, and our hands are open to welcome.
ALL: Each of us is a part of the whole. We are connected to each other in many ways, and it is through this connection that we, together, walk the way of peace.
Leader: Our God entrusts the future to us, and calls all of us to be faithful and generous people.
ALL: We hear God’s call, and we accept God’s gracious invitation. Each of us says “yes” to the calling God.
Leader: We commit our lives and our hearts to our God of steadfast love. We commit ourselves to building just societies and tearing down walls of divisiveness.
ALL: We offer all of who we are, and all of what we have for God’s purpose. We now open ourselves to you in prayer:
Opening Prayer: (Unison)
ALL: O extravagant God, in this ripening, red-tinged end of summer and the beginning of autumn, waken in each of us a sense of joy in just being alive:
Joy for nothing in general except everything in particular.
Joy in sun and rain mating with earth to birth a harvest.
Joy in soft light through shyly disrobing trees.
Joy in the acolyte moon setting halos around processing clouds.
Joy in the beating of a thousand wings mysteriously knowing which way is warm.
Joy in wagging tails and kid’s smiles and in this spunky
little community of faith we call our own.
Joy in the taste of bread and wine, the smell of dawn, a touch, a song, a presence.
Joy in having what we cannot live without – other people
to hold and cry and laugh with.
Joy in love….in you;
and that all at first and last is grace…..Amen.
(“Waken In Me a Sense of Joy” – Guerrillas of Grace – Prayers for the Battle--- Ted Loder)
*Opening Hymn: “Praise My Soul, the God of Heaven” VU #240
THE NEW CREED
ALL: We are not alone; we live in God’s world. We believe in God: who has created and is creating, who has come in Jesus, the Word made flesh, to reconcile and make new, and who works in us and others by the Spirit. We trust in God. We are called to be the Church: to celebrate God’s presence, to live with respect in Creation, to love and serve others, to seek justice and resist evil, to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, our judge and our hope. In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God.
Engaging
(Reader: Gwen Jamieson)
Old Testament Passage: EXODUS 16:2-15
Bread and quails to feed the people….
Epistle Passage:
PHILIPPIANS 1:21-30 For me, to live, is Christ…
Hymn of Illumination:
“I Saw the Rich Ones” MV # 127 (Work for a World)
Gospel Passage:
MATTHEW 20:1-16 (Rev. Jope) Daily wages for the labourers; what’s fair?...
Message: “The Hello’s & Goodbye’s of Our Lives”
*Hymn: “Long Ago and Far Away” (Fill the Cup) MV # 195
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS:
Leader: What a privilege we have in sharing God’s mission, to adapt and be responsive to the needs around us. As we’ve offered our financial gifts this morning or this month, whether they are on the offering plate or through PAR or monthly giving’s, we support the ministry and service of this community of faith for many, many years. To God be the glory and I offer a prayer of blessing upon the gifts:
Prayer of Dedication (Rev. Jope)
Choir Selection:
Sunday’s Reflective Prayer: (Unison)
O Creator God, who loves beyond our wisdom and our knowing, settle humankind into loving our- selves, to finding our true selves….and…to love life enough to passionately desire peace. We acknowledge, O Creator God, that peace requires us to open our souls to the work of creating it, first within, then in action. Upon Sunday where wars and rumours of wars surround all of us, may our prayers be for peace for ourselves, for me, and for you. Peace for all relatives and friends. Peace for all we have troubles with. Peace for enemies. Peace for those we love, and those who love us. Peace for the peoples of Earth. Peace for the creatures of water, of sky, and Earth. Peace for the planets and galaxies. Peace in the black holes of space. Peace in the whole universe, and beyond. Peace for what is unknown and undiscovered. Creator God of the universe and of the known and unknown, hear our passion for peace…Amen.
We gather all these prayers together in the name of Jesus, the cornerstone, the one who breathed new life into many while living upon this earth and now breathes life into each of us through his Spirit and has taught us these words to share together:
(Lord’s Prayer)
“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen
Commissioning (unison)
We go from here renewed and refreshed, eager to be God’s presence in the world now and always…Go with God…Go with blessings…Go with love…and go with an attitude of gratitude… Amen.
*Closing Hymn: “God Be with You till We Meet Again” VU # 422
Benediction
Postlude
September 17, 2023
BAPTISMAL SUNDAY
Pentecost # 16
A Service of Prayer, of Song, of Listening, and of Blessing.
The quote for today (and it comes from Jesus):
…”Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs…And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them…” (Mark 10: 14b and 16)
Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney, Rev. Kelley Warner
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Council Chairperson: Bob Gibennus
This Sunday’s Reader: Nancy Gillean
Gathering
*Indicates please rise as you are able.
Prelude
Welcoming and Announcements
Land Acknowledgement (Rev. Jope)
Lighting the Candle of Christ
Introit: “Dance with the Spirit” MV # 156 (Dance, move, sing, dance)
Call to Worship:
Leader: Our worship service this morning invites each of us to renew our baptismal promises and how each of us are connected in some way to the Holy Trinity.
ALL: We call upon the Spirit of Life to touch each of us; oldsters, middle-aged folk, youth, and children, as we share in this worship-time together.
Leader: We also come into this faith community to share in our blessings upon those who are seeking baptism, either for their children or for themselves.
ALL: We are all reminded of the wonder of God’s creation and how all of us are connected to the whole.
Leader: It is into this place of worship where we give thanks for your created universe: fish and fowl, insect and flora, animal and mineral, children and babies, people and peace.
ALL: May each of us share with our spirits of wonder and our spirits of fun and frolic as we greet this new day with our special blessings.
Leader: and now we share with our opening hymn to the wonders of this day:
*Opening Hymn: “Know That God Is Good” MV # 104
Opening Prayer: (Unison)
O Creator God, grant that all who confess your name may be united in your truth, live together in your love, and reveal your glory to the world. Guide the people of this land, and of all the nations, in the ways of justice and of peace; that we may honour one another and serve the common good. Give us all a reverence for the Earth as your own creation, that we may use its resources rightly in the service of others and to your honour and glory. Bless all whose lives are closely linked with ours, and grant that we may serve Christ in them, and love one another as he loves us. Comfort and heal all those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit; give them courage and hope in their troubles and bring them the joy of recovery. In this, our worship time today, may your Spirit be felt amongst us as we continually seek to come closer to your heart and to the heart of each other. Bless us in our time together as we witness and partake in the holy sacrament of baptism….Amen.
Leader: On this special day we not only offer blessings upon those who are to be baptized but also blessings for ourselves…we share in these words together, words which may reflect parenthood:
May the light of your soul guide you…may the light of your soul bless the work you do with the secret love and warmth of your heart. May you see in what you do the beauty of your own soul. May the sacredness of your work bring you healing, light, and renewal to those who work with you and to those who see and receive your work. May your work never weary you. May it release within you wellsprings of refreshment, inspiration, and excitement. May you be present in what you do. May you never become lost in the bland absences. May the day never burden. May dawn find you awake and alert, approaching your new day with dreams, possibilities, and promises. May evening find you gracious and fulfilled. May you go into the night blessed, sheltered, and protected. May your soul calm, console, and renew you. (John O’Donohue, England/USA…taken from: 600 blessings & Prayers from Around the World…compiled by Geoffrey Duncan, Twenty-Third Publications)
Choir Selection: “Come To the Water” by: Joseph Martin
The Holy Sacrament of Baptism
BARNABY CLARKE SMITH
OTTO HUGHES SMITH
MADDEN JAMES BRADLEY FRIESEN
MAVERICK JOSEPH RYDER SAMASKA
KEATON KRUISE ALLAN SAMASKA
DAXTON JERRY CARMICHAEL
RYKER NICHOLAS CARMICHAEL
NIXON DANIEL CARMICHAEL
SHANE JOSEPH CARMICHAEL
(Words of the New Creed which we will be sharing in the service of baptism)
ALL: We are not alone; we live in God’s world. We believe in God: who has created and is creating, who has come in Jesus, the Word made flesh, to reconcile and make new, and who works in us and others by the Spirit. We trust in God. We are called to be the Church: to celebrate God’s presence, to live with respect in Creation, to love and serve others, to seek justice and resist evil, to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, our judge and our hope. In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God.
*Hymn “May God Who Creates You” VU # 454
Engaging
(Reader: Nancy Gillean)
Old Testament Passage:
EXODUS 14:19-31 God parts the sea for the Hebrews….
Epistle Passage:
ROMANS 14:1-12 Whether we live or whether we die, we are God’s…
Hymn of Illumination: “This is God’s Wondrous World” VU # 296
Gospel Passage:
MATTHEW 18:21-35 (Rev. Jope) “How many times must I forgive?”
Message: “The Power of Forgiveness”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS:
((Invitation – Leader)
So, in this moment, we offer blessings upon the gifts which we’ve given to the work of your church…for the encouragement of your people…and with the love of Christ in our hearts…may these offerings be a blessing in their giving and in their utilization of sharing in the Message of peace and of love…
Prayer of Dedication (Rev. Jope)
Sunday’s Reflective Prayer: (Unison)
O Holy One we give thanks for this service of blessing. These are small steps which we take as each of us now needs to go out into the world and bless others – blessing them with peace and with love. We know that we live in an oftentimes- fragmented world and it is up to each of us to mend what we can, when we can. With forest fires, hurricanes, drought, floods, and countries vying for control, people’s lives are at stake, and we need to come much closer together so that God’s kingdom can be visible for all to see. May the generations coming forward have the wisdom to carry their baptismal responses further so that evil is resisted, and that all may live in love and justice and that freedom reigns throughout the world.
We gather all these prayers together in the name of Jesus, the cornerstone, the one who breathed new life into many while living upon this earth and now breathes life into each of us through his Spirit and has taught us these words to share together: (Lord’s Prayer)
“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen
Commissioning (unison)
Let us be mindful that God’s great gift to each of us is free. We are invited to take with us the unfailing love of Christ. So, on our journeys we take with us the love of Christ, we give to others as freely as each of us has received…this is part of the ongoing journey of peace…Amen.
*Closing Hymn: “Sent Out in Jesus’ Name” MV # 212
Benediction (Rev. Jope)
Postlude
September 10, 2023
WELCOME TO WORSHIP
Leading Worship Today: Bob Gibennus
Music Director: Cody Obst
*Indicates stand as you are able
Gathering
Prelude Music
Welcoming & Announcements
Land Acknowledgement:
We are worshiping today on the traditional lands of the indigenous peoples with whom Treaty 7 was signed; the Siksika, Kainai, Piikani, Stoney-Nakota, and Tsuut’ina nations. We recognize our responsibility, as signatories to that treaty, to live with respect on this land and in peace and friendship with its people.
WORDS OF GATHERING
Leader: We gather together in the name of Jesus Christ.
All: Members of God’s family, and brothers and sisters to one another.
Leader: There are no outsiders here among us.
All: No one has any special standing or bragging rights.
Leader: We have been brought together as one family of faith by the redeeming love of Jesus.
All: God brought us here
Leader: We have come…
ALL: to sing God’s praises.
Leader: We have come…
ALL: to hear God’s word
Leader: We have come….
ALL: to offer our prayers to God
Leader: We have come…
ALL: to worship!
*Introit –Come In, Come In and Sit Down VU 395
Lighting of the Christ Candle
Opening Prayer: (unison)
Creator God, keeper of heaven and earth
We have come to this place seeking you
Each of us has our reason for being here
You know our hearts, you know our needs
We call on your spirit to descend on us now…
(a time of silently praying into the presence of God)
…May our time together during this sacred hour be a blessing.
And may we leave this place changed.
Amen
Hymn - We Are One VU 402
Engaging
Prayer of Illumination (Bob)
Readings: (Elizabeth Wegg)
Hebrew Bible passage:
Exodus 12:1-14 Instructions for the first passover
Epistle Passage:
Romans 13:8-14 Owe no one anything but love
*Hymn –Where Two or Three Are Gathered (round) MV 14
Gospel Passage: (Bob)
Matthew 18:15-20 Where two or three are gathered in my name…
Message: “Family Matters”
Responding
*Hymn – Draw the Circle Wide MV 145
Dedication of the Offering: (Unison)
Generous God,
We return to you a portion of all you have so generously given us.
Even as we give, our hearts seek you and your blessing.
Take us, and take these gifts, and cause us and them to become blessings for others.
We ask this in love, and in Jesus’ name.
Amen
Blessing
Choir Anthem: We Are One by: Brian Tate
Sunday’s Reflective Prayer & Lord’s Prayer
Sung Response: Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying VU 400
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Lord, send your Spirit in this place;
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Send us love, send us power, send us grace!
Extinguishing the Flame & Commissioning
Leader: The light has accompanied us in this sacred hour,
and now the light is changed…from a flame to an essence.
All: As the light changes so will we –
we will be changed, we will seek change,
and we will change the world around us.
Let us take the essence of light into our lives.
*Hymn – We Are Pilgrims VU 595
Benediction
September 3, 2023
SUMMER WORSHIP ON THE LAWN!
Today’s quote:
Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.
~ Mother Teresa
Leading Worship Today: Bob Gibennus
Music Director: Cody Obst
*Indicates stand as you are able
Gathering
Prelude Music
Welcoming & Announcements
Land Acknowledgement:
We are worshiping today on the traditional lands of the indigenous peoples with whom Treaty 7 was signed; the Siksika, Kainai, Piikani, Stoney-Nakota, and Tsuut’ina nations. We recognize our responsibility, as signatories to that treaty, to live with respect on this land and in peace and friendship with its people.
*Introit Let Us Build a House (All Are Welcome) MV 1
Call to Worship:
Leader: Come into this last day of summer worship on the lawn.
All: We come in anticipation of a year ahead filled with times of faithful activity, refreshing renewal, and quiet contemplation.
Leader: Come to encounter once again the living God among us.
All: We come, ready, willing, and excited to encounter the God who dwells with us and among us.
Leader: Let worship begin!
Hymn: Spirit of the Living God VU 376
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mould me, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God, move among us all;
Make us one in heart and mind, make us one in love:
Humble, caring, selfless, sharing.
Spirit of the living God, fill our lives with love!
Prayer of Approach:
Leader: Spirit of the living God…speak to us this morning in the prayers that we share; in the hymns that we sing and in the scripture readings that we hear.
All: Stir us to compassion for our fellow travelers on the journey, as we seek to follow Jesus.
Leader: Touch us with the message that we are intended to receive this morning. May this worship service invite us to look at things in a new way.
All: Spirit of the living God…fall afresh on us now.
Amen
Engaging
*Hymn of Illumination: God Says MV 172
Readings: (Peggy Gibennus)
Hebrew Bible passage:
Exodus 3:1-15 Moses at the Burning Bush
Epistle passage:
Romans 12:9-21 Let love be genuine; overcome evil with good.
Gospel passage:
Matthew 16:21-28 Take up your cross and follow me.
Special Music: Piano solo by Cody Obst
Message: (Bob) What the World Needs Now…
Responding
*Hymn: Spirit, open my heart MV 79
Dedication of the Offering: (Unison)
Generous God,
We return to you a portion of all you have so generously given us.
Even as we give, our hearts seek you and your blessing.
Take us, and take these gifts, and cause us and them to become blessings for others.
We ask this in love, and in Jesus’ name.
Amen
Special Music: Elizabeth Wegg - Solo “His Eye is on the Sparrow”
Blessing
Prayers of the People & Lord’s Prayer
Leader: Gracious God, hear our prayer.
All: and in your love, answer.
*Hymn – Go, Make a Diff’rence MV 209
Commissioning
Leader: Jesus has met us in worship this morning.
All: We go forth to meet Jesus in those we encounter each day.
Leader: God’s grace enfolded us in worship this morning.
All: We go forth to proclaim that grace in all we do and say.
Leader: The Spirit has guided us in worship this morning.
All: We go forth equipped by the Spirit, ready to exercise our calling.
Benediction
Acknowledgements
Call to Worship:
Catherine Tovell, Kilworth United Church, London, Ont.
Gathering, Pentecost 1, 2020 p.49 used with permission.
Commissioning:
Gord Dunbar, Kincardine Pastoral Charge, Kincardine, Ont.
Gathering, Pentecost 1, 2020 p.48 used with permission.
August 27, 2023
SUMMER WORSHIP ON THE LAWN!
Pentecost # 13
A Service of Prayer, of Song, of Listening, and of Being & Doing.
The quote for today goes something like this:
“Live life not to make your presence noticed, but to make your absence felt.”
Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Council Chairperson: Bob Gibennus
This Sunday’s Reader: Beth Elliot
Musical Guest: Justine Vandergrift
*Indicates please rise as you are able.
Gathering
Prelude
Welcoming and Announcements
Land Acknowledgement (Rev. Jope)
“May we all be mindful today that we are worshiping and coming together on Treaty 7 land. We acknowledge with respect the history, the spirituality, and the culture of the peoples with whom Treaty 7 was signed and the territory wherein Lakeview United Church resides, and our responsibility as treaty members to the Blackfoot Nations, the Blood, the Stoney, Siksika and our neighbouring TsuuT’Ina Nation…Hey, Hey!”
Introit: “I Am a Child of God” MV # 157
Call to Worship:
Leader: We come into this place this morning with praise and with a deep thanksgiving as we worship together on the lawn. Our hearts are open to receive, and our hands are open to welcome.
ALL: Each of us is a part of the whole. We are connected to each other in many ways, and it is through this connection that we, together, walk the way of peace.
Leader: Our God entrust the future to us and calls all of us to be faithful and to be generous people.
ALL: We hear God’s call, and we accept God’s gracious invitation. Each of us says “yes” to the calling God.
Leader: We commit our lives and our hearts to our God of steadfast love. We commit ourselves to building just societies and tearing down walls of divisiveness.
ALL: We offer all of who we are, and all of what we have for God’s purpose
Leader: and wherever the ‘church’ is, there are God’s people.
*Opening Hymn: “Called by Earth and Sky” MV # 135
Opening Prayer:
O how wonderful, O God, are the works of your hands! The heavens declare your glory, the arch of sky displays your handiwork. In your love you have given us the power to behold the beauty of your world robed in all of its splendour. The sun and the stars, the valleys and hills, the rivers and lakes all disclose your presence. The roaring breakers of the sea tell of your awesome might and the beasts of the field and the birds of the air bespeak your wondrous will. In your goodness you have made us able to hear the music of the world. The voices of loved ones reveal to us that you are in our midst. A divine voice sings through all of creation and as we come together to worship, may we be mindful that you live in us, through us, and direct us in ways of peace and of justice. Make your presence real to us this day; fill us with wonder and awe in knowing your presence in this place …Amen. (…based upon a Jewish traditional prayer)
An Affirmation of Our Faith: (Unison)
We believe in the God of summer, who meets us in the morning
mists and waits for us in the cool of the evening;
We believe in the God of autumn, who spreads the mantle of
divine glory across the hills like a cloak of many colours;
We believe in the God of winter, who whispers in the wind and
makes us thankful for the warmth of our homes and cozy
blankets;
We believe in the God of spring, who dazzles the eye with
blankets of blossoms and speaks to our hearts through
gentle rains;
We believe in the God of all seasons, who is a God for all
seasons, and who calls us forth to be human for all seasons,
ready to sacrifice for truth and to love the world as God loves
it. God has revealed the divine nature in Jesus Chrit and
continues to reveal that nature in the world, in history, and
in the inner life.
God’s name is to be praised forever and ever. Amen.
(Taken from “Enter Every Trembling Heart – Prayers for Christian Worship, John Killinger)
A Special Gift of Music: Justine Vandergrift
Engaging
(Reader: Beth Elliot)
Old Testament Passage: EXODUS 1:8 – 2:10 (Beth)
The baby Moses is adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter….
Epistle Passage: ROMANS 12:1-8 (Beth)
Present yourselves as a living, holy sacrifice to God…
Hymn of Illumination: “Deep in Our Hearts” MV # 154
Gospel Passage: MATTHEW 16:13-20 (Rev. Jope)
“Who do you say that I am?” asks Jesus…
Message: “Who Is Jesus to You?”
A Special Gift of Music: Justine Vandergrift
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS:
(Invitation – Leader)
So, in this moment, we offer blessings upon the gifts which we’ve given to the work of your church…for the encouragement of your people…and with the love of Christ in our hearts…may these offerings be a blessing in their giving and in their utilization of sharing in the Message of peace and of love…
Prayer of Dedication (Rev. Jope)
Sunday’s Reflective Prayer: (Unison)
O God of all creation, your world is facing terrible struggles which many of them come from our inattentive attitudes. We know that climate change is amongst us and yet many hold their truths that this is not so – that its politicians working their own agendas. But what’s happening in your world these days is now becoming ever so evident that something is amiss. Fires are ravaging our forests and homes as our Earth slowly loses its moisture and its gentle rains. In other areas, floods are swallowing countless lives as weather patterns change and the skies open with a deluge never ever seen before. Hurricanes are becoming much more violent, and cyclones and tornadoes are developing much more on a regular basis than we have ever seen in our lives. Invasions and wars threaten not only those where these insurrections happen but hold your earth captive with the “us and them” attitude of right or wrong. We pray for peace. We pray for those affected by fire…by flood…by wars of all sorts, including wars in family life. We pray for a deeper understanding that each of us are special in your eyes and that every human being needs to be allowed to live in freedom and with the knowing that you, O God, are love itself and that you shine that love upon all of us, each and every day.
We gather all these prayers together in the name of Jesus, the cornerstone, the one who breathed new life into many while living upon this earth and now breathes life into each of us through his Spirit and has taught us these words to share together:
(Lord’s Prayer)
“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen
*Hymn: “Bless our God” MV # 46
*Commissioning (unison)
Creator, Sustainer God: wherever we may journey, guide our steps; whenever we are in want, supply our need; and when we have enough, may we be satisfied. Surround us with your presence; fulfill us with your Spirit. May we dwell this week in the peace you call us to share. We are your church; we are your holy people. You send us forth as your servants in the world and so we are called, enabled and commissioned as you journey with us. Thanks be to you!!…Amen.
Recessional Gift of Music: Justine Vandergrift
Benediction (Rev. Jope)
Postlude
August 20th,2023
SUMMER WORSHIP
ON THE LAWN!
Pentecost # 12
A Service of Prayer, of Song, of Listening, and of Being & Doing.
The quote for today goes something like this: “Worrying works!!! Ninety percent of the things I worry about never happen.”
Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Council Chairperson: Bob Gibennus
This Sunday’s Reader: Peggy Jackson
Musical Guest: Jenny Allen
*Indicates please rise as you are able.
Gathering
Prelude
Welcoming and Announcements
Land Acknowledgement (Rev. Jope)
“May we all be mindful today that we are worshiping and coming together on Treaty 7 land. We acknowledge with respect the history, the spirituality, and the culture of the peoples with whom Treaty 7 was signed and the territory wherein Lakeview United Church resides, and our responsibility as treaty members to the Blackfoot Nations, the Blood, the Stoney, Siksika and our neighbouring TsuuT’Ina Nation…Hey, Hey!”
Introit: “Psalm 100 (Make a Joyful Noise)” VU # 820
Call to Worship:
Leader: The sower casts the seed, and where does it land? In the hard place that rebuffs, or in the shallow place that misleads,
ALL: or amidst the weeds that choke it out, and – sometimes – in a fertile place which waits.
Leader: The preacher casts a spell – Godspell, the Gospel – and where does it alight? On the wounded heart rigid with scars, or on the empty head that nods too quickly,
ALL: or on the ears closed off with iPad buds, and – sometimes – on a soul that hungers and waits.
Leader: The Spirit casts herself like dandelion fluff on the August breeze, and where can she make a home?
ALL: In us, if we will be open…In us, if we will dig…In us, if we will focus and – sometimes – in us, if we will give ourselves to grace.
Leader: So, we gather…so, we worship…so, we wait…and so we sing “This Is God’s Wondrous World.”
Rod Sykes, St. Andrew’s U.C., Calgary, AB.
*Opening Hymn: “This Is God’s Wondrous World” VU # 296
Opening Prayer: O Living Spirit, you continually touch our lives in so many ways that we couldn’t even count them, they are numerous beyond counting. You raise us up when we feel down and discouraged. You ground us when we are flighty and on edge. You inspire us when we have lost a sense of who we are. You accompany us on the many and varied journeys we undertake day by day. Be with us in this time of worship and give us the direction we need to face the future with hope and with energy. As summer slowly dwindles away, may each of us be reminded that newness is around every corner and that we are invited to be a part of it, for it comes to us from you, the Creator of all that is. Touch each of us with your grace during this worship-time and may your love truly encourage us…Amen.
My Creed – My Beatitude: (Unison)
I believe in the precious nature of each individual.
Peace to the people who respect their challenging and
exciting neighbours.
I believe in Justice for all people.
Peace to the people who support the right for people to be
accepted for who they are.
I believe in the acceptance of women and men of whatever
sexual orientation and persuasion.
Peace to the people who speak out against persecution,
bullying, verbal and physical abuse of individuals and
groups of people.
I believe in an Inclusive Church.
Peace to the people who, with their love and desire for the
wholeness of humankind, create communities and churches
where we are enabled to worship in the spirit of diversity,
honesty, and love. (Geoffrey Duncan, England)
A Special Gift of Music: Jenny Allen
Engaging
(Reader: Peggy Jackson)
Old Testament Passage:
GENESIS 45:1-15 Joseph is reunited with his brothers….
Epistle Passage:
ROMANS 11:1-2a, 29-32 God has not rejected the Hebrews…
Hymn of Illumination: “Come and Find the Quiet Centre” VU # 374
Gospel Passage:
MATTHEW 15:10-28 (Rev. Jope) A Canaanite mother challenges Jesus…
Message: “Tradition, and How It Can Sometimes Destroy Us”
A Special Gift of Music: Jenny Allen
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS:
(Invitation – Leader)
So, in this moment, we offer blessings upon the gifts which we’ve given to the work of your church…for the encouragement of your people…and with the love of Christ in our hearts…may these offerings be a blessing in their giving and in their utilization of sharing in the Message of peace and of love…
Prayer of Dedication (Rev. Jope)
Sunday’s Prayer Which is Modelled on Humour: (Unison)
O God of humour, today we thank you for ourselves. We thank you for the work that has gone into our making. Thank you for our heads, small or large, made to keep our brains in. They are sculpted with amusing faces, and decorated with ears. Thank you for our eyes, useful beyond measure, to help us see how different all those people around us are. Praise you for our noses, the centre of our faces, just right to hold our glasses. Surely, over noses, you laughed. Thank you for our fingers, for tender touch and caress, for working and holding. Marvellous, versatile fingers! Thank you for our bodies, in so many shapes and sizes. They are different, so unique, revealing both your artistry and your great humour. From our toes to the tip of our heads, we are wonderfully made. And we are all loved by you. For creating, crafting, loving and redeeming, we thank you from the bottom of our beating hearts.
May we see, beginning today, the care and love you lavish on all those unique people around us. Then perhaps we may learn to laugh at the sense of humour you showed when you made us.
We gather all of these humourous prayers together in the name of the Christ, the cornerstone, the one who breathes new life into each of us and taught us these words to share together:
(Lord’s Prayer)
“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen
*Hymn: “Isaiah 55 (You Shall Go Out with Joy)” VU # 884
Commissioning: (unison)
We leave this place to turn the world upside down, trading prestige and power and privilege for health and mutuality and truth. We go as pearls of treasure in a world of greed. We go, led by the Sprit, to open perceptions, our own and others, to the wonder and the wholeness of the Gospel. We go as Jesus’ yeast in life’s dough. We go as those carrying the name of Christ, to live out the risen faith we have been given as a gift. We go, as a mustard seed, grown by God to block the way of power over. We go with a song always in our heart…Amen.
Recessional Gift of Music: Jenny Allen
Benediction (Rev. Jope)
Postlude
August 13, 2023
Pentecost # 11
A Service of Prayer, of Song, of Listening,
and of Being & Doing.
Two quotes which may make sense to you:
” Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God.”
…and this one, “How monotonous the sounds of the forest would be if the music came only from the top ten birds.”
Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Council Chairperson: Bob Gibennus
This Sunday’s Reader: Elizabeth Wegg
Musical Guests: Keith & Lana Floen
*Indicates please rise as you are able.
Gathering
Prelude
Welcoming and Announcements
Land Acknowledgement (Rev. Jope)
“May we all be mindful today that we are worshiping and coming together on Treaty 7 land. We acknowledge with respect the history, the spirituality, and the culture of the peoples with whom Treaty 7 was signed and the territory wherein Lakeview United Church resides, and our responsibility as treaty members to the Blackfoot Nations, the Blood, the Stoney, Siksika and our neighbouring TsuuT’Ina Nation…Hey, Hey!”
Introit: “River” MV # 3
Call to Worship:
Leader: In the busyness of our lives, in the midst of our oftentimes chaotic world, in the quietness of ‘church on the lawn’, we come here, all of us, to sense the Spirit which touches our hearts. Coming together is the bridge over troubled waters.
ALL: In the knowing that each of us seeks a place of solitude, may this morning’s worship bring us closer to the quietness of God.
Leader: We sit together on this lawn-space and relish the grass beneath our feet, the warm morning breezes, the blue sky, and the endless summer which touches each and every one of our spirits.
ALL: So, this morning may our eyes be opened to the Spirit which moves through us and through all which we do – together.
Leader: In this time of summer, in this time of slowing ourselves down, may the Spirit of the Living God be with us.
ALL: Come, and let us be in the presence of God…Come, and let us be touched with the Spirit…we now raise our voices to you in communal prayer:
Opening Prayer: (Unison) O Living Spirit, here we are before you…we are always before you. You hold in mind each one of us as if there were no one else in the world. But we are often unaware of your presence. Here, together, coming to meet with you, we become conscious of you as the reality – the true basis of life. You bring us into this day. Oh, the light does it coming through the curtains, footsteps in the hallway, maybe the alarm clock but they are all servants to awaken us to the gift of the day – your gift to us. We brought ourselves into the day. Life is your gift – air to fill our lungs, bodies which can transform it into energy: but the gift was made ours. We have chosen life. Not just eternal life. Red-blooded, food-loving, friendship-seeking life, such as Jesus enjoyed at the feasts of republicans and sinners. We affirm life, we choose life, we are here for one more day of life and we say ‘yes’ to it. It’s my new day, it’s your new day, together, it’s our new day and we say ‘thanks’…Amen.
A New Creed: (Unison)
We are not alone; we live in God’s world. We believe in God:
who has created and is creating,
who has come in Jesus, the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and others by the Spirit.
We trust in God.
We are called to be the Church:
to celebrate God’s presence,
to live with respect in Creation,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God.
A Special Gift of Music: Keith & Lana Floen
Engaging
(Reader: Elizabeth Wegg)
Old Testament Passage:
GENESIS 37:1-4, 12-28 Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers….
Epistle Passage:
ROMANS 10:5-15 The word is near you and in you…
Hymn of Illumination: “My Love Colours Outside the Lines” MV # 138
Gospel Passage:
MATTHEW 14:22-33 (Rev. Jope) Jesus walks across stormy waters…
Message: “A Visible Sign of an Invisible Grace”
A Special Gift of Music: Keith & Lana Floen
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS:
(Invitation – Leader)
So in this moment, we offer blessings upon the gifts which we’ve given to the work of your church…for the encouragement of your people…and with the love of Christ in our hearts…may these offerings be a blessing in their giving and in their utilization of sharing in the Message of peace and of love…
Prayer of Dedication (Rev. Jope)
Sunday’s Reflective Prayer: (Unison)
O God, we give thanks that you are the builder of all that gives and sustains life. We give thanks for this world, which is our home. The diversity of climate, landscape, plants, and animals you have created awes us. Help us to cherish this world and to
treat the earth and its people with respect. Bring to it your love, justice, and peace and help us take part willingly and wisely, sharing our blessings.
We give thanks to the community, which is our home. We pray for neighbours and friends in their joys and sorrows. Help us to open our eyes to the needs around us. Let us see both the gifts and challenges of this place. Bring to it your love, justice, and peace and help us take part willingly and wisely, sharing our blessings.
We give thanks to the church, which is our home. We are blessed with a heritage of faith which brings your love and hope to us in Jesus Christ. We thank you for the variety of people and gifts you have brought together to continue Christ’s ministry. We are grateful for this congregation, for the ministry and mission of The United Church of Canada, and for the church universal. Bring to them your love, justice, and peace and help us take part willingly and wisely, sharing our blessings.
We give thanks to our households. We are thankful for shelter from the elements and pray for people who remain in need of such shelter. We are thankful for loving relationships and pray for restoration of relationships where that is needed. Help us not to take our households for granted. Bring to them your love, justice, and peace and help us take part willingly and wisely, sharing our blessings.
We gather all our prayers in the name of the Christ, the cornerstone, the one who breathes new life into each of us and taught us these words to share together:
(Lord’s Prayer)
“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen
*Hymn: “Over My Head” MV # 88 (Led by: Cody Obst)
Commissioning: (unison)
Go from this place with your heart lifted up! Go from this place with your spirits rejoicing! Go with music in the air all around you and a story always within you to share with others! Make peace with the world and may the world make peace with you. Touch each other with grace and allow the grace of God to direct you in all in which you do and in all in which you hope and dream. May your service for others now begin as you leave the confines of this sanctuary and may God always live within you…and yes O Holy God, How Great Thou Art…
Recessional Gift of Music: Keith & Lana Floen
Benediction (Rev. Jope)
Postlude
August 6th, 2023
Summer Worship on the Lawn
Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Council Chairperson: Bob Gibennus
Worship Leader: Rev. Clint Mooney
This Sunday’s Reader: Heather Mayer
*Indicates please rise as you are able.
Gathering
Prelude
Invocation
Welcoming and Announcements
Land Acknowledgement
“May we all be mindful today that we are worshiping and coming together on Treaty 7 land. We acknowledge with respect the history, the spirituality, and the culture of the peoples with whom Treaty 7 was signed and the territory wherein Lakeview United Church resides, and our responsibility as treaty members to the Blackfoot Nations, the Blood, the Stoney, Siksika and our neighbouring TsuuT’Ina Nation…Hey, Hey!”
Call to Worship:
One: We are on a journey with God, and with one another.
Unison: It is a journey of living and God is its originator. We share the road. And we share the callings and the blessings, the needs and the trials. God be with us all this day.
Opening Prayer:
One: God of Holy Mystery who is wholly love beyond complete
knowledge, above perfect description,
God of relationship, creative and self-giving:
ALL: Today, we come to give thanks.
We ask for your continued and expanding grace.
We ask your healing, help and blessing
for our earth, our waters, and our skies,
for our companion living creatures,
for our neighbours and ourselves.
Be kind to us, O God,
and help us to be kind to one another. Amen
*Hymn: “Praise with Joy the World’s Creator” VU # 312
A Prayer for the Care of Creation VU # 311
O God, the only source of life and energy and wealth, defend our planet earth.
Teach us to conserve and not to squander the riches of nature,
to use aright the heritage of former generations,
and to plan for the welfare of our children's children.
Renew our wonder, awaken our concern,
and make us better stewards and more careful tenants of the world you lend us as our home.
Hear us, O God, our creator and redeemer, in the name of Christ. Amen
Special Music:
Scripture
(Reader: Heather Mayer)
Older Testament: Genesis 33: 1-18 reconciliation with Esau; Jacob (now Israel) is still Jacob
Matthew 13: 31-33, 44-45 small things, big things
*Hymn: “Seek Ye First The Kingdom” VU # 356
Message
“The ‘Field’ of Treasure, the ‘Pearl’”
*Hymn: “Come and Find the Quiet Centre” VU # 374
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS
Affirmation of Faith VU p. 918
We are not alone,
we live in God’s world.
We believe in God:
who has created and is creating,
who has come in Jesus,
the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and others
by the Spirit.
We trust in God.
We are called to be the Church:
to celebrate God’s presence,
to live with respect in Creation,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us.
We are not alone.
Thanks be to God.
Prayers of Thanksgiving & Intersession – Unison VU # 557
In you, O God, every family on earth receives its name.
Illumine the homes of this earth with the light of your love,
granting courage to those who are hurt or lonely,
endurance to those who care for sick family members,
and wisdom to those in fearful times of change.
We thank you for gifts of love we have received
from mother, father, spouse, child, or companion.
As we have been loved by you and by others, so may we love.
Grant us your peace, through Jesus the Christ.
Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
*Hymn: “For the Beauty of the Earth” VU # 226
Commissioning: (Unison)
As children of the Timeless One, our time-bound lives will find
completion in the all-embracing Creator. In the meantime, we
embrace the present, embodying hope, loving our enemies,
caring for the earth, choosing life. Grateful for God’s loving
action, we cannot keep from singing. Creating and seeking
relationship, in awe and trust, we witness to Holy Mystery who
is Wholly Love. Amen
Benediction A Prayer VU # 349
May the Christ who walks on wounded feet walk with you on the road.
May the Christ who serves with wounded hands stretch out your hands to serve.
May the Christ who loves with a wounded heart open your hearts to love.
May you see the face of Christ in everyone you meet,
and may everyone you meet see the face of Christ in you.
Postlude
July 30th 2023
Summer Worship on the Lawn
Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Council Chairperson: Bob Gibennus
Worship Leader: Rev. Clint Mooney
This Sunday’s Reader: Nancy Gillean
*Indicates please rise as you are able.
Gathering
Prelude
Invocation
Welcoming and Announcements
Land Acknowledgement
“May we all be mindful today that we are worshiping and coming together on Treaty 7 land. We acknowledge with respect the history, the spirituality, and the culture of the peoples with whom Treaty 7 was signed and the territory wherein Lakeview United Church resides, and our responsibility as treaty members to the Blackfoot Nations, the Blood, the Stoney, Siksika and our neighbouring TsuuT’Ina Nation…Hey, Hey!”
Call to Worship:
Leader: We are on a journey with God, and with one another.
Unison:
It is a journey of living and God is its originator. We share the road. And we share the callings and the blessings, the needs and the trials. God be with us all this day.
Opening Prayer: A Prayer for the Journey VU # 648
*Hymn: “Be Thou My Vision” VU # 642
Prayer: (Unison)
O God of creation, of wonders, of beauty God of earth and sky, water and rock
of all living things, of exploration and imagination.
God of the good ones, and the not so good,
God of forgiveness and hope, God of love:
we come today to remind ourselves of our journeying with you.
Bless and guide us. Grant your graces to us to safeguard our way
We ask your blessings in Christ’s name. Amen
Special Music: Cody Obst:
PIANO SOLO: Agnus Dei with Holy, Holy, Holy
arr. Dawayne Stamper
Scripture
(Reader: Nancy Gillean)
Older Testament: Genesis 32: 9-13, 22-31
Jacob (he who supplants) becomes Israel (he who strives with God)
2 Corinthians 12: 7-10 Paul’s thorn in the flesh
Matthew 13: 31-33 parables of mustard seed and of leaven
*Hymn: “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” VU # 670
Message: “If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be” (Yogi Berra)
OR
The Dark Humor of God
*Hymn: “I, The Lord of Sea & Sky” VU # 509
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS:
Affirmation of Faith VU p. 918
Prayers of Thanksgiving & Intersession
The Lord’s Prayer
*Hymn: “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” VU # 651
Commissioning: (Unison)
As children of the Timeless One, our time-bound lives will find
completion in the all-embracing Creator. In the meantime, we
embrace the present, embodying hope, loving our enemies,
caring for the earth, choosing life. Grateful for God’s loving
action, we cannot keep from singing. Creating and seeking
relationship, in awe and trust, we witness to Holy Mystery who
is Wholly Love. Amen
Benediction
Postlude
July 23, 2023
SUMMER WORSHIP ON THE LAWN!
Pentecost # 8
A Service of Prayer, of Song, of Listening, and of Being & Doing.
“May the brightness of the morning light fill our hearts with hope and with vision…may the bustle of the noonday heat fill our minds with wise reflection…may the lull of evening’s early calm fill our souls with contemplation…may the darkness and the sleep of night fill our bodies with restoration. May this day bring to each of us -- wholeness.”
Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans Music Director: Cody Obst
Council Chairperson: Bob Gibennus
This Sunday’s Reader: Elizabeth Wegg
*Indicates please rise as you are able.
Gathering
Prelude
Welcoming and Announcements (Ben Wegg)
Land Acknowledgement (Ben Wegg)
“May we all be mindful today that we are worshiping and coming together on Treaty 7 land. We acknowledge with respect the history, the spirituality, and the culture of the peoples with whom Treaty 7 was signed and the territory wherein Lakeview United Church resides, and our responsibility as treaty members to the Blackfoot Nations, the Blood, the Stoney, Siksika and our neighbouring TsuuT’Ina Nation…Hey, Hey!”
Introit: “God We Praise You for the Morning” VU # 415
Call to Worship:
Ben Wegg: We come to gather on this Sabbath morning
ALL: with the joy and courage of summer’s greening and
growth,
Ben: alongside the eternal song and the swift journey of the
flowing rivers and babbling brooks,
ALL: beneath the morning’s brightening ray and her
shadows cast about with the leaves of the poplar.
Ben: Look! The Great Creator gives us earth and animates all of
life.
ALL: God’s blessings are like the dew on a tender, new
blade of grass,
Ben: and the breeze in the grey wisps of the elder.
ALL: The Creator rejuvenates all with summer
Ben: and gentles the children of Earth into the call of rest.
ALL: Here we gather, lest we fail to notice –
Ben: grace abounding; life playing out; a gift being given.
ALL: As a people of the Sabbath, we open inward eyes,
Ben: and prepare room for the Divine to raise life in us anew.
Let us turn to our God in prayer and invite the Presence to be
with us in what we do today:
Opening Prayer: (Elizabeth Wegg) (Unison)
O Gracious One, may the words which we share take us through this day and lead us gently into the week to come…
In the shelter of new light, before day’s weight begins to overcome some of us, hear our prayer:
As earth charts her course towards the end of the day, so may we chart ours: with quiet clarity…with visible compassion…with clear integrity.
May the scope of this created journey run broad with recognition: for each subtle miracle…for each transparent mercy…for each tender joy.
May the sweep of this day be steadied by your gestures of presence: infectious grace…persistent love…outrageous vision; until an iridescence grows within, marking our course with peaceful certainty…Amen.
A New Creed: (Elizabeth Wegg) (Unison)
We are not alone; we live in God’s world. We believe in God:
who has created and is creating,
who has come in Jesus, the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and others by the Spirit.
We trust in God.
We are called to be the Church:
to celebrate God’s presence,
to live with respect in Creation,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God.
*Hymn: VU # 371 “Open My Eyes, That I May See”
Engaging
(Reader: Elizabeth Wegg)
Old Testament Passage: GENESIS 28:10-19a Jacob’s dream of the ladder….
Epistle Passage: ROMANS 8:12-25 (Elizabeth) Creation groans with labour pains…
Hymn of Illumination: “Take Time to Be Holy” VU # 672
Gospel Passage: MATTHEW 13:24-30, 36-43 (Elizabeth) Parable of the weeds scattered among good seed…
Message: (Cody Obst) “The Rest of the Story”. The history behind 2-3 well-loved hymns.
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS: (Fiona Hayes)
(Invitation – Leader)
So in this moment, we offer blessings upon the gifts which we’ve given to the work of your church…for the encouragement of your people…and with the love of Christ in our hearts…may these offerings be a blessing in their giving and in their utilization of sharing in the Message of peace and of hope.
Blessing (Fiona Hayes)
Sunday’s Reflective Prayer: (Responsive)
O God, we give thanks that you are the builder of all that gives and sustains life. We give thanks for this world, which is our home. The diversity of climate, landscape, plants, and animals you have created awes us. Help us to cherish this world and to treat the earth and its people with respect.
Unison: Bring to it your love, justice, and peace and help us take part willingly and wisely, sharing our blessings.
We give thanks to the community, which is our home. We pray for neighbours and friends in their joys and sorrows. Help us to open our eyes to the needs around us. Let us see both the gifts and challenges of this place.
Unison: Bring to it your love, justice, and peace and help us take part willingly and wisely, sharing our blessings.
We give thanks to the church, which is our home. We are blessed with a heritage of faith which brings your love and hope to us in Jesus Christ. We thank you for the variety of people and gifts you have brought together to continue Christ’s ministry. We are grateful for this congregation, for the ministry and mission of The United Church of Canada, and for the church universal.
Unison: Bring to them your love, justice, and peace and help us take part willingly and wisely, sharing our blessings.
We give thanks to our households. We are thankful for shelter from the elements and pray for people who remain in need of such shelter. We are thankful for loving relationships and pray for restoration of relationships where that is needed. Help us not to take our households for granted.
Unison: Bring to them your love, justice, and peace and help us take part willingly and wisely, sharing our blessings.
We gather all our prayers in the name of the Christ, the cornerstone, the one who breathes new life into each of us and taught us these words to share together:
(Lord’s Prayer)
“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen
Commissioning (Fiona Hayes) (unison)
As children of the Timeless One, our time-bound lives will find completion in the all-embracing Creator. In the meantime, we embrace the present, embodying hope, loving our enemies, caring for the earth, choosing life. Grateful for God’s loving action, we cannot keep from singing. Creating and seeking relationship, in awe and trust, we witness to Holy Mystery who is Wholly Love…Amen.
(Taken from ‘A Song of Faith: A Statement of Faith of The United Church of Canada)
*Recessional Hymn: VU #884 “Isaiah 55 (You Shall Go Out with Joy)”
Benediction (Cody Obst)
Postlude
July 16,2023
SUMMER WORSHIP & WESTERN WEEK!!
Pentecost # 7
A Service of Prayer, of Song, of Listening, and of Being & Doing.
“May we all know the Spirit of God within us and throughout the world that this day may be for us, an experience of heaven, of stillness within the busyness, of hope within the pain, of peace beyond our anxieties, and a quality of life that is not limited to the competitive or the mechanical…. may this day be a ‘spirited day’ for all of us.”
Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Council Chairperson: Bob Gibennus
Guest Musician: Fiona Hayes
This Sunday’s Reader: Don Branter
*Indicates please rise as you are able.
THEME: “Sharing a Sermon – Playing Golf” or: Should I use a 9 iron or a pitching wedge?
Gathering
Prelude
Welcoming and Announcements
Land Acknowledgement
Introit: Fiona Hayes (flute) “The Lone, Wild Bird”
Call to Worship:
Leader: In a summertime world, look and see sunlight dancing on the waters and shimmering in waves above endless sand beaches.
ALL: Lilies splashed in glorious colour beside the road and butterflies performing minuets across the lane…God has created…and it is good!
Leader: In a summertime world, stop and listen, for birds proclaim the early morning light and grasshoppers sing the heat of the day.
ALL: Children laugh in sheer delight for the freedom of summer…God has created…and it is good!
Leader: In a summertime world, taste and know the unutterable delight of a dripping, melting ice cream cone shared with a friend,
ALL: the tart, sweet magic of raspberries warmed by the sun and freshly picked, and the blessing of watermelon cut, sliced, and served at a family picnic…God’s created...
and it is good!
Leader: And all God’s people shall say…” Hallelujah!”
ALL: “Hallelujah!”
Leader: And now we take some time out of our busy lives and offer a prayer to the One who breathes us:
Opening Prayer: (Unison)
O Holy One, O Creator of Summer joy and days filled with awe and of wonder, we rejoice in long, bright days, the slower pace of holidays, the warmth of friendships renewed, the call of the loon, the whisper of wind through the trees. As the heat of the sun strikes our bodies and warms the earth may the heat of your Word burn into our hearts and enliven our spirits. So may we not be careless but be on fire for that which is right and just and good. So may we, like the sun, do and be that for which we were created; to bring light and life to others and to illuminate paths in the sometimes-darker world. May our worship this morning bring each of us a sense of peace, of community, and of a passion to walk in the footsteps of the Christ…Amen.
A New Creed: (Unison)
We are not alone; we live in God’s world. We believe in God:
who has created and is creating,
who has come in Jesus, the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and others by the Spirit.
We trust in God.
We are called to be the Church:
to celebrate God’s presence,
to live with respect in Creation,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God.
*Hymn: MV # 3 “River”
Engaging
Old Testament Passage: GENESIS 25:19-34 (Reader: Don Branter)
Esau gives up his birthright for Jacob’s stew….
Epistle Passage: ROMANS 8:1-11 (Reader: Don Branter)
To set the mind on the Spirit is life…
Hymn of Illumination: MV # 98 “Like a River of Tears”
Gospel Passage: MATTHEW 13:1-9, 18-23 (Rev. Jope)
…The parable of the sower and the seed…
Message: “Sharing a Sermon – Playing Golf”
“Is there a relationship?”
*Hymn: MV # 172 “God Says”
Responding
Offering Blessing: (Rev. Jope)
Offertory Doxology: (sung to the tune of VU 541 “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow.”)
“We worship in this time and place,
We smile and greet – we’re face-to-face.
For friends are we and loved ones too,
We’re God’s own people, through and through.”
Blessing
Sunday’s Reflective Prayer: (Unison)
Rev. Jope’s intro….
ALL: May the blessing of light be upon you, light without and light within. May the blessed sunlight shine upon you and warm your heart till it glows like a great fire and strangers may warm themselves as well as friends.
And may the light shine out of the eyes of you, like a candle set in a window of a house, bidding the wanderer to come in out of the storm.
May the blessing of rain be upon you; the soft sweet rain. May it fall upon your spirit so that little flowers may spring up and shed their sweetness upon the air.
And may the blessing of the great rains be upon you, to beat upon your spirit and wash it fair and clean; and leave there many a shining pool where the blue of heaven shines, and sometimes a star.
May the blessing of the earth be upon you, the great round earth; may you ever have a kindly greeting for people as you’re going along the roads.
And now, may the Lord bless you, and bless you kindly…
and we share in words which Jesus taught us:
(Lord’s Prayer)
“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen
Commissioning (unison)
As children of the Timeless One, our time-bound lives will find completion in the all-embracing Creator. In the meantime, we embrace the present, embodying hope, loving our enemies, caring for the earth, choosing life. Grateful for God’s loving action, we cannot keep from singing. Creating and seeking relationship, in awe and trust, we witness to Holy Mystery who is Wholly Love…Amen.
(Taken from ‘A Song of Faith: A Statement of Faith of The United Church of Canada)
*Recessional Hymn: MV # 212 “Sent Out in Jesus’ Name”
Benediction
Postlude
July 9, 2023
SUMMER WORSHIP &
WESTERN DAY SUNDAY!!
Pentecost # 6
A Service of Prayer, of Song, of Listening, and of Being & Doing.
And here’s a couple of Cowboy quotes for today: “If lawyers are disbarred and clergy are defrocked, shouldn’t it follow that cowboys would be deranged?” and then there’s this important bit of wisdom: “Always drink upstream from the herd.”
Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Guest Musician: Eli Barsi
Reader: Elizabeth Wegg
*Indicates please rise as you are able
Gathering
Prelude
Welcoming and Announcements
Land Acknowledgement
Introit: VU # 372 “Though I May Speak”
Call to Worship: (Nora Vedress, Calvary UC, Prince Albert, Sask. – Gathering 2017)
Leader: We gather as people of the living sky and the rolling foothills…
ALL: to worship the One who fills the prairie nights with stars too abundant to count, who dances with the wind among the willows, who paints the clouds as if to say to us, “Look at all I’ve created for you.”
Leader: We gather as people of the living sky and the rolling foothills and the majestic mountains…
ALL: to place our prayers before the One who is as large as the sun but as gentle as a summer breeze; to open our hearts to the One who moves in the rhythm of the ocean tide and seasons, and who understands the rhythms and cycles of our lives just as well.
Leader: We gather as people of the living sky, the rolling foothills, the majestic mountains, and of Stampede wonder…
ALL: to listen for the Spirit moving among us as we worship God together for we now open ourselves to words of prayer as we invite the presence of the Holy One into this time and into our lives:
Opening Prayer: (Unison)
O God of the open prairie and the green valleys; of the crystal-clear mountain lakes and the crashing waterfalls; of bison herds and lonesome coyote call; of city busy and hamlet quiet; of hearts open and minds at ease, we call upon you in love.
As your Spirit falls upon us, let it be as the first drops of rain falling on parched forests, rains which douse the fires and awakens new seeds to begin that newness of abundance. Let it be like ripples in the lake: reaching out through minds and through bodies and through souls. Help us to listen and to see your creation all around us so that our ripples may stir the calm of complacency, splash on the face of oppression and surge through barriers and through divisions, that all the world may come to know your living water which satisfies our souls and refreshes our inner beings. On this summer morning, this first weekend of the Calgary Stampede and a morning where we bathe ourselves in summer wonder, may each of us be the ripple of peace, the ripple of love, and the ripple of friendship.
…Amen.
Special Gift of Music: Eli Barsi
A New Creed: (Unison)
We are not alone, we live in God’s world. We believe in God:
who has created and is creating,
who has come in Jesus, the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and others by the Spirit.
We trust in God.
We are called to be the Church:
to celebrate God’s presence,
to live with respect in Creation,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God.
*Hymn: VU # 575 “I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me”
Engaging
GENESIS 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67 (Elizabeth Wegg) Rebekah welcomes Isaac as her husband…
*Hymn: VU # 639 “One More Step Along the World I Go”
MATTHEW 11:16-19, 25-30 (Rev. Jope) My yoke is easy; my burden is light…
Message:
“What Does Jesus Challenge Us To Do?”
Special Gift of Music: Eli Barsi
Responding
Offering
Prayer of Dedication (Rev. Jope)
Blessing
Sunday’s Reflective Prayer:
Leader: O Holy One, we open this prayer-time with a short piece from C. M. Kao who resides in Taiwan:
ALL: You saw the sun rising from the sea
I saw the sun rising from the mountains
We argued for a long time,
Until you visited me, and I visited you.
We saw the different facts.
You say it’s summer
I say it’s winter
We argued for a long time.
Then you visited me in the South
And I visited you in the North
We saw the different facts.
You say, ‘white is beauty’
I say, ‘black is beauty’
We argued for a long time.
Then you saw the black forest in my country
And I saw the eternal snow on your mountain peaks.
We agreed that the beauty of white is in its clear brightness
and the beauty of black is in its mysterious darkness.
Sharing – face to face – friends we shall become
You and me
O God, can we share as these two have shared? Can we finally look each other in the eye and say, ‘we are all equal and our differences make us who we are’? With your help and your guidance, we can all accomplish this, and our world will reconnect…this is our prayer to you – together…and we now share in words which Jesus taught us:
(Lord’s Prayer)
“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen
Special Gift of Music: Eli Barsi
*Commissioning (unison)
May the brightness of the morning light fill our hearts with hope and with vision. May the bustle of noonday heat fill our minds with wise reflection. May the lull of evening’s early calm fill our souls with contemplation. May the darkness and the sleep of night fill our bodies with restoration. May the Spirit of the Living God always journey with each of us wherever we may be... Amen.
*Recessional Hymn: VU # 684 “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace”
Benediction & Postlude
July 2, 2023
God’s People Together
Lakeview United Church
Welcome to SUMMER WORSHIP!!
A Service of Prayer, of Song, of Listening, and of Being & Doing.
Two quotes for today: “The trouble with trouble is that it always starts out like fun.” and this one, “Forgive your enemies – it messes with their minds.”
*Indicates please rise as you are able
Gathering
Prelude
Welcoming and Announcements
Singing of “Oh Canada”
*Call to Worship:
Leader: Upon this weekend, where Canada Day is celebrated across this country, may we be thankful for such a nation where religious freedom is endorsed.
ALL: Let our hearts be glad for such freedom and let our voices sing praises to the One who smiles upon us.
Leader: You have blessed us with good food in abundance and you bless us, O God, with the opportunity to give to those who are hungry through food banks and through care groups.
ALL: You have blessed many of us, O God, with good health and good days, and you bless us with the opportunity to stay alongside those who are struggling with failing health and addictions.
Leader: You have blessed us, O God, with a wonderful nation and the opportunity to choose our leaders and live in freedom, and you bless us with the opportunity to support those in other nations who are denied freedom of expression.
ALL: Amid the changes and chances of life, you, O God, have not been moved, you cannot be moved, you will never be moved
Leader: May our lives be touched with grace as we worship together on this long weekend of family and friends.
ALL: Come, and let us be in the presence of God…Come, and let us be touched with the Spirit…we now raise our voices in song:
*Opening Hymn: “Let Us Build a House” MV # 1
Opening Prayer:
*Hymn: “Draw the Circle Wide” MV # 145
Engaging
GENESIS 22: 1-14 (Ann Orr) The “almost” sacrifice of Isaac…
ROMANS 6: 12-23 (Ann Orr) The wages of sin is death; eternal life is the free gift…
Hymn of Illumination: “Called by Earth and Sky” MV # 135
MATTHEW 10: 40-42 (Rev. Jope) Welcoming and offering a cup of water…
Message: “How’s Our National Identity Doing?”
Responding
*Hymn: “Oh a Song Must Rise” MV # 142
Offering
Prayer of Dedication (Rev. Jope)
Sacrament of Holy Communion
Leader: May God be with us as we share in this Holy Meal together.
ALL: God is surely here among us!
Leader: Let us open our hearts to God.
ALL: We open our hearts to God and also to one another.
Leader: Let us give thanks to God.
ALL: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Leader: (Words of welcoming…)
ALL: “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, Power of Life and Love! Heaven and
Earth are full of your glory! Hosanna through the ages!
Blessed is the One who comes to bring justice to earth!”
Let us remember that vision of God’s reign shown to us in Jesus at table.
Leader: (Words of Institution…)
ALL: (Unison) Come, Holy Spirit, move among us this day. May your energy draw us closer together with our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world to live your peace and your compassion. Come, Holy Spirit, move among us this day. Move among all people of this world with your love and peace! Amen.
Blessing
Prayers of the People (ending with The Lord’s Prayer) (Rev. Jope)
*Hymn: “Take Up His Song” (Peace, Hope, Faith, & Love) MV # 213
*Commissioning (unison)
May the brightness of the morning light fill our hearts with hope and with vision. May the bustle of noonday heat fill our minds with wise reflection. May the lull of evening’s early calm fill our souls with contemplation. May the darkness and the sleep of night fill our bodies with restoration. May the Spirit of the Living God always journey with each of us wherever we may be... Amen.
Benediction & Postlude
June 25, 2023
WELCOME TO THE 4th SUNDAY of PENTECOST
Choir Leadership Sunday
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Worshiping Together.
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Readers: Heather Mayers & Cody Obst
Percussionist: Malcolm Lim
PRELUDE
“Ask for God’s gifts but trust God to send you the right size and colour!” and “Prayer is wireless access to God – no matter where you are.” (Makes sense in our modern world.)
WELCOMING (Elizabeth Wegg)
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or are able to.)
Gathering
OPENING INTROIT: “Yahweh Be Praised” MV # 51
(We’ll sing this through a few times to settle ourselves into our worship time…)
ANNOUNCEMENTS & INTRODUCTIONS (Elizabeth Wegg)
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT (Elizabeth Wegg)
LIGHTING of the CANDLE of CHRIST (Elizabeth Wegg)
Leader: As we prepare to light our Christ Candle, may we be ever mindful of the light of Christ which dwells in each of our hearts, and, in our personal lives as well. We light this Christ Candle as a symbol of Christ’s presence here with us today. May the Christ light shine to peel away the possible gloom and expose us to Christ’s love so that we can shine today and always…
*OPENING HYMN: “I Heard the Voice of Jesus” VU # 626
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP: (Charlotte McCallum)
Leader: This is our time of worship – our time to connect ourselves to that which is Holy, to that which lives deep inside our hearts.
ALL: May each of us sense the living God moving within us – through our bloodstream, through our breathing, through our thoughts and our hopes and our dreams.
Leader: It is now summer, and we see God in the leafy trees and in the beautiful gardens. God is everywhere if we open our eyes to the countless wonders.
ALL: This is a beautiful day which God has made for each of us to enjoy so let us live it to the fullest.
Leader: It is a day for assessing our lives and our attitudes and for considering the possibility that they could both be changed!
ALL: Today is the day that God has made, and it is a day for singing and for worship!
Leader: May our lives be touched with grace as we worship together in this rhythm of life – in this rhythm of creation.
ALL: Come, and let us be in God…Come, and let us be with God…We now raise our voices in prayer:
OPENING PRAYER: (Charlotte McCallum)
(Parts of this prayer have been taken from “More Worship Resources for the Global Community: Gifts in Open Hands”, Maren Tirabassi and Kathy Wonson Eddy.)
Leader: Gracious God, we often break bread together and bless it with open hands and receive…we break it for a sometimes-broken world and oftentimes, a broken life or a broken heart…but…the bread is broken and shared to make our lives and our world become whole. We fill the cup, and like our hearts, it will be overflowing with a thirst for peace and for justice for all.
ALL: If there is a divine spark that is in us, let it flame; that we
might be consumed for peace…
If there is anything holy that is in us, let it be as breath; that we
might carry it lightly.
If there is any wisdom that is in us, let it cry out; that justice be
heard in our speaking.
If there is any love that is in us, let it sing; that love might be
the song of our hearts.
If any one of these gifts be found in us, let them bring life; fill
all of us and become our offering.
Let us take care of this world for it is a gift to us. May we find love in all people for they share it with us. May we make peace unconditionally, for all life depends on it…and…may we always be a blessing…always…Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE: (Charlotte McCallum)
In all that we do, and wherever we go, God is close to us, offering inner strength and support. May we never forget that God’s guidance and encouragement is with us. May we be always thankful for the Good News we have received through Jesus Christ that will transform our lives, and through us, transform the world. Thanks be to God. Amen.
(Bill Steadman, Goulais River U. C., Goulais River, Ont. Gathering mag., Pentecost 1, 2023, pg. 33)
Engaging the Sacred Text
OLD TESTAMENT READING:
GENESIS 21:8-21 (Heather Mayers) (Hagar and Ishmael sent away…)
EPISTLE LESSON:
ROMANS 6:1b-11 (Heather Mayers) (Justified by faith…)
CHOIR MEDITATION: “Veni Sancte Spiritus” (Holy Spirit, Come to Us)
From the Taize Community, France
GOSPEL PASSAGE:
MATTHEW 10: 24-39 (Cody Obst) (Discipleship; lose your life to find it…)
In lieu of a MESSAGE today, you are being invited to choose some of your favourite hymns out of either of the hymnbooks and the songs of life will come alive as we sing them together!!
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS: (Elizabeth Wegg)
(Invitation – Leader) Loving God, with hearts filled with joy, we offer you these gifts of thanks, of honour, and of praise this morning. May they be sanctified and used according to your purpose so that the ‘kin-dom’ of yours will be fulfilled…the offering will now be received…
OFFERTORY PRAYER: (Unison)
ALL: Bless these gifts and ourselves for the service of your work. May the presence of Christ be revealed in all which we share. Our hearts are truly wide open…Amen.
CHOIR SELECTION: “Upon This Rock” By: Pepper Choplin
SUNDAY’S REFLECTION OF THE HEART (Closing Prayer): Raj Retnanandan
THE SUNG LORD’S PRAYER VU # 959
COMMISSIONING: (unison) (Ben Wegg)
May God go before you to show you the right way…May God be beside you to wrap you in God’s arms and protect you…May God be behind you to keep you safe from the treachery of evil persons…May God be beneath you to catch you when you fall and pull you out of the trap…May God be within you to comfort you when you are sad…May God surround you to defend you when others attack you…May God be above you to always bless you…May we leave this place and go in peace…Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “Let All Things Now Living” VU # 242
BENEDICTION: (Ben Wegg)
And now may the Lord bless us and keep us…and may the Lord make his face to shine upon us and be gracious unto us…and may the Lord lift his countenance upon us and give us the deepest of peace…we now go into the world with a song in our hearts…Amen.
POSTLUDE
**************************************************
SCRIPTURE READINGS:
SUNDAY, JULY 2, 2023
(Our first Sunday worship on the lawn – hopefully!)
GENESIS 22:1-14
ROMANS 6:12-23
MATTHEW 10:40-42
JUNE 18, 2023
WELCOME TO THE 3rd SUNDAY of PENTECOST
Aboriginal Sunday & Father’s Day
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Worshiping Together.
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Elizabeth Wegg
PRELUDE
“Let us: Take care of this world…it is a gift to us…. find love in all people, they share it with us…Make peace unconditionally, all life depends on it…and…be a blessing…always.”
WELCOMING
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or are able to.)
Gathering
OPENING INTROIT: “Take, O Take Me as I Am” MV # 85
(We’ll sing this through a few times to settle ourselves into our worship time…)
ANNOUNCEMENTS & INTRODUCTIONS
CHIEF SEATTLE’S LETTER (Written in the 1800’s)
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
“O Great Spirit” (The Call of the Drum…)
LIGHTING of the CANDLE of CHRIST
Leader: As we prepare to light our Christ Candle, may we be ever mindful of the light of Christ which dwells in each of our hearts, and, in our personal lives as well. We light this Christ Candle as a symbol of Christ’s presence here with us today. May we be mindful that God created light, the Christ loved light, and the Spirit offers us the fire to stir us from complacency.
*OPENING HYMN: “Many and Great, O God, Are Your Works”
VU # 308
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: We come together on this day to breathe in the Holy Spirit of creation – the Holy Spirit which has moved generations and generations of cultures to seek common ground.
ALL: Let our hearts and our souls be open to the wonders of who we are as differing peoples and to the many wonders of nature with its changes and diversity.
Leader: What is more changeable than the weather, unless it is life itself? And yet, in the midst of all the change, there is one Rock, one Hope, and one stable eternal Presence.
ALL: In this place of sanctuary, we are reminded that we are but a tiny piece of what is. Although we are tiny, we are great in the eyes of God and we seek God’s presence in this holy worship.
Leader: We come here to weave ourselves into the circle of God’s all-encompassing love and to encounter what is holy.
ALL: We await the touch of God’s Spirit, refreshing, renewing, and healing. Come, O people of God, and let us worship with joy and with excitement.
Leader: May our lives be touched with grace as we worship together in this rhythm of life – in this rhythm of creation.
ALL: Come, and let us be in God…Come, and let us be with God…We now raise our voices in prayer:
OPENING PRAYER: O Gentle Spirit, O Giver of Life, as we worship today, may we be open to the Word of Love that you spoke into creation from the beginning. May we be attentive to the rhythm of life that beats within us, that we may honour all with whom we share this Earth. Give us a vision of what is possible that we may see this day and all days as spaces of hope, open to your presence. (“The Seven Steps of Morning”)
O God who gives us steps, our first step is GRATITUDE…
for the gift of another fresh day of life.
Our second step is that of LOVE…
for the Holy One and for all of our dear ones.
Our third step is that of HOPE…
for the possibility of growth in each moment.
Our fourth step is that of COMPASSION…
for all of creation and our deep connection.
Our fifth step is that of GENEROSITY…
for all that shall be asked of us today.
Our sixth step is that of LAUGHTER…
for the joys that will refresh our hearts.
Our seventh step is that of PATIENCE…
for the difficult challenges that may arise.
Giver of life, awaken our entire being so that we can enter this day with the eagerness of one who sees beauty and truth strewn through every part of life. Deepen our bond with you and strengthen our peace…Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE:
Hear the Good News…God’s grace is for all without reserve…we joyfully accept God’s shower of forgiveness, freeing us to live full lives as Christ’s disciples…God writes a new law upon our hearts, a law of self-giving and service. Thanks be to God for this gift of freedom! To God be the glory and the praise…Amen.
(Worship for All Seasons, selections from Gathering mag., yr. A, 2004 Pg. 201)
*HYMN: “Each Blade of Grass” MV # 37
Engaging the Sacred Text
OLD TESTAMENT READING: (Elizabeth Wegg)
GENESIS 18:1-15 and chapter 21:1-7 (Son promised to Abraham and Sarah…)
EPISTLE LESSON: ROMANS 5:1-8 (Justified by faith…) (Elizabeth Wegg
HYMN of ILLUMINATION: “Creator God You Gave Us Life” MV # 27
GOSPEL PASSAGE: MATTHEW 9:35 – 10:23 (Rev. Jope)
(Jesus and the disciples preach and heal…)
SERMON / MESSAGE:
“Living Together in This World With Our Differing Cultures”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS:
(Invitation – Leader) Loving God, with hearts filled with joy, we offer you these gifts of thanks, of honour, and of praise this morning. May they be sanctified and used according to your purpose so that the ‘kin-dom’ of yours will be fulfilled…the offering will now be received…
OFFERTORY PRAYER: (Unison)
ALL: Bless these gifts and ourselves to the service of your work. May the presence of Christ be reveled in all which we share. Our hearts are truly wide open…Amen.
CHOIR SELECTION: “What a Wonderful World”
SUNDAY’S REFLECTION OF THE HEART (Unison):
We share a common earth; we share it with the seasons which come upon us, we share it with all peoples of the world and especially today we recognize our First Nations folk, and we share it with those who fathered us. We stand among each other. We share our planet, we share birth, we share death, we sometimes share hunger, and we oftentimes share love. The sky opens above us and we receive space. The earth stands beneath us and we receive ground. The air becomes our blood and we are one sea. Living things die for us…and we die, returning to soil – returning to sea – returning to air…we are one and it is together where we touch eternity and eternity touches us.
We are the people of pain and fear, we are the people of anger and joy, we are the people of compassion and grace. In all of us is a longing for a life that has not yet come, for a world that is free and just, a dream of hope for all people. O God, as summer comes upon us, may we find time to spend with those who have been fathering us and may we also offer prayers for our First Nations brothers and sisters as we each meet you in our own ways and realize that we are all one…and now may we join in singing The Lord’s Prayer: THE LORD’S PRAYER VU # 959
COMMISSIONING: (unison)
May God go before you to show you the right way…May God be beside you to wrap you in God’s arms and protect you…May God be behind you to keep you safe from the treachery of evil persons…May God be beneath you to catch you when you fall and pull you out of the trap…May God be within you to comfort you when you are sad…May God surround you to defend you when others attack you…May God be above you to always bless you…May we leave this place and go in peace…Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “Who Is My Mother” MV # 178
(Kindred in Spirit through Jesus Christ)
BENEDICTION: (Leader)
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you…and may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you…and may the Lord lift his countenance upon you and give you the deepest of peace…go now into the world with a song in your heart…Amen.
POSTLUDE
SCRIPTURE READINGS:
SUNDAY, JUNE 25, 2023
GENESIS 21:8-21
ROMANS 6:1b-11
MATTHEW 10:24-39
JUNE 11, 2023
WELCOME TO THE 2nd SUNDAY of PENTECOST
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Worshiping Together.
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Don Branter
PRELUDE
“The day will come when, after harnessing space, the winds, the tides and gravitation,
we shall harness for God the energies of love. And, on that day, for the second time in
the history of the world, we shall have discovered fire.”
(Tielhard de Chardin S.J. (1881-1955), priest and scientist)
WELCOMING
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or are able to.)
Gathering
OPENING INTROIT: “God Says” MV # 172
ANNOUNCEMENTS & INTRODUCTIONS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
LIGHTING of the CANDLE of CHRIST
Leader: As we prepare to light our Christ Candle, may we be ever mindful of the light of Christ which dwells in each of our hearts, and, in our personal lives as well. We light this Christ Candle as a symbol of Christ’s presence here with us today. May we be mindful that God created light, the Christ loved light, and the Spirit offers us the fire to stir us from complacency.
*OPENING HYMN: “One More Step Along the World I Go” VU # 639
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP: (Honouring yesterday, June 10)
Leader: We are beginning to experience that we cannot see the great cloud of witnesses who have worshiped in this place. Time is moving….moving…moving.
ALL: But we are part of the prayer that sustains and blesses life throughout the generations. We are here, worshiping, not because we blindly follow in our ancestors footsteps but because we want to….
and need to.
Leader: We cannot hear the singing of our ancestors that filled this sanctuary and soared to the ceiling but we can imagine it.
ALL: And in this imagination, we visualize the beauty and the grace of years gone by which continues to inspire us.
Leader: Walls and windows, prayers and stories remind us:
ALL: we are part of a story of faith still unfolding.
Leader: The Spirit reaches into our lives with a call to wonder… to love…and to praise
ALL: We answer with the songs of our hearts, minds, and spirits. We now verbalize this with our opening prayer:
OPENING PRAYER: (Unison)
O Creator of the Universe, O God of all that is, you have brought our lives together as your church, as your community of believers, as your followers of peace and justice, creating beautiful patterns of friendship and support, wonderful tapestries of various lives. We find places of connection as we share our stories that will bind us to each other forever. As we join the pieces of our individual lives together with each other it is so much clearer how your grace fills the world with beauty. Continue to join us together in new and interesting patterns for your name’s sake. Breathe through us this day with a calmness which opens our eyes to new possibilities and to new ways to be your people. Be the centre of our worship, our lives, and of how we are to walk ever so softly upon this earth…
VU # 948 “O God, hear my prayer, O God, hear my prayer:
when I call answer me.
O God, hear my prayer, O God hear my prayer:
come and listen to me.”
WORDS OF ASSURANCE:
We must remember that even when our will fails, God’s faithfulness endures. Even when we feel detached, possibly shriveled and blighted, God nurtures our growth. Even in fallow seasons, God values our connection and know our potential. As the devoted Gardener, God loves us into bloom! May we flourish under God’s tender care. Thanks be to God…Amen. (Elise Feltrin, Chemainus U.C., Chemainus, B.C., Gathering mag. Pg. 45)
Engaging the Sacred Text
OLD TESTAMENT READING:
GENESIS 12:1-9 Don Branter (Call of Abraham…)
EPISTLE READING:
ROMANS 4:13-25 Don Branter (Faith, not the law…)
HYMN of ILLUMINATION: “God Our Protector” MV # 119
GOSPEL PASSAGE:
MATTHEW 9:9-13, 18-26 Rev. Jope (Call of Matthew; girl restored to life; woman healed...)
SERMON / MESSAGE:
“His Mercy Endures Forever”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS:
(Invitation – Leader) Loving God, with hearts filled with joy, we offer you these gifts of thanks, of honour, and of praise this morning. May they be sanctified and used according to your purpose so that the ‘kin-dom’ of yours will be fulfilled…the offering will now be received…
OFFERTORY PRAYER: (Unison)
ALL: Bless these gifts and ourselves to the service of your work. May the presence of Christ be reveled in all which we share. Our hearts are truly wide open…Amen.
CHOIR SELECTION: “Come, Spirit, Come” By: Lloyd Larson
SUNDAY’S REFLECTION OF THE HEART (Unison):
(Following is an Aboriginal Fire Blessing which is reputed to be an old Australian Aboriginal blessing…I find it somewhat appropriate to share some of our world ancestral blessings…the source is unknown.)
May the fire be in our thoughts: making them true…good… just…may it protect us from the evil one.
May the fire be in our eyes: may it open our eyes to see what is good in life. We ask that the fire may protect us from what is not rightfully ours.
May the fire be on our lips: so that we may speak the truth in kindness, that we may encourage others. May it protect us from speaking evil.
May the fire be in our ears: we pray that we may hear with a deep, deep listening so that we may hear the flow of water and of all creation, and the dreaming. May we be protected from gossip and from those things that harm and break down our family.
May the fire be in our arms and hands: so that we may be of service and build up love. May the fire protect us from all violence.
May the fire be in our whole being: in our legs and in our feet, enabling us to walk the earth with reverence and care; so that we may walk in the ways of goodness and truth and be protected from walking away from what is true…and now may we join together in singing The Lord’s Prayer:
THE LORD’S PRAYER VU # 959
COMMISSIONING: (unison)
And now, God sends us out to meet our neighbours. May we always share the peace of Christ with grace and may we search diligently for Christ in the people that we meet. We now go to live our lives as good news…Amen!!
CLOSING HYMN: “Travel On, Travel On” VU # 647
BENEDICTION: (Leader)
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you…and may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you…and may the Lord lift his countenance upon you and give you the deepest of peace…go now into the world with a song in your heart…Amen.
POSTLUDE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SCRIPTURE READINGS:
SUNDAY, JUNE 18, 2023 - FATHER’S DAY SUNDAY
GENESIS 18:1-15 and chapter 21:1-7
ROMANS 5:1-8
MATTHEW 9:35 – 10:23
JUNE 4, 2023
WELCOME TO TRINITY SUNDAY
or Pride Sunday, or Environment Sunday,
or, Union Sunday, also, COMMUNION SUNDAY
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Being Together.
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Beth Elliot
Clarinet: Cedric Blary
PRELUDE
TRINITY SUNDAY follows the Christian doctrine of three Persons of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…Trinity Sunday is the Sunday following Pentecost, 8 weeks after Easter Sunday… The earliest possible date is May 17, as in 1818 and 2285…The latest possible date is June 20, as in 1943 and 2038 (that would be 15 years from now)…how’s that for trivia!!
WELCOMING
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or are able to.)
Gathering
OPENING INTROIT: “Body, Mind and Spirit” MV # 153
ANNOUNCEMENTS & INTRODUCTIONS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
LIGHTING of the CANDLE of CHRIST
Leader: As we prepare to light our Christ Candle, may we be ever mindful of the light of Christ which dwells in each of our hearts, and, in our personal lives as well. May the light from the candle peel away the possible gloom in our lives and expose us to the love of Christ, so we also may shine today and always…and in lighting the Candle of Christ, we also light our Affirming Candle to remind us of our Affirmation Service of June the 3rd of 2018 – 5 years ago, and our commitment to being an open and loving community of faith…
*OPENING HYMN: “Part of the Family” (Words taken from “Songs for a Gospel People”)
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: In the beginning, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep. Then, God created everything!
ALL: In the act of creation, the Spirit of God swept over the face of the waters like a wind; it brooded like a bird. It was as if God said, “Lights!” and, in an instant, light appeared!
Leader: We come now to embrace the wonder of God’s inspiration, creativity, and understanding. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit brought together the church.
ALL: Ninety-eight years ago this coming Saturday, the Holy Spirit brought together The United Church of Canada…Methodists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists and Union churches.
Leader: And, later, the Evangelical United Brethren…and, before and after, other congregations of like-minded disciples of Jesus Christ.
ALL: So we come together. God’s people. Christ’s people. People of the Spirit Alive! People of Lakeview United Church.
Leader: To sing and to serve, to live and to love,
ALL: to pray and to play, and today, to offer the visible gift of the Spirit. We now offer ourselves in prayer and in grateful thanksgiving as we centre ourselves. May the ringing of the Prayer Bell bring us into conversation with the Holy Spirit…
OPENING PRAYER: (Unison)
O Three in One – One in Three, as people of the Sabbath, we open inward eyes and prepare room for the Divine to raise life in us anew. We celebrate your presence among us, within each of us, and all around us. We give thanks for your steadfast love which surrounds us as the ocean surrounds the land. We celebrate the living presence of Christ, whose face we have seen in the faces of friend and stranger. And we rejoice in your enlivening Spirit that sweeps through us as a breeze sways the tops of the trees, making their leaves twirl and dance. Gracious God, you have called us to be your church, the living, breathing body of Christ in this country for these 98 years and in Lakeview for these 60 plus years. You have given us gifts to be shared and used in your service: gifts of money and property, gifts of time and energy, gifts of talent and ability. Encourage and enable us to use these gifts for the good of all. Sweep through us once again as you did with your followers on the day of Pentecost, until we are the hands and feet of Christ in this world and this community of faith which you love so much…Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE:
Let us be mindful in the knowing that in God, we know this truth, that as we find healing, wholeness, strength and courage that everything which we may need to be God’s faithful people is present. Let us have the courage to open ourselves to the love that is life itself, the love which forgives and heals each of us…thanks be to God…Amen.
Engaging the Sacred Text
OLD TESTAMENT READING:
GENESIS 1:1-2, 4a (The first story of creation…) Beth Elliot
PSALM READING:
PSALM 8 (VU pg. 732) (What are human beings that God cares for them?…) Beth Elliot
Beth: O God, our God, how glorious is your name in all the earth! From the lips of infants and children your praises reach up to the heavens.
ALL: You have set up a stronghold against your foes, to quell the enemy and the avenger.
Beth: When I look to the heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars you have set in their places,
ALL: what are we mortals that you should be mindful of us, mere human beings that you should care for us?
Beth: You have made us little less than divine, and crowned us with glory and honour.
ALL: You have made us nurturers over all of your creation, and put all things under our feet,
Beth: all sheep and cattle, all creatures of the wild,
ALL: the birds of the air and the fish in the sea, and all that make their way through the waters.
HYMN of ILLUMINATION: “Alleluia” (Uruguay) MV # 52
(A traditional song among the descendants of African slaves in Uruguay.)
EPISTLE PASSAGE:
2 CORINTHIANS 13:11-13 (Agree with one another; live in peace; Trinity…) Beth Elliot
GOSPEL PASSAGE:
MATTHEW 28:16-20 (Go be disciples in all the world!...) Rev. Jope
SERMON / MESSAGE:
“Why Do We Need a Trinity Sunday?”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS:
(Invitation – Leader) We offer ourselves and our gifts to the Spirit of Life in the knowing that everything we have is a gift from this Spirit. We give in response to God’s generosity, as a sign of our commitment to serve Christ with our whole lives. The offering will now be received…
OFFERTORY PRAYER: (Unison)
ALL: Gracious God, we bring our gifts this morning and also in many other ways and days, amazed and gratified that they are considered worthy of your use. Bless these gifts, O God, and bless us in the giving…Amen.
CHOIR SELECTION: “Steal Away” Arranged by: Howard Helvey
Sacrament of Holy Communion
Leader: May God be with us as we share in this Holy Meal together.
ALL: God is surely here among us!
Leader: Let us open our hearts to God.
ALL: We open our hearts to God and also to one another.
Leader: Let us give thanks to God.
ALL: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Leader: (Words of welcoming…)
ALL: “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, Power of Life and Love! Heaven and
Earth are full of your glory! Hosanna through the ages!
Blessed is the One who comes to bring justice to earth!”
Let us remember that vision of God’s reign shown to us in Jesus at table.
Leader: (Words of Institution…)
ALL: (Unison) Come, Holy Spirit, move among us this day. May your energy draw us closer together with our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world to live your peace and your compassion. Come, Holy Spirit, move among us this day. Move among all people of this world with your love and peace! Amen.
SUNDAY’S REFLECTION OF THE HEART (Unison):
(…this is a blessing for the earth and it comes to us from Edward P. Echlin from England. I feel that it is an appropriate blessing as we come nearer to the season of summer.)
That we, and all fellow creatures entrusted to our care may praise you, we ask for your blessings, O God of all. Bless our houseplants and possible window-boxes, our birdfeeders and our animal companions. For some of us it is especially through these that we praise you. Bless those of us who, through Christ, in the power of your living Spirit, serve you and our fellow human creatures in hamlets, villages, towns, and cities. Bless our rivers and rain, the barrels in which we harvest the rain. Bless our compost which returns to the soil and rises again to new life as a symbol of resurrection. Bless our parks and gardens, the living soil communities with which we praise you, and within which we too are organisms. Bless our newly planted fields as they sprout forth. Bless our flowers, our vegetables, our fruit, our grain, as they praise you in their beauty. Through nurturing them, we enable your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. We contribute to biodiversity and to right relationships among all creatures. Bless our efforts to share earth’s beauty, its fruits, and life. These are yours, which you share with us, and entrust to our subordinate rule, that we too may share with your other creatures. For you love all that you have created and said it was good. Bless us as we offer the praise of all creation to you, through Christ, in the Holy Spirit…
THE LORD’S PRAYER
COMMISIONING: (unison)
And now, as we leave our time together, let us keep in mind the thought of the hymn writer: “This is God’s wondrous world… [and] though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.” In confidence and hope, let us leave this time and place of worship that we might be God’s kindness, God’s hope, God’s care and love, God’s hands and feet in the work of justice and of peace, in all the places life calls us to be….Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty” VU # 315
BENEDICTION: (Leader)
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you…and may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you…and may the Lord lift his countenance upon you and give you the deepest of peace…go now into the world with a song in your heart…Amen.
POSTLUDE
MAY 28, 2023
PENTECOST SUNDAY & WELCOMING NEW MEMBERS
A Service of Prayer, of Song, of Welcoming,
and of Experiencing the Fires of Pentecost.
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Nancy Gillean
PRELUDE
There is a theme for today and this is what it may be: The Holy Spirit is our experience of the dynamic, powerful, near presence of God. Our settled arrangements and our status quo are disrupted and transformed whenever the Holy Spirit comes to us, opening up new vistas and promoting new options.
This is Pentecost…this is today!
WELCOMING
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or are able to.)
Gathering
OPENING INTROIT: “Holy Sacred Spirit” MV # 15
(We will sing this introit through 3 X’s)
ANNOUNCEMENTS & INTRODUCTIONS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
LIGHTING of the CANDLE of CHRIST
Leader: Today is Pentecost and it’s the day when Jesus called us to go out to the world and to love…its simple enough to think about, but the doing is harder. Yet…the call is here and we are mindful of the light of Christ and may we always be reminded that we are God’s beloved people. So we gather today as the extended family of Christ and bring the light into our worship time…
*OPENING HYMN: “Come, O Holy Spirit” (Wind of Change) MV # 23
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: Upon this Sunday of Pentecost where the wind blows the Spirit into our lives, where the Spirit runs loose and runs free, bless us O God – bless our souls as we worship together.
ALL: We know that you’ve set the Earth on its foundations and that you are clothed with honour and dignity. You make springs rush from the ground, giving drink to all living things. You are Pentecost!
Leader: You cause grass to grow for the cattle and plants to grow for people to use. You nurture our gardens and nurture our spirits. You are Pentecost!
ALL: You give wine to gladden the human heart and bread to give us strength. You give us chocolate and pizza and curry and sushi…you are Pentecost!
Leader: How many are your works? How can we even begin to know the countless ways in which you feed us? In wisdom you’ve made it all and continue to make it all…you are Pentecost!
ALL: We will sing to you all of our days. So bless us, O God, bless our souls. Let us worship with heart, with mind, with body, and with spirit…let us worship and rejoice! So, O God, hear our joyful words to you in our opening prayer:
OPENING PRAYER: (Unison)
O Gracious One, O Spirit of the Living God, breathe new life into our ears, into our eyes, into our sense of smell, into our touching – into our hearts. Open them to all of your senses and make our lives a true reflection of your hope for this, our world. Make us all mindful of the shortfalls we have in our lives; we confess that too often we enjoy the ‘comfortable pew’, the comforting couch at the end of the day, the lulling noises of a favourite television show. We confess that it is too easy to listen to those with whom we already agree, or those who do not seem to ask us for anything but the priceless gift of time, without wondering why some messages are difficult for us to bear or understand. Give us the wisdom to hear the voices of the land of your birth, your death, and your resurrection with new hope that you are working there and also all over our world where peace sometimes seems so distant. Grant us the energy of your Pentecostal fire to be agents for the burning of your love and stir us from our sometimes complacency to a truly new compassion... Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE:
Peace is God’s precious gift; pardon is God’s gracious gift; new life is God’s free gift to those whose hearts and minds are in Christ Jesus. May we all know that we are a forgiven people…thanks be to God!...Amen.
Introduction and Blessings of New Memberships
BARBARA FERGUSON
DAVID FERGUSON (Absent)
MARILYN MAIR
CHARLOTTE MCCALLUM
MARILYN SIMMONS
KELLY WILDERMAN
MARK WILDERMAN (Absent)
Engaging the Sacred Text
NEW TESTAMENT READING:
1 CORINTHIANS 12:3b-13 (One Spirit; many gifts…) Nancy Gillean
2nd READING: JOHN 7:37-39 (Let the thirsty come and drink…) Nancy Gillean
HYMN of ILLUMINATION:
“Like a River of Tears” MV # 98
PENTECOST PASSAGE: ACTS 2:1-21 Rev. Jope (The Holy Spirit comes in wind and flame…)
SERMON / MESSAGE
“Finding the Spirit Within”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS:
(Invitation – Leader) God has blessed us with so much! Let us give our thanks with our gifts so that others may be blessed as well. Local offerings support the ministries of this community of faith to bless our local community; gifts to Mission and Service bless others across Canada and around the world. The offering will now be received…
OFFERTORY PRAYER: (Unison)
ALL: May these gifts be far more than their physical appearance or presence could command…may they be an inspiration and a blessing given in true love…Amen.
CHOIR SELECTION: “The Word Was God” By: Rosephanye Powell
OUR PENTECOST CLOSING PRAYER:
THE LORD’S PRAYER
COMMISIONING: (unison) (Taken from Joyce Rupp’s “Out of the Ordinary”)
May the enthusiasm of Spirit leap incessantly within you and help you to live a vibrant life.
May the warmth of Spirit’s fire be extended through your concern and care for all those who need your love.
May the blaze of Spirit’s courage enable you to speak the truth and to stand up for respect, dignity, and justice.
May the undying embers of Spirit’s faithfulness support you when you feel spiritually dry and empty.
May the strength of Spirit’s love sustain your hope as you enter into the pain of the world.
May the clear light of Spirit’s guidance be a source of effective discernment and decision-making for you.
May Spirit’s patient endurance be yours while you wait for what is unknown to be revealed.
May the steady flame of Spirit’s goodness within you convince you every day of the power of your presence with others.
May the joyful fire of Spirit dance within you and set happiness ablaze in your life.
May the spark of your relationship with Spirit catch afire in the hearts of those with whom you live and work.
May you be mindful of the Eternal Flame within you. May you rely in this Source of Love to be your constant ally and steady guide.… Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “Spirit of God, Unleashed on Earth” VU # 207
BENEDICTION: (Leader)
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you…and may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you…and may the Lord give you the deepest of peace…go now into the world with a Pentecost song in your heart…Amen.
POSTLUDE
May 21, 2023
SEVENTH SUNDAY of the EASTER SEASON
ASCENSION SUNDAY
A Service of Prayer, of Song, of Welcoming,
and of Together Praying that “All May Be One.”
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Heather Mayers
PRELUDE
“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” NRSV – Jesus (John 13: 34
WELCOMING
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or are able to.)
Gathering
OPENING INTROIT: “Holy, Holy, Holy” (Santo, Santo, Santo) VU # 951
(We will sing this introit through 3 X’s)
ANNOUNCEMENTS & INTRODUCTIONS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
LIGHTING of the CANDLE of CHRIST
Leader: Today, as we begin to let the season of Easter slide away and the period of Pentecost come before us, we light the candle of Christ. May this candlelight remind us that you are here with us, as we worship you this day, and may we remember that you are always near, just a prayer away. So we gather today as the extended family of Christ and bring the light into our worship time…
*OPENING HYMN: “Like a Healing Stream” MV # 144
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: This morning, in mystery and grandeur, we see the face of God in those who are worshipping together. God’s glory is all around us on this special Victoria Day weekend.
ALL: In earthiness and the ordinary we know the love of Christ. We will rejoice and give thanks as the whole world celebrates.
Leader: In heights and depths and life and death, the Spirit of God is moving among us. We will rejoice and give thanks!
ALL: Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. God guards the lives of the faithful. We will rejoice and give thanks!
Leader: Let us praise God with all of our hearts, our minds, and our spirits and let us worship together.
ALL: Gracious God, we are ready, accept this time of worship as our gift to you as we feel gifted by your presence.
Leader: Into your hands, O God, we commend our spirits…
one spirit, one truth, one hope. May we, as one body, give thanks and enter into the Mystery which surrounds and fills us. We stand at the crossroads and look…we ask for the ancient paths where the good way lies, and we walk in it and find rest for our souls.
OPENING PRAYER (For the Healing of the Nations): (Unison)
We come with thanksgiving for our very breath, the warmth of sun, the sustaining waters, for life all around us: the plants, soft grasses, and sheltering trees, for the ones that crawl, those that swim, and those that fly, for the four-legged and the two-legged…all our relations!
We celebrate the diversity in creation as reflected in the four winds from the four directions. We especially honour the many peoples with their many gifts for understanding our shared life upon this earth. We strive to live out the 7 sacred teachings:
Respect…
Love…
Honesty…
Courage…
Humility…
Wisdom…
Truth…
These teachings enable us to live in harmony with ourselves, with our neighbours, and with all the created earth. With this prayer may you hear the sincerity of our words and that you will witness the living out of these seven sacred teachings…Amen
(Taken loosely from words spoken by the Right Rev. Stan McKay, 2017 (Gathering mag.)
WORDS OF ASSURANCE:
God has answered our prayers, and in love, answers. God is showing us the way and revealing what is truly valuable. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Engaging the Sacred Text
NEW TESTAMENT READING:
ACTS 1:6-14 Heather Mayers (The ascension of Jesus…)
EPISTLE READING:
1 PETER 4:12-14; 5:6-11 Heather Mayers (Cast your cares on God. Be alert…)
HYMN of ILLUMINATION: “There Is Room for All” MV # 62
GOSPEL PASSAGE:
JOHN 17:1-11 Rev. Jope (Jesus prays that his disciples “all may be one”…)
SERMON / MESSAGE
“Never Having to Go it Alone”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS:
(Invitation – Leader) God has blessed us with so much! Let us give our thanks with our gifts so that others may be blessed as well. Local offerings support the ministries of this community of faith to bless our local community; gifts to Mission and Service bless others across Canada and around the world. The offering will now be received…
OFFERTORY PRAYER: (Unison)
ALL: May these gifts be far more than their physical appearance or presence could command…may they be an inspiration and a blessing given in true love…Amen.
CHOIR SELECTION: “We Are Not Alone” By: Pepper Choplin
7th SUNDAY of EASTERS’ REFLECTION: (Responsive)
Leader: O God, who knows our inner thoughts, Jesus prayed, “That they all may be one.” We look for the time when the whole world will be one, in concern for the weakest and the poorest, for the very old and the very young.
ALL: We pray that we will find a role in this huge task; a gift…
a message…an active form of participation.
Leader: Jesus prayed, “That all may be one” O God. We pray that the communities of faith will unite in sharing their beliefs and working for common goals.
ALL: We pray that we might play a part in this task; a contact, a discussion, a work project.
Leader: Jesus prayed, “That they may all be one” O God. We pray that neighbourhood groups will get together to care for those most vulnerable and at risk.
ALL: We pray that our faith community may join with others, to offer a meeting place, to provide leadership, and to be the focus for expressed hopes and just demands.
Leader: Together, we are able to do so much more than on our own. We know, O God, that you will bless our common endeavours.
ALL: In our willingness to listen to the beliefs of others, in our ability to respond to the dreams of others, in our readiness to inspire change for others, in our preparedness to work for justice with others,
Leader: the Spirit of Jesus is alive, and at work
ALL: And your peace, O God, will be our peace.
Leader: May we now together share in the timeless prayer which has been passed to us from countless centuries:
The Lord’s Prayer
Commissioning (unison):
Go from here but do not stare at the sky wondering what we will do now that Jesus has gone. We look ahead to the future, knowing that the Spirit is with us. We go as disciples of the Risen One…May we go out in peace.
*CLOSING HYMN: “Draw the Circle Wide” MV # 145
BENEDICTION: (Leader)
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you…and may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you…and may the Lord give you the deepest of peace…go now into the world with a song in your heart…Amen.
POSTLUDE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Sunday, May 28, 2023
PENTECOST SUNDAY & NEW MEMBERSHIP SUNDAY
ACTS 2:1-21
1 CORINTHIANS 12:3b -13
JOHN 7:37-39
MAY the 14th, 2023
SIXTH SUNDAY of the EASTER SEASON
MOTHER’S DAY & RURAL LIFE SUNDAY
A Service of Prayer, of Song, of Welcoming,
and of Together, Experiencing the Resurrection.
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Ministers: Rev. Clint Mooney & Rev. Kelley Warner
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Elizabeth Wegg
PRELUDE
“We cannot see light, it may be all around us, but light itself is invisible. When you shine a beam of light through a prism – a triangular piece of glass – white light turns into a rainbow of colour. So who may be the most colourful person that you know?”
WELCOMING
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or are able to.)
Gathering
OPENING INTROIT: “Lord, Prepare Me to Be a Sanctuary” MV # 17
(We will sing this introit through 3 X’s)
ANNOUNCEMENTS & INTRODUCTIONS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
As settlers on this land, we are called to live in right relationship with the peoples of the traditional lands of the Treaty 7 and Metis nations. May we be attentive to this relationship every single day?
LIGHTING of the CANDLE of CHRIST
Leader: Today on Mother’s Day Sunday we remember that Jesus called us family: siblings, mothers, children, fathers, uncles and aunts, nieces and nephews. So we light the Christ candle, claiming the promise that where even two or three are gathered together, Christ is in our midst. We gather today as the extended family of Christ and bring the light into our worship time…
*OPENING HYMN: “I Love to tell the Story” VU # 343
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP: (open to MV # 14)
Leader: Today, we gather at the crossroads, the intersection of life and faith. We gather at the crossroads, in this Affirming space, a place of safety and support, of diversity and inclusion. We are gathered at the crossroads, where God meets us.
(S. Lukey, 2023, based on Jeremiah 6:16a)
ALL: MV # 14 “Where Two or Three Are Gathered”
Leader: Into your hands, O God, we commend our spirits… breathe new life into our weary souls. We stand at the crossroads and look…we ask for the ancient paths where the good way lies, and we walk in it and find rest for our souls.
(Based on Jeremiah 6:16a)
ALL: MV # 14 “Where Two or Three Are Gathered”
Leader: Into your hands, O God, we commend our spirits…fill us with joyous hallelujahs! We stand at the crossroads and look…we ask for the ancient paths where the good way lies, and we walk in it and find rest for our souls.
ALL: MV # 14 “Where Two or Three Are Gathered”
Leader: Into your hands, O God, we commend our spirits…
one spirit, one truth, one hope. May we, as one body, give thanks and enter into the Mystery which surrounds and fills us. We stand at the crossroads and look…we ask for the ancient paths where the good way lies, and we walk in it and find rest for our souls.
OPENING PRAYER: (Unison)
We open our hearts to one another, and, in these moments of stillness, become aware of the warmth, the breath, the life we
share. The spirit of Christ abides in the shared space between us. May we inhale deeply of this sacred presence, and exhale words and actions of godly love. As folks met last weekend in Medicine Hat at the annual Chinook Winds Regional Gathering, may we know that we were connected to them and them to us. May we know that the common cup and the shared loaf were for each of us and that we found unity in our knowing that we were connected as all of those present shared in the sacred meal. So this morning, touch all of us with your grace and move us in directions of peace and justice for all living things. May our worship service this morning be a reflection of our flame of faith and may we start this new day with the joy of the Risen Christ and the Good News which he has asked us to share…we ask all of this in the name of the Risen One…Amen.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE:
God does not give as the world gives. For this we may rejoice. Our God offers peace in the face of fear, love in the face of hatred, and mercy in the face of wrongdoing. May our God of peace and love and mercy be praised! Amen.
Engaging the Sacred Text
NEW TESTAMENT READING:
ACTS 17:22-31 Elizabeth Wegg (Paul points the Athenians to “the unknown god”…)
EPISTLE READING:
1 PETER 3:13-22 Elizabeth Wegg (Do not repay evil for evil…)
HYMN of ILLUMINATION: “God, Help Us to Treasure” MV # 147
GOSPEL PASSAGE:
JOHN 14:15-21 Rev. Jope (The Advocate, the Spirit, will be with you…)
SERMON / MESSAGE:
“What Do We Say to Folks Who Are Grieving?”
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS:
(Invitation – Leader) It is now time for our offering to be taken up. I sometimes think it’s a fair miracle that churches like ours exist so much on the free-will offerings of so many people, who clearly value what it is and what it does. May we give so that we continue to be a baptizing, truth-seeking, justice-waging, evil-exposing, Jesus-proclaiming, community of faith.
OFFERTORY PRAYER: (Unison)
ALL: May these gifts be far more than their physical appearance or presence could command…may they be an inspiration and a blessing given in true love…Amen.
CHOIR SELECTION: “I Will Arise” Traditional Spiritual
Arr: Alice Parker & Robert Shaw
6th SUNDAY of EASTERS’ REFLECTION:
Leader: O Playful God, O Star shaper…we’ve welcomed you…
O Playful God, O Story teller…we’ve welcomed you…
O Playful God, O Fire dancer…we’ve welcomed you…
Joyful and welcoming God…we are glad to be here with you.
ALL: Creative and Loving God, your world is full of beauty and glory. We rejoice in daisies and dandelions even when they
blossom in the middle of our lawns. You call us to laughter and to dreaming…we are safe in your strong love.
Leader: O just and generous God, your world is full of questions and stories. You make us smile and think. You hold out hands in friendship. You call us to truth and to justice…we are safe in your strong love.
ALL: Holy and mysterious God, your world is full of wisdom and wonder. You dance in the wind. You are full of surprises. You call us to holiness and to glory…we are safe in your strong love.
Leader: You call us, God…You ask us what kind of lives we are living… and now, in this quiet moment, we answer… (Silence)
For all the good things that have happened to us we thank you. For the mistakes we have made and the people we have hurt we are sorry…
we ask for your help and your love… (Silence)
ALL: And so God says to all who ask:
I love you…I forgive you…
come and walk with me…
Thank-you God…
The sung Lord’s Prayer VU # 959
Commissioning (unison):
We remember those who have shown us the way and invited us to live as part of the family of God each day. We depart to share the truth we have received and to live with the hope that we cherish as part of the family of God…May we go out in peace.
*CLOSING HYMN: “Oh a Song Must Rise” MV # 142
BENEDICTION: (Leader)
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you…and may the Lord shine his face upon you and give you deep peace…go now into the world with a song in your heart…Amen.
POSTLUDE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Sunday, May 21, 2023
ACTS 1: 6-14
1PETER 4: 12-14; 5: 6-11
JOHN 17: 1-11
May 7, 2023
FIFTH SUNDAY
of the EASTER SEASON
MUSIC SUNDAY with CHOIR LEADERSHIP
A Service of Prayer, of Song, of Welcoming, and of Together, Experiencing the Resurrection.
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Minister: Rev. Clint Mooney
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Readers: Don Branter & Elizabeth Wegg
PRELUDE
Quote of the Day: (Janet Layton)
“When the wind blows…that is my medicine; when it rains…that is my medicine;
when it hails…that is my medicine; when it becomes clear after a storm…
the healing has begun.”
~ Anonymous and altered by Jope
WELCOMING (Janet Layton)
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or are able to.)
Gathering
*OPENING INTROIT: “Come, Let Us Sing” VU # 222
ANNOUNCEMENTS & INTRODUCTIONS (Janet Layton)
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT (Janet Layton)
As settlers on this land, we are called to live in right relationship with the peoples of the traditional lands of the Treaty 7 and Metis nations. May we be attentive to this relationship every single day?
LIGHTING of the CANDLE of CHRIST (Janet Layton)
Leader: When we arrived, we entered this space as separate people, but now we are the people of God, gathered as one body, lighting the candle that reminds us of the presence of Christ in our midst…
*OPENING HYMN: “When a Poor One” VU # 702
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP: (Yvonne Courtney)
Yvonne: In the parched soil of the desert, and in the wandering reality of people seeking meaning and hope, the search is on for God’s living waters.
ALL: God surprises us with new opportunities. We live with renewed hope. We are refreshed by the waters of creation that flow all around us.
(Water is poured)
Yvonne: In our desire for health and wholeness, and amidst the challenge to live with respect in creation and with justice for all, the search is on for God’s living waters.
ALL: God surprises us with new opportunities. We live with renewed hope. We are refreshed by the waters of creation that flow all within us.
(Water is poured)
Yvonne: In the midst of fear and uncertainty that dries up our spirits, the search is on for God’s living waters.
ALL: God surprises us with new opportunities. We live with renewed hope. We are refreshed by the waters of new life that are promised for each one of us. Let us worship and let us share in these words of our prayer to the Holy One:
OPENING PRAYER: (Unison) (Led by Ben Wegg)
Healing Spirit, we ask for your holy presence:
Emptying our hearts and minds to hear your voice;
Allowing an attitude of trust to permeate our being;
Loving your peace and calming our lives;
Intending to grow into oneness with you;
Needing your wisdom to guide our actions;
Giving ourselves to the grace you provide.
It is in the process of healing where each of us will be moved in directions of wholeness. It is in searching for you where we come in this time of worship to feel your presence. It is in community where each of us may gain the knowledge that we are all a part of the whole; that we are creation. Move through us this morning with your grace and with your love. Open our minds to new ideas and deeper wisdom, open our hearts to love deeper with creativity and compassion, and strengthen our whole selves to embrace your ongoing work of healing and justice. We pray in the name of the Healing One….Amen
WORDS OF ASSURANCE: (Ben Wegg)
God says, let go of the things that are not life-giving. Let go of all that needs to die in order that they may rise to new life. In letting go, we are free to embrace new life. In our dying…is our rising…Amen.
Engaging the Sacred Text
NEW TESTAMENT READING:
ACTS 7:55-60 Don Branter (Stephen is stoned…literally!…)
EPISTLE READING:
1 PETER 2:2-10 Don Branter (A chosen race, a royal priesthood, living stones…)
HYMN of ILLUMINATION: “We Sing of Your Glory” MV # 58 (Singing all four verses)
GOSPEL PASSAGE:
JOHN 14:1-14 Elizabeth Wegg (I am the way, the truth, the life…)
A TIME OF CHOOSING AND SINGING SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE HYMNS
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS: (Elizabeth Wegg)
(Invitation – Elizabeth) Participating in what God is doing is a gift we have been given. Being part of something larger than ourselves gives life meaning and connects us with others in empowering ways. Let the gifts we offer today serve God’s dreams and visions for those near and far.
OFFERTORY PRAYER: (Unison)
ALL: Gracious God, your hand is open to us: from you we have learned to be generous. As we open our hearts and hands to you now, receive these gifts and multiply them, so that they may bless others. Search us, dear God, and guide us to be faithful and free, daring and gentle. May our giving always bring glory to you alone. In Jesus’ name we ask…Amen.
5th SUNDAY of EASTER’S REFLECTION: (Beth Elliot)
Beth: As each of us are called to be healers, we celebrate that as the body of Christ, we come together to not only praise God but to also experience healing of minds, hearts, and spirits. We have lit the Christ candle this morning and it is a sign of the light and love of Christ. Let us join together in celebration and prayer as we ask our God for healing blessing:
ALL: O Almighty God…Creator…Redeemer…and Sustainer, we give thanks for your mercy and for your grace…in fact, we bow before you in adoration. (A moment of silence)
When we open our hearts and minds….you provide.
When we come to you as empty vessels…you provide.
When we need wisdom…you provide.
When we feel disconnected from life’s vitality…you provide.
When life’s burdens seem overwhelming…you heal.
When we forgive and let go of hurts…you heal.
When our health fails…you heal.
When we recognize that our world needs attention…you heal.
Holy God, your wisdom flows freely to us when we are open to your grace. May we have eyes to see and ears to hear. We give thanks for the oneness with you and offer to you the words which Jesus taught us to offer: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name… (Lord’s Prayer)….Amen.
Commissioning (unison): (Led by Beth Elliot)
We remember those who have shown us the way and invited us to live as part of the family of God each day. We depart to share the truth we have received and to live with the hope that we cherish as part of the family of God…May we go out in peace.
*CLOSING HYMN: “Go Now in Peace” (Besig & Price)
Go now in peace, never be afraid.
God will go with you each hour of ev'ry day.
Go now in faith, steadfast, strong and true.
Know God will guide you in all you do.
Go now in love, and show you believe.
Reach out to others so all the world can see.
God will be there, watching from above.
Go now in peace, in faith, and in love.
BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Mother’s Day Sunday, May 14th, 2023
ACTS 17: 22-31
1PETER 3: 13-22
JOHN 14: 15-21
April 30, 2023
FOURTH SUNDAY
of the EASTER SEASON
“Vacation Sunday” {Communion}
A Service of Prayer, of Song, of Welcoming, and of Together, Experiencing the Resurrection.
Lead Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Minister Emeritus: Rev. Gerry Scharff
Honorary Associate Minister: Rev. Clint Mooney
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Don Branter
PRELUDE
“Life has taught me that respect, caring, and love must be shared, for it is only
through sharing that friendships are truly born.”
(Donna A. Favors, Awake curriculum)
WELCOMING
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or are able to.)
Gathering
OPENING INTROIT: “Let Us Break Bread Together” VU # 480
ANNOUNCEMENTS & INTRODUCTIONS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
As settlers on this land, we are called to live in right relationship with the peoples of the traditional lands of the Treaty 7 and Metis nations. May we be attentive to this relationship every single day.
*OPENING HYMN: “I Danced in the Morning” VU # 352
LIGHTING of the CANDLE of CHRIST
Leader: When we arrived, we entered this space as separate people, but now we are the people of God, gathered as one body, lighting the candle that reminds us of the presence of Christ in our midst…
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Today we are called by the ‘Good Shepherd’ to come and worship together. Today we are led from sometimes parched lives to springs of living water.
ALL: Today we enter into this time of togetherness knowing that our strong faith has brought us here.
Leader: It is in worship where we meet the Holy One and share our experiences with each other.
ALL: We are called to believe. We are called to follow. We are called to have faith, but more than all of these things,
Leader: we are selfless shepherds, guarding, caring, loving, and giving, so that all may flourish.
ALL: We are all leaders…we are all caregivers…and this is what Jesus is to us and what we are to each other.
Leader: And so, in this time, and in this place, may the leaders be the followers and may the followers be the leaders, together seeking ways of justice and of peace.
ALL: We are once again, here…we are once again, ready. So come, let us worship. Let us together share in these words of our morning prayer to the Holy One:
OPENING PRAYER: (Unison)
Were we listening, when our friend spoke; did we hear what our neighbour said? Were we listening, to what the stranger said and did we hear the words of our enemy? Were we listening, to what people said when we met them in the street?
No, we didn’t hear what they said, we were quietly listening for the word of God.
Were we looking, when our friend came to us in pain and a neighbour tried to hide her tears? Were we looking, when our enemies reached out a hand and a stranger cried out for help? Were we looking, at the people all around when we passed them on the street?
No, we didn’t see them, we were busily looking for the light of God.
Didn’t we see him, didn’t we hear him when he spoke through our neighbour? Didn’t we hear him, didn’t we see him in the presence of our friends? Didn’t we see him, didn’t we hear him in the suffering of the stranger? Didn’t we hear him, didn’t we see him in the words of our enemy? Didn’t we see him, didn’t we hear him?
Sorry….who?
You know, the Christ…the Good Shepherd…we might have just missed him….
O God, make us attentive…let us be led by you into places
where we learn to see…to hear…to understand…and to
know that we loved and that we need to share this gift of
love….with all…Amen
WORDS OF ASSURANCE: (Leader)
Be assured everyone, that God forgives our frailties, our foolishness, and our mistakes, delighting in our humanity, loving us with a love beyond words…this is good news!!...no…Great news!!...Thanks be to God! Amen
Engaging the Sacred Text
(Reader: Don Branter)
NEW TESTAMENT READING:
ACTS 2: 42-47 (The believers share everything in common…)
PSALM READING:
PSALM 23 (God is my shepherd…)
Don: God is my shepherd,
ALL: there is nothing I shall lack.
Don: You, God, make me lie down in green pastures,
ALL: you lead me beside peaceful waters;
Don: you revive my spirit,
ALL: you guide me in right pathways for your name’s sake.
Don: Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you are with me,
ALL: your rod and your staff are my comfort.
Don: You spread a table for me in the sight of my enemies;
ALL: you anoint my head with oil; my cup is overflowing.
Don: Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
ALL: and I shall dwell in God’s house my whole life long.
HYMN of ILLUMINATION:
“Psalm 23 (The Lord’s My Shepherd)” VU # 747
GOSPEL PASSAGE:
JOHN 10: 1-10 (Rev. Jope) (Jesus the good shepherd and the gate…)
SERMON / MESSAGE / HOMILY
“Sitting at the City Gate of ‘Abundant Life’”
*HYMN:
“Long before the Night (This Ancient Love)” VU # 282
Responding
WORDS FOR OUR OFFERING: (Leader)
Receive from our hands the gifts which we offer to this community of faith. Like tobacco, sweet grass, sage and fire, we offer what we can
for the blessing of not only this place and this vast family but also the blessing of the earth and for the hallowing of your name. May we be strengthened as we give or gave, and may the world be enriched by these gifts. At this time, the offering plate will be brought forward for a blessing:
OFFERTORY PRAYER: (Unison)
Bless these gifts which we offer. Bless we, who offer them. Bless those, who will be touched, in turn. May this circle of blessings be pleasing in your sight, O God…Amen
CHOIR SELECTION: “The Ninety and Nine” By: Craig Courtney
Sacrament of Holy Communion
Leader: May God be with us as we share in this Holy Meal together.
ALL: God is surely here among us!
Leader: Let us open our hearts to God.
ALL: We open our hearts to God and also to one another.
Leader: Let us give thanks to God.
ALL: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Leader: (Words of welcoming…)
ALL: “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, Power of Life and Love! Heaven and
Earth are full of your glory! Hosanna through the ages!
Blessed is the One who comes to bring justice to earth!”
Let us remember that vision of God’s reign shown to us at table.
Leader: (Words of Institution…)
ALL: (Unison) Come, Holy Spirit, move among us this day. May your energy draw us closer together with our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world to live your peace and your compassion. Come, Holy Spirit, move among us this day. Move among all people of this world with your love and peace! Amen.
EASTER’S REFLECTIVE PRAYER: (Following communion)
LEFT SIDE: We are here, O God the Creator, because we want to get straight with you. In the end we know we will have to face you and account for the way we have lived our lives. For our lives are entrusted for a purpose. We are not to use them in any way we want, but to help make the world a place you will be proud to acknowledge as your own. That seems a distant dream. Yet you trust us to be partners in your purpose.
RIGHT SIDE: We come to worship because we want to get straight with you about that purpose. It is when we open ourselves to you and give you your due that we can see truly what we have been born to be, what part you want us to play.
LEFT SIDE: Reveal yourself to us this day. For we are often absorbed in ourselves – what we are doing and what we are planning, so that we do not give you the place in our lives that you should have.
RIGHT SIDE: Reveal yourself to us this day. For we are often preoccupied with getting and spending and making life more comfortable for ourselves, however badly the rest of the world suffers.
LEFT SIDE: Reveal yourself to us today. For we cannot forget the love which calls us and claims us, so that we are not marked in our lives with resurrection joy, which others might see in us to be a sign of your presence.
RIGHT SIDE: Reveal yourself to us this day in your forgiving grace. Put us straight with you and straight with ourselves and straight with our neighbours. In your compassion, make us better people. By your forgiveness give us a new start…Amen.
(Ian Fraser – from Holy Ground, Liturgies and Worship Resources for an Engaged Spirituality – Neil Paynter & Helen Boothroyd.)
LORD’S PRAYER
Commissioning (unison):
With a shepherd’s heart, go now to love the world around us; remembering that Christ’s love will meet our every need. May God keep us and lead us all our days…
*CLOSING HYMN: “Sent Out in Jesus’ Name” MV # 212
BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Sunday, May 7th, 2023
ACTS 7: 55-60
1PETER 2: 2-10
JOHN 14: 1-14
April 23, 2023
THIRD SUNDAY
of the EASTER SEASON
“Christian Family Camping Sunday”
A Service of Prayer, of Song, of Welcoming,
and of Together, Experiencing the Resurrection.
Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Beth Elliot
PRELUDE
Celtic blessings for your journey…
“May curiosity, the magpie, delight in the shiny sparkle of new treasure.
May enlightenment, the night-seeing owl, find sustenance even in the darkness.
May adventure, the far-flying dove, discover the unknown?”
WELCOMING
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or are able to.)
Gathering
OPENING INTROIT: “Open Our Hearts” MV # 21 (Sing this through 3 X’s)
ANNOUNCEMENTS & INTRODUCTIONS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
As settlers on this land, we are called to live in right relationship with the peoples of the traditional lands of the Treaty 7 and Metis nations. May we be attentive to this relationship day by day.
.
*OPENING HYMN: “Come, Children, Join to Sing” VU # 345
LIGHTING of the CANDLE of CHRIST
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: The family of faith has gathered for worship once again. It is into this season of spring where our hearts unite.
ALL: Our family of faith consists of many folk:
Leader: young and old, healthy and ill,
ALL: married, single, married again, single again, living with others, living alone --
Leader: here together in this place of welcome and friendship.
ALL: We have come at Christ’s own invitation that we might share life with each other,
Leader: and deepen faith with him, and live in his world in hope and friendship for all God’s people.
ALL: Upon this Christian Family Camping Sunday, we look deeply into the hearts of those gathered today and recognize the face of Christ in all.
Leader: We are called through our worship to share love and new life. We come to be changed and to praise with delight!
ALL: We are here…we are ready….come, let us worship, and let us share in these words of our prayer to the Holy One who breathes us:
OPENING PRAYER: (Responsive)
Leader: O God, to be with family in the celebrations of life and of holidays is a joy.
ALL: Will we be ready to encourage our family members and support them when the hard times arrive?
Leader: To be with family is easy when health is good and life is fun.
ALL: Will we be ready to stand beside family members when sickness comes and life is troubled?
Leader: To be with our church family is wonderful when all is going smoothly and the faith community is strong.
ALL: Will we be ready to play our part in times of struggle and in times of discouragement?
Leader: To be a member of the global family is rewarding when the economy flourishes and developed nations share with those who are not so fortunate in this world of ours.
ALL: Will we be ready to share from our plenty when recession bites and the call is, “Let us keep what is ours!”?
(Silent thoughtful reflection)
Leader: You offer us your peace, O God, peace within our human families, peace in our faith community, and peace within our world community.
ALL: We will work for that peace. We will pray for that peace. We will not despair if that peace does not come easily.
Leader: God, you will go with us in our peace-seeking.
ALL: Thanks be to you O Gracious One! Amen
WORDS OF ASSURANCE (Leader)
On this Christian Family Sunday or Camping Sunday we are all reminded that God is like a parent who says, “I don’t like what you did, but I still love you.” And then God gives us the opportunity to make changes. Thank you, God! Thank you for a fresh start…for this we are assured… Amen
Engaging the Sacred Text
(Reader: Beth Elliot)
OLD TESTAMENT READING
ACTS 2: 14a, 36-41 Three thousand new followers of The Way…
EPISTLE READING
1 PETER 24: 17-23 Souls purified through obedience…
HYMN of ILLUMINATION
“Deep In Our Hearts” MV # 154
GOSPEL PASSAGE
LUKE 24: 13-35 (Rev. Jope) Jesus’ appearance on the road to Emmaus…
SERMON / MESSAGE / HOMILY
“If Easter Is True, What Do We Do?”
*HYMN “When Will People Cease Their Fighting?” VU # 687
Responding
WORDS FOR OUR OFFERING (Leader)
(Invitation – Leader)
We have enjoyed many gifts since the last time we were here, O God. Help us to remember them now and to make this offering to you in joy and gratitude for you are the giver of every good and perfect gift, and we are but children learning to imitate your generosity. At this time, the offering plate will be brought forward for a blessing:
OFFERTORY PRAYER (Unison)
Bless these gifts which we offer. Bless we who offer them. Bless those who will be touched, in turn. May this circle of blessings be pleasing in your sight, O God…Amen
CHOIR SELECTION “Go Ye Into All the World” By: Eugene Butler
MEDITATIVE PRAYER (Responsive with words from the Sacred Text and singing of MV # 133)
Reader: (Isaiah 40: 21)
ALL: “Jesus Laughed Out Loud” MV # 133 (Verse # 1)
Reader: (Isaiah 40: 22-24)
ALL: “Jesus Laughed Out Loud” (verse # 2)
Reader: (Isaiah 40: 25-26)
ALL: “Jesus Laughed Out Loud” (verse # 3)
Reader: (Isaiah 40: 27-28)
ALL: “Jesus Laughed Out Loud” (verse # 4)
Reader: (Isaiah 40: 29-31)
ALL: “Jesus Laughed Out Loud” (verse # 5)
Reader: And now we share in the words of The Lord’s Prayer…
LORD’S PRAYER
COMMISSIONING (unison):
And now may God, who knows our secrets of our hearts, who loves us inside and out, through and through, be our source, guide, and destination as we continue our Easter journey. May we know ourselves to be so touched by God’s love that we will share that love with all those who we meet and work for justice and for peace for all God’s people.
*CLOSING HYMN “Give To Us Laughter” VU # 624
BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Sunday, April 30th, 2023
Communion Sunday
ACTS 2: 42-47
PSALM 23
JOHN 10: 1-10
April 16, 2023
2nd Sunday of Easter
Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Guest Worship Leader: Wendy Knudson
A Service of Prayer, of Song,
of continuing the Easter Season.
“I must confess that I have enjoyed being on this mountaintop and I am tempted to want to stay here and retreat to a more quiet and serene life. But something within reminds me that the valley calls in spite of all its agonies, dangers, and frustrating moments. I must return to the valley.”
[Martin Luther King, Jr. – January 27, 1965]
(*Gives you the opportunity to stand if you wish to or are able to….)
Gathering
WELCOMING & ANNOUNCEMENTS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The land on which this building sits is land that has been walked on, hunted on, and lived on for thousands of years. It is the Traditional land of the Treaty 7 and Metis nations. May we honour the story of this land, the people who live here, and the call to live with respect and with a deep thanksgiving.
LIGHTING OF THE CANDLE
Leader: As we light this candle this morning, God we come before you this morning and ask you to pour out your spirit upon us this worship. May the faithful find nuture; the careless – awakening; the doubting – courage, the anxious – calm; the sorrowful – comfort; the weary – rest and the strong – renewal. Give us this moment to hear your breath – to hear our own breath and find a quiet centre.
*OPENING HYMN: VU # 256 “O God Beyond All Praising”
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: Gracious and ever-loving God, who created the world and all that is in it; by your grace, you call us to serve in many times and places. As we gather here today to pray for and bless those who answer your call to be fishers, strengthen them by your Holy Spirit. Guide them in their work and in their leisure time. Keep them safe and watch over their homes and families. You, who give us all we need, you are the source of light and life, by the resurrection of your son you have shown your love for all your people. We pray that we would be the people you wish us to be, caring for one another, forgiving as ought, and offering thanks to you for all things.
ALL: O God, we come to you seeking your presence and your touch. Be with us, calming, inspiring and guiding us. Our intention is to love our neighbor as ourselves. In this way and otherwise, our intention is to love and serve you. May you lead us in ways of wisdom, kindness and integrity. May we be inspired with courage and purpose. We pray for forgiveness for our short comings, for healing and wholeness for ourselves and our world, for renewing and resurrecting graces….. Amen
*HYMN: VU # 333 “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”
ENGAGING THE SACRED TEXT
ACTS 2: 14a, 22-32 (Reader: Heather Mayer))
1 PETER 1: 3-9
GOSPEL PASSAGE: (Wendy Knudson)
JOHN 20: 19-31
SERMON/MESSAGE/HOMILY:
“Yes, We Are an Easter People”
*HYMN: VU # 352 “I Danced in the Morning”
RESPONDING
Words for our offering: ( Leader)
Repentance means turning. May our gifts this morning symbolize a turning of our hearts and hands to God and to the world in response to God’s mercy and grace. At this time, the offer plate will be brought forward for a blessing:
Prayer of Thanksgiving: Leader
OFFERTORY PRAYER (Unison)
Bountiful God, we lift our voices in prayers of praise for you have raised us to new life in Jesus Christ, and your blessings to us and to your world come in generous measure. In our hearts with our voices, may we grow in thankfulness for these and all your gifts of grace. We humbly present our gifts to you for use as your servant, in the name of Jesus Chris….Amen
CHOIR SELECTION
LORD’S PRAYER
Affirmation of Faith (in unison)
We are not alone,
we live in God’s world.
We believe in God:
who has created and is creating,
who has come in Jesus,
the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and others
by the Spirit.
We trust in God.
We are called to be the Church:
to celebrate God’s presence,
to live with respect in Creation,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope,
In life, in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us.
We are not alone.
Thanks be to God.
COMMISSIONING: (Unison)
Encouraged by the faithfulness of God, inspired by the word of God, challenged by the justice of God, enfolded by the peace of God, held in the love of God, we go from this place into an Easter World.
*CLOSING HYMN: VU# 586 “We Shall Go Out with Hope of Resurrection”
BENEDICTION: (Leader)
POSTLUDE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Sunday, April 23, 2023 - 3rd SUNDAY OF EASTER
Acts 2: 14a, 36-41
1 Peter 1: 17-23
Gospel: Luke 24: 13-35
April 9, 2023
EASTER SUNDAY!!
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Witnessing
The Resurrection
Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Elizabeth Wegg
Guest Musicians: Gerry Hebert (soprano saxophone)
Emily Phernambucq (flute)
Daniel Nava
Sean Buckley (percussion)
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or are able to.)
PRELUDE
“What is a resurrection moment? When you have two nickels left in the world, you
buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other…share the bread and gift
someone with the lily.” (Adapted from a Chinese Proverb)
Gathering
LIGHTING THE CHRIST CANDLE
Leader: At the first light of dawn, the women went to the graveside.
ALL: Are not our hearts burning within us?
Leader: And there they found…..nothing?
ALL: Are not our hearts lighted with fire?!
Leader: An empty tomb! The grave-clothes lying on the ground!
Where is Jesus?
(The Christ Candle is lit.)
ALL: Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed!
Alleluia! Alleluia, Amen!!
*HYMN: “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today” VU # 155
WELCOMING
EASTER PROCLAMATION: (Leader)
ANNOUNCEMENTS & INTRODUCTIONS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
As settlers on this land, we are called to live in right relationship with the
peoples of the traditional lands of the Treaty 7 and Metis nations. May we be
attentive to this relationship day by day.
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: In this moment --
ALL: where mystic and modern meet;
Leader: in this moment --
ALL: of empty tombs and heavenly messengers;
Leader: in this moment --
ALL: of life, of death, of resurrection;
Leader: we come.
ALL: We come to wonder, we come to hope, we come to be.
Leader: This is the day that God has made.
ALL: We will rejoice and be glad!
Leader: Let us come into God’s presence with praise and with
great thanksgiving --
ALL: singing hallelujahs to our Maker!
(The lighting of the Christ Candle liturgy and also the opening Call to Worship come from:
Richard Bott, Dunbar Heights U.C., Vancouver, B.C.
Gathering Magazine, Lent Easter, 2017, page 38)
*HYMN: “This Is the Day (Voici le joir)” MV # 122
OPENING PRAYER of APPROACH: (Responsive)
(The scripture passages are taken from the Gospel lessons…)
ALL: O Risen One…open our minds and our hearts this morning
to the Great Newness. Let us see and welcome your presence.
Leader: “Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him”
ALL: What may the latest revelation to us be?
Leader: Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.”
ALL: What food are we being offered for nourishment of Spirit?
Leader: “He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.”
ALL: O God, help us to recognize the Holy One in our lives.
Leader: “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who
was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised…”
ALL: The truth is being offered to us…why do we resist?
Leader: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to
believe.”
ALL: O God, give us deeper faith so as to believe in new life.
Leader: “Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
ALL: Do we believe that we, too, are very dear in God’s eyes?
Leader: “Why do you look for the living among the dead?”
ALL: Where are we looking for life?
Leader: “So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran
to tell his disciples.”
ALL: How do we witness to what we believe?
Leader: “Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be
with you.”
ALL: And we ask ourselves, how will we greet our world with
peace this Easter season? O God…help us…Amen
ASSURANCE of PARDON: (Leader)
God says, let go of the things that are not life-giving. Let go of all that
needs to die in order that you may rise to new life. In letting go, we are
free to embrace new life. In our dying…is our rising…Amen.
*HYMN: “Hey Now! Singing Hallelujah!” MV # 121
Engaging the Sacred Text
(Reader: Elizabeth Wegg)
NEW TESTAMENT READING
ACTS 10:34-43 (Peter’s account of Jesus’ death and resurrection…)
EPISTLE LESSON
COLOSSIANS 3:1-4 (Set your mind on things above…)
HYMN of ILLUMINATION
“O God, Hear My Prayer” VU # 948 (Sung 3 X’s)
GOSPEL PASSAGE
JOHN 20:1-18 (Rev. Jope) (Mary and the empty tomb…)
SERMON / MESSAGE / HOMILY
“And Christ Also Appears To Us….Can You See Him?”
*HYMN
“Christ Is Alive” VU # 158
Responding
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERING
(Invitation – Leader)
We’ve come here today not because Easter sounds like an upper, a lift,
but because of the huge offering of God in a single person, in the way
this person lived, gave, invested his life, that ultimately led to Good
Friday, a Friday called good because it’s all about life, about offering,
about sharing oneself. And because of all of that, we would share
ourselves in our offering.
OFFERTORY PRAYER (Unison)
ALL: Gracious God, your hand is open to us: from you we have
learned to be generous. As we open our hearts and hands to you
now, receive these gifts and multiply them, so that they
may bless others. Search us, dear God, and guide us to be
faithful and free, daring and gentle. May our giving always bring
glory to you alone…in Jesus’ name we ask…Amen.
CHOIR SELECTION “Taste and See” by: Larry Nickel
MEDITATIVE TIME (Unison)
“He is not here, for he is risen.” (Matthew 28:6) Easter brings a message of hope. Out of an empty tomb, the risen Christ fills the earth with love and hope. Death is not the end. Decay is not the order of the day. Despair is temporary. Hope is life and while there is life, there is hope.
Easter is a time of joy. In the midst of Mary’s mourning and anxiety, the risen Christ calls her by name, ‘Mary’. And she replied, ‘Rabboni’. Easter is a time of joy because it is a special time of recognizing, communing, and rejoicing. Easter is a time of blessing because it is a time of sacred naming.
Do you recognize the face of Christ in each other?
Do you commune and relate with each other in such a way that
people really wonder how do you do it?
Do you rejoice at the simple miracles of everyday life?
If you do, then Easter matters to you.
Easter is community time. It is a time to reach out to others:
The risen Christ reached out to the women who went to the tomb.
The risen Christ reached out to the men who betrayed him.
The risen Christ had breakfast with the disciples at the beach.
The risen Christ tells Simon Peter to feed his lambs.
The risen Christ calls us to reach out to others. We are not meant to be alone. We are not meant to wallow in grief and despair. We are not meant to eat by ourselves. But rather, we are meant to commune, to share in our meal together or break bread together equally. Easter time is community time. Let us live Easter time, all the time! Hallelujah!!
So together we offer the words of the Lord’s Prayer in song…
LORD’S PRAYER VU # 959
Commissioning (unison):
We cannot keep the good news of Easter to ourselves. When we
are challenged, we will speak of hope; when we are tested, we
will stand by our faith; when we feel alone, we will remember
that God is with us. We now go into the world and celebrate life
and all which is possible…Amen
CLOSING HYMN “Let Us Go Forth In Peace” by: Paul Halley
“Jesus Christ is Ris’n today,
Triumphed o’er the grave,
All God’s love on full display, For
us he came to save.
Lord of all to thee we raise,
grateful hymns of praise,
Jesus, human and divine , We
praise you now, always!
Alleluia!!”
BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Sunday, April 16, 2023
ACTS 2: 14a, 22-32
1 PETER 1: 3-9
JOHN 20: 19-31
APRIL 2, 2023
PALM SUNDAY (Communion)
A Service of Prayer, of Song, and of Welcoming
One Who Enters Into Jerusalem
Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Don Branter
PRELUDE
“For five weeks, we have all been travelling through the countryside, meeting some unusual people, observing profound miracles, overhearing intriguing conversations. As you journey even further, into your own Jerusalem, what may your ‘walking music’ be? Is it something which gives you strength?”
WELCOMING
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or are able to.)
Gathering
OPENING INTROIT: “We Are One” VU # 402
LENTEN MEDITATION: (Leader)
PRAYER: (following the extinguishing of the sixth candle)
ALL: O Loving God, there are so many choices before us every day…choices offered by our friends, our families, our culture, our own past. Some of them encourage the well-being of the earth, ourselves, and our neighbours; others are destructive. Help us to distinguish between them. May we learn from the choices of Jesus and embody compassion, justice, and inclusion in all we say and do…Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS & INTRODUCTIONS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
As settlers on this land, we are called to live in right relationship with the peoples of the traditional lands of the Treaty 7 and Metis nations. May we be attentive to this relationship day by day.
*OPENING HYMN: “All Glory, Laud and Honour” VU # 122
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: On Sunday you rode into town on a colt, O Christ;
ALL: and on Friday you walked, weighed down heavily by a cross.
Leader: On Sunday the crowd spread countless palms and garments on your way;
ALL: on Friday you were whipped and mocked.
Leader: On Sunday loud hosannas met your ears;
ALL: on Friday the cry was “Crucify him!”
Leader: Forgive us when we are fickle, fair-weather friends;
ALL: forgive us when we abandon you.
Leader: You were not the Messiah we expected:
ALL: you were not heroic and triumphant;
Leader: you were not a powerful ruler;
ALL: you were not the almighty king.
Leader: You were the power of powerlessness,
ALL: servant-sovereign,
Leader: suffering Messiah.
ALL: Remind us, O Christ, that we belong to you.
Leader: Let us now share our morning prayer:
OPENING PRAYER of APPROACH: (Unison)
O Holy One…on this special day, this ‘Palm Sunday’, we find ourselves once again standing on the side of the road. We don’t really know which part of the town to be waiting in so this seemed to be the best place. Something’s happening before us as this man comes riding into town…but something’s different.
We’re not really too sure what it was, so we moved on to another place. We did hear later, no donkey this time but a borrowed old Harley. We saw the Harley but we were really waiting for someone on a donkey. So we heard that Jesus rode into town with a black leather jacket, jeans frayed at the knees, and L-O-V-E tattooed on the knuckles of his right hand. Those who saw him said his smile was like the sun, warming shadowed corners and causing the way to blossom unexpectedly. Those who saw him told of all the light left over to be taken home and set in eyes, in hearts, and at windows, for strangers. It was like a miracle, they said. The rest of us missed it. We were in another part of the town, waiting for the Messiah. Maybe we need to be a little more open to possibilities….
Just maybe….
Amen.
ASSURANCE of PARDON: (Leader)
May each of us always know that we are beloved children of the Most High and if we ask for forgiveness, it shall be given to us…abundantly!
*HYMN: “And on This Path” MV # 8
(An interlude into Psalm 118)
Engaging the Sacred Text
(Reader: Don Branter)
PSALM READING: (VU #837)
PSALM 118:19-29 (The stone the builders rejected…)
Refrain: Hal-le-lu-jah! Hal-le-lu-jah!
Don: Open to me the gates of the temple, that I may enter and give thanks to God.
ALL: This is the gate of God, through it the righteous shall enter.
Don: I thank you for you have answered me, you have become my salvation.
ALL: The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
Don: This is God’s doing, marvellous in our eyes.
ALL: This is the day that God has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Refrain: Hal-le-lu-jah! Hal-le-lu-jah!
Don: Save us, O God, we pray;
ALL: God we pray, give us success.
Don: Blessed is the one who comes in the name of God.
ALL: We bless you from the house of God.
Don: God, our God, has given us light;
ALL: with palm branches in hand let us march to the altar.
Don: You are my God, and I will thank you;
ALL: you are my God, and I will extol you.
Refrain: Hal-le-lu-jah! Hal-le-lu-jah!
EPISTLE LESSON:
PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11 (Don) (Let the same mind be in you as was in Jesus…)
HYMN of ILLUMINATION: “And When You Call for Me” MV # 96 (Sung through 3 X’s)
GOSPEL PASSAGE:
MATTHEW 21:1-11 (Rev. Jope) (Jesus enters into Jerusalem…)
SERMON / MESSAGE / HOMILY:
“Entering the Week of ‘Many Moods’”
*HYMN: “Tell Me the Stories of Jesus” VU # 357
Responding
WORDS FOR OUR OFFERING:
(Invitation – Leader)
The Bible speaks of sacrificial giving, and to that kind of giving we are called. In this Holy Week, let us offer not only our monetary gifts, but ourselves, into the hands of the one who truly loves each and every one of us. At this time, the offering plate will receive a blessing:
OFFERTORY PRAYER: (Unison)
Loving God, bless us and these offerings, symbols of our service, that your goodness may be more fully known through us and through them. May the service of all your people, including us, make the abundance of your love fully known. We give thanks in the name of the One who enters into Jerusalem…Amen
CHOIR SELECTION: “The Holy City” by: Stephen Adams
Sacrament of Holy Communion
Leader: May God be with us as we share in this Holy Meal together.
ALL: God is surely here among us!
Leader: Let us open our hearts to God.
ALL: We open our hearts to God and also to one another.
Leader: Let us give thanks to God.
ALL: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Leader: (Words of welcoming…)
ALL: “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, Power of Life and Love! Heaven and
Earth are full of your glory! Hosanna through the ages!
Blessed is the One who comes to bring justice to earth!”
Let us remember that vision of God’s reign shown to us at table.
Leader: (Words of Institution…)
ALL: (Unison) Come, Holy Spirit, move among us this day. May your energy draw us closer together with our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world to live your peace and your compassion. Come, Holy Spirit, move among us this day. Move among all people of this world with your love and peace! Amen.
MEDITATIVE PRAYER: (Rev. Jope)
LORD’S PRAYER
Commissioning (unison):
Now we depart, leaving from this place of holy sanctuary, and we head into a world where we are invited into holy service. Wherever we go, we are able to sense the presence of God. We go forward in faith, this day and always…Amen
CLOSING HYMN: “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna” VU # 123
BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE
May You Now Journey Into
the Holiest of Weeks
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Sunday, April 9th, 2023
ACTS 10:34-43 (New Testament Reading))
COLOSSIANS 3: 1-4 (Epistle Lesson)
JOHN 20:1-18 (Gospel Passage)
MARCH 26, 2023
FIFTH SUNDAY of the
LENTEN SEASON
A Service of Prayer, of Song, of Welcoming,
and of Together, Sharing in the Lenten Journey.
Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Nancy Gillean
PRELUDE
“Be still…and let God’s peace wash over you like waves lapping over pebbles; smoothing rough edges of overwhelming worries and turning them into grains of sand…and let the peace of God be with us all today”
WELCOMING
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or are able to.)
Gathering
OPENING MEDITATIVE INTROIT: VU # 121 (Verses 1 - 5)
“Tree of Life and Awesome Mystery”
LENTEN MEDITATION: (Leader)
PRAYER: (following the extinguishing of the fifth candle)
ALL: Loving God, we open our hearts to you. We invite you into our inmost being, only to find you already there. Strengthen us in our quiet places and then lead us into the work of justice and peace…Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS & INTRODUCTIONS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
As settlers on this land, we are called to live in right relationship with the peoples of the traditional lands of the Treaty 7 and Metis nations. May we be attentive to this relationship day by day.
*OPENING HYMN: “Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness” VU # 375 (Refrain, four verses, refrain)
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: The hand of God brought me into the midst of the valley, and it was full of dry bones.
ALL: This will be the means by which the Son of Man will receive glory.
Leader: God’s Spirit asked, “Mortal, can these bones live?” and I answered, “God only knows!”
ALL: Our friend Lazarus is dead: let us go to him.
Leader: Speak to these bones.
ALL: “Lazarus, come out!”
Leader: See what happens when they hear the Word of God… suddenly the bones fit together. Ligaments and tendons, muscle and skin formed a body, but there was no breath.
ALL: The body walked, but it was wrapped head to toe in the clothing of death.
Leader: Speak again and let the wind of the Spirit return life to these hopeless ones.
ALL: Unbind the body that the breath of God may excite new life.
Leader: Both Old and New Testaments witness that God enters our death-filled existence to bring us to life, reminding us that Jesus took upon himself our pain, our isolation.
ALL: As Christ’s disciples, we have unfinished business in this world. Our obligation is to speak the word of promise to the dry bones of our communities, to be a conduit for the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Our daily work is removing the bindings of injustice, oppression, and poverty, permitting all God’s people to exercise and enjoy the freedom of new life in Christ.
Leader: Let us now share our prayer to our Creator God:
OPENING PRAYER of APPROACH: (Unison)
With the coming of spring, O God, we are aware of ourselves as gardens. We have lain fallow through the winter, our souls untended. Reminders of an old life still clutter the surfaces of our lives. Things dormant in us are beginning to grow. We stretch toward the sunlight, with gratitude for the warmth. We wait to be tilled, to have the hard earth broken and made soft again. We long for the gentle rains of your Spirit to give life to the good things inside us. We lament the weeds that grow in spite of all our best wishes. Come, O God, and renew the life that is in us. Raise us up to fruitfulness in this, your world. We pray in the name of Jesus the Christ who worked alongside the Most High Gardener ….Amen.
ASSURANCE of PARDON: (Leader)
At this moment….and always….whether we feel it in our hearts today, or not. God loves us infinitely more than we can grasp. God guides us and holds us dearly in a spiritual embrace. This is the Good News that Jesus brought. Thanks be to God…Amen
*HYMN: “This Day God Gives Me” VU # 410
Engaging the Sacred Text
(Reader: Nancy Gillean)
OLD TESTAMENT READING:
EZEKIEL 37:1-14 (The valley of the dry bones…)
EPISTLE LESSON:
ROMANS 8:6-11 (Life in the spirit…)
HYMN of ILLUMINATION: (sung gently)
“Spirit God, Be Our Breath” MV # 150
GOSPEL PASSAGE:
JOHN 11:1-45 (Rev. Jope) (The death of Lazarus…)
SERMON / MESSAGE / HOMILY:
“Mission Impossible”
*HYMN: “God of the Bible” MV # 28
Responding
WORDS FOR OUR OFFERING: (Leader)
(Invitation – Leader)
The Bible speaks of sacrificial giving, and to that kind of giving we are called. In these Lenten days, let us offer not only our monetary gifts, but ourselves, into the hands of the one who truly loves each and every one of us. At this time, the offering plate will receive a blessing:
OFFERTORY PRAYER: (Unison)
Loving God, we offer these gifts this morning and also the gifts which we contribute in so many other ways. In some way, they seem paltry in comparison to what Jesus offered…his whole self. But, they represent our commitment to Jesus Christ, our community of faith, and the world. Amen
CHOIR SELECTION: “Requiem” By: Eliza Gilkyson
MEDITATIVE PRAYER: (Niesje Bates & Rev. Jope)
LORD’S PRAYER
Commissioning (unison):
Encouraged by the faithfulness of God, inspired by the word of God, challenged by the justice of God, enfolded by the peace of God, held always in the love of God, we go from this place into a Lenten world…
CLOSING HYMN: “Will Your Anchor Hold” VU # 675
BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE
May You Now Turn Your Face
Towards Jerusalem
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Palm Sunday, April 2nd, 2023
PSALM 118 (VU # 837 – Responsive) (Psalm Reading)
PHILIPPIANS 2: 5-11 (Epistle Lesson)
MATTHEW 21: 1-11 (Gospel passage)
HAPPY SPRING!!
MARCH 19, 2023
FOURTH SUNDAY of the LENTEN SEASON
A Service of prayer, song, of welcoming, and of together, sharing in the Lenten Journey.
Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Ann Orr
PRELUDE
“The bottom line of the gospel, the good news, is not good morality, but gratuity and grace…that which is utterly undeserved….Christianity starts when morality stumbles.” (Kathy Galloway – A Story to Live By)
WELCOMING
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or are able to.)
Gathering
OPENING MEDITATIVE INTROIT:
VU # 121 (Verses 1 - 4) “Tree of Life and Awesome Mystery”
LENTEN MEDITATION: (Leader)
PRAYER: (following the extinguishing of the second candle)
ALL: Loving God, we thank you that you are with us, and that we may call upon you no matter where we are, or what we are feeling. Keep us mindful of your presence and trusting in your promise that you are working with all of us in the moment-by-moment unfolding of our lives…Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS & INTRODUCTIONS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
As settlers on this land, we are called to live in right relationship with the peoples of the traditional lands of the Treaty 7 and Metis nations. May we be attentive to this relationship day by day.
*OPENING HYMN: “Many Are the Lightbeams” VU # 588
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: Our journey continues…Jerusalem is not far away…and we each have our own ‘Jerusalems’….the shadow of the cross is drawing near.
ALL: The unease of the disciples grows more intense…we begin to sense that something is ominous, something is beginning to unfold.
Leader: The determination of Jesus is without question…the powers in Jerusalem sense a threat without parallel.
ALL: The challenge of the evil one is before us…the way to meet the challenge is rooted in our faith community.
Leader: The shadow of the cross draws closer…the power of the Crucified One will turn our indifference into action. Our worship together, this morning, is an accumulated voice of what it means to be the children of God in action.
ALL: And so we set our course toward a new home…the home of every grace as we find ourselves being drawn into the new reality of giving all…we have come into this place of worship as we offer our thoughts and our prayers to you:
OPENING PRAYER of APPROACH:
Leader: “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other…Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” (Colossians 3:12-14)
ALL: Jesus…Mentor and Friend, your life and ministry were constantly clothed with love. We hold the image of your loving qualities and virtues close to us we pray:
When our spiritual clothes are soiled with negativity and neglect, may we have the desire and energy to clean them.
When our spiritual clothes droop, sag, and do not fit, may we have the wisdom and determination to let our words and actions fit our values and beliefs.
When our spiritual clothes need changing, may we have the ability to make good decisions and the courage to follow through with the necessary changes.
When our spiritual clothes are torn or need mending, may we make amends and be open to forgiveness and reconciliation.
When our spiritual clothes are not accepted by others, may we have the self-affirmation to be our true selves and not give in to the demands of others.
When our spiritual clothes become thin and frayed, may we strengthen them with a garment of loving-kindness.
Jesus…transform all we are and all we do into the kind of love that permeated your presence. Clothe us with your love and grant us grace to be truly kind and caring. May our spiritual clothes be spun from the gold of goodness and last into eternity. Amen
ASSURANCE of PARDON: (Leader)
At this moment….and always….whether we feel it in our hearts today, or not. God loves us infinitely more than we can grasp. God guides us and holds us dearly in a spiritual embrace. This is the Good News that Jesus brought. Thanks be to God…Amen
*HYMN: “As the Sun with Longer Journey” VU # 111
Engaging the Sacred Text
(Reader: Ann Orr)
OLD TESTAMENT READING:
1 SAMUEL 16:1-13 (Samuel chooses one of Jesse’s sons as a king…)
PSALM READING:
PSALM 23 (God is truly my shepherd!…)
HYMN of ILLUMINATION: (sung gently)
“Psalm 23 The Lord’s My Shepherd” VU # 747
GOSPEL PASSAGE:
JOHN 9:1-41 (Rev. Jope) (Jesus heals the man born blind…)
SERMON / MESSAGE / HOMILY:
“Who Amongst Us Will Lead?”
*HYMN: “Open My Eyes, That I May See” VU #371
Responding
WORDS FOR OUR OFFERING: (Leader)
(Invitation – Leader)
Repentance means turning. May our gifts this morning symbolize a turning of our hearts and hands to God and to the world in response to God’s mercy and grace. At this time, the offering plate will be brought forward for a blessing:
OFFERTORY PRAYER: (Unison)
Our gifts are our promise to you, O Living God: a promise of faithfulness to the Christ of the ages; a promise of support to our community of faith, a promise of help to the powerless ones. In the power of your Spirit, may these gifts spread you love. We pray in Jesus’ name…Amen
CHOIR SELECTION: “Love Has Broken Down the Wall” By Mark A. Miller
MEDITATIVE PRAYER: (Unison)
Take us now, O God, into the heart of your love. Lead us into the quiet refreshment of your living water, where we find peace, joy, and fulfillment. Be our good shepherd, rabbi, saviour, and friend. We seek to live in the power of your love of Life in each day you give us. We seek to know you, to come to you with fresh, open hearts and spirits that are green, wet, and growing, knowing your care and tenderness. Transform us to live as people of this life, people of hope, generosity, and peace. We trust that, through your Spirit, we will become the people you would have us be.
In the desert of Lent, O God, we are aware of the wars within us and around us on our planet. We know the wars inside us as we struggle to know the right and do it, seeking your will and not merely our own self-interest. We know the war against creation, as humans exploit and consume its resources. We know the wars of guns and missiles, the ruined lives of many peoples, the innocent suffering of many. O God of hope and compassion, heal us: heal your broken world that light and love may shine in the eyes of every creature and friend. Deepen us, O God, deepen our trust, our hope, our love. Deepen our vision of what may be. Teach us how we may be creative agents of change, so that, guided by your Spirit of Life, earth may again be a garden. In Jesus’ strong name, we pray and now we share in the words of The Lord’s Prayer:
Commissioning (unison):
Encouraged by the faithfulness of God, inspired by the word of God, challenged by the justice of God, enfolded by the peace of God, held always in the love of God, we go from this place into a Lenten world…
CLOSING HYMN: “When Hands Reach Out Beyond Divides” MV # 169
BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE
May You Journey Well Throughout Lent
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Sunday, March 26, 2023
Fifth Sunday of Lent
EZEKIEL 37:1-14 (Old Testament passage)
PSALM 130
ROMANS 8:6-11 (Epistle Lesson)
JOHN 11:1-45 (Gospel passage)
March 12, 2023
THIRD SUNDAY of the LENTEN SEASON
A Service of Prayer, of Song, of Welcoming,
and of Together, Sharing in the Lenten Journey.
Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
Reader: Elizabeth Wegg
Guest Soloist: Lauren Woods
PRELUDE
“What is faith? The definition may be put this way: faith is the acceptance
of that which we imagine to be true…that which we cannot prove.” (J.L.)
WELCOMING
(This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or are able to.)
Gathering
OPENING MEDITATIVE INTROIT: VU # 121 (Verses 1, 2, and 3)
“Tree of Life and Awesome Mystery”
LENTEN MEDITATION: (Leader)
PRAYER: (following the extinguishing of the second candle)
ALL: Draw us together in your love, O God. May our restless
hearts not resist you, but continue to search until they find their
rest in you…We pray this in the name of the one who slowly
journeys to Jerusalem...Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS & INTRODUCTIONS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
As settlers on this land, we are called to live in right relationship with the
peoples of the traditional lands of the Treaty 7 and Metis nations. May we be
attentive to this relationship day by day.
*OPENING HYMN: “Jesus Shall Reign” VU # 330
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: Welcome once again, each and every one of you, into
this journey of Lent…for some of us, it’s meaningful…for others,
it’s just another ‘ritual’ which some church folks do, but
nonetheless, it leads us to new life and the promise of a
rainbow.
ALL: After the story of the flood in Genesis, God’s tears
mingled with ours and God choked, “Never again.”
Leader: God promised, “Never again,”
ALL: and from the light and the mist of those mingled
tears, God made a rainbow.
Leader: A bow in the sky to draw us out beyond our sorrow and
remember the promise of all we do not notice:
ALL: the holy moments of our common humanity and the
God-given colours of love.
Leader: Upon this third Sunday of Lent, we come seeking God.
ALL: In this time of uncertainty in our lives, we come
seeking God.
Leader: Quieting our minds, opening our hearts, and waiting for
the divine mystery to make itself known,
ALL: we wait upon the rainbow to appear once again and
as we wait, we spend our time in worship to the one who
beckons us and who journeys with us to Jerusalem. We
now turn our hearts and minds and voices to you in our
opening prayer:
OPENING PRAYER of APPROACH: (Unison)
O Holy One, O Source of our being whose power is revealed in
our weakness, whose wisdom embraces our foolishness, we
come to you seeking solace in sorrow, wisdom in confusion,
companionship in distress. In this holy place, at this holy time,
hear our varied voices, our songs, and lamentations. Come and
journey with us, O wanderer in the desert. Be living water to
our thirst, manna to our hunger. Come and journey with us, O
traveler to Jerusalem and be our companion on the inner way,
be the keeper of our vineyards, our fields, our herds. Be the
good shepherd to all of us, your people, and keep us as the
apple of your eye. And as your promise of the rainbow was
made when the world began, may it always be a reminder to
each of us that there will always be new beginnings after the
rain and snow, new beginnings from the darkness into light.
May our worship time together this morning reflect all of the
colours of the rainbow and may we share these colours with
each other in this affirming community of faith…Amen.
ASSURANCE of PARDON: (Leader)
May we remember this day that we are all God’s beloved children. May
we remember that we are held in God’s loving embrace, which keeps our
spirits safe. Through Jesus, God offers to us the miracle of God’s
limitless grace and mercy. Thanks be to God…Amen
*HYMN: “Like a Healing Stream” MV #144
Engaging the Sacred Text
(Reader: Elizabeth Wegg)
OLD TESTAMENT READING:
EXODUS 17:1-7 (Water from the rock…)
EPISTLE READING:
ROMANS 5:1-11 (Hope in God does not disappoint us…)
HYMN of ILLUMINATION: (sung gently)
“Water Flowing from the Mountains” MV # 87
GOSPEL PASSAGE:
JOHN 4:5-42 (Rev. Jope) (Jesus and the Samaritan woman…)
SERMON / MESSAGE / HOMILY:
“IS SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP ALWAYS THE ANSWER?”
*HYMN: “When Long Before Time” VU # 248
Responding
WORDS FOR OUR OFFERING: (Leader)
(Invitation – Leader)
Repentance means turning. May our gifts this morning symbolize a
turning of our hearts and hands to God and to the world in response to
God’s mercy and grace. At this time, the offering plate will be brought
forward for a blessing:
OFFERTORY PRAYER: (Unison)
WE offer our gifts in gratitude for healing love, strengthening
presence, and hope when things seem hopeless. May these in
some small way communicate your love with those around us,
and with those around the world. We pray in Jesus’ name…
Amen
CHOIR SELECTION: “Pie Jesu” from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Requiem
MEDITATIVE PRAYER: (Unison)
O Generous God, we offer you our deepest gratitude for the gift
of your prayer from Jesus. The Lord’s Prayer brings us comfort
and assurance, reminding us of your parental concern for us. It
is wonderful to be able to carry it with us wherever we go.
When we recite it together, we are joined as one family in
Christ. In the shared knowledge of it, we recognize fellow
believers. It is also an invitation we can offer to others to join
your household. We begin today, O Gracious God, to look into
your prayer more closely. Send your Holy Spirit upon us as we
delve deeply into the treasures of each word. May the Lord’s
Prayer travel ever further into our hearts. We praise you now
for this amazing gift by sharing in the words of this prayer:
The Lord’s Prayer
Commissioning (unison): We now return to the world outside of
this sanctuary and our lives outside of these walls refreshed and
renewed. We take with us the light of Christ, knowing that this
light shines for everyone. This light shines love into places in
need of healing. May each one of us follow Christ’s call to be the
light in the world…We go now in peace as we listen to the
timeless hymn of ‘How Great Thou Art’…
CLOSING HYMN: “How Great Thou Art” arr: Lloyd Larson
Soloist: Lauren Woods
BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE
May You Journey Well Throughout Lent
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Sunday, March 26, 2023
Fourth Sunday of Lent
1 SAMUEL 16:1-13 (Old Testament passage)
PSALM 23
EPHESIANS 5:8-14 (Epistle Lesson)
JOHN 9:1-41 (Gospel passage)
March 5, 2023
SECOND SUNDAY of the LENTEN SEASON
a Service of Prayer, of Song, of Welcoming,
and of Together, Journeying Into Lent.
Minister: The Rev. Jope Langejans
Music Director: Cody Obst
Chair of Council: Bob Gibennus
PRELUDE
“The reason birds fly and we can’t is simply that they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings.” (James Matthew Barrie)
“There are two lasting bequests we can give our children: one is roots. The other is wings.” (Hodding Carter, Jr.)
WELCOME
This asterisk * signifies the opportunity to stand if you wish to or are able to.
GATHERING
OPENING MEDITATIVE INTROIT: VU # 121 (Verses 1 and 2)
“Tree of Life and Awesome Mystery”
LENTEN MEDITATION: (Leader)
PRAYER: (ALL) (following the extinguishing of the second candle)
O Loving God….as we journey through this Holy season of Lent, may we be open to your presence. Give us the strength to make the changes that are needed in our lives and the courage to take on the work of transforming the world...Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS & INTRODUCTIONS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
As settlers on this land, we are called to live in right relationship with the peoples of the traditional lands of the Treaty 7 and Metis nations. May we be attentive to this relationship day by day.
.
*OPENING HYMN: “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”
VU # 264
OPENING CALL TO WORSHIP:
Leader: Welcome into this Lenten journey…welcome upon this road which leads somewhere. It is through worship together where we share our plans for this, our faith journey.
ALL: It is in this place where we hear the urgings of our God to make a new world…to make room for the outsider.
Leader: Today we continue to move inward as this journey parallels the journey of Jesus towards his surrender,
ALL: towards his moments of deepest vocation, toward the self raised against the sky, arms outstretched, in the agony of love.
Leader: It is upon this parallel road where each of us comes in contact with our inner spirit, with our centre of our being and who we are as followers of Christ.
ALL: Call us on the journey out into Blessing; fold us in, into Living Blessing.
Call us on the journey out into Faithing; fold us in, into Living Faith.
Call us on the journey out into Questing; fold us in, into Living Questions.
Call us out and call us in…to meet Holy You. We now turn our hearts and minds and voices to you in prayer:
OPENING PRAYER: (Unison)
O Holy One, Lent may mean something to some of us and to others, it’s just another day or another period in the liturgical year. Regardless of our thoughts on this, there are always periods in our lives where we have desert experiences and we search for the ways of how to journey out of this place. This is why we come together on Sunday mornings so that our collective thoughts may be held out in prayer. Often when taking our own journey we find ourselves in a cul-de-sac, or at crossroads not knowing which road to go or on a roundabout where we circle endlessly. Journeying with others we find the way as we go on with purpose, guided by your divine Spirit, towards a common goal. May this season of Lent be for each of us, a time of finding our way out of desert places into a newness of life. May we always be dependent on each other’s gifts and sharing in each other’s hopes….Amen.
ASSURANCE of PARDON: (Leader) Were you there, on that day that love was born? Were you there, when pride and greed died a painful death? Were you there, when hope’s fragile tendrils pushed their way through the hardened cracks? Were you there, when death buried life and spring came again? Well, I was there and hopefully, you were there for we are all forgiven people…Amen.
Engaging the Sacred Text
Reader: Peggy Jackson
OLD TESTAMENT READING:
GENESIS 12:1-4a God calls Abram to be a blessing…
PSALM 121 read from Leslie Brandt’s book: Psalms/Now - Rev. Jope
EPISTLE READING:
ROMANS 4:1-5, 13-17 The promise of God rests on grace…
HYMN of ILLUMINATION: (sung slowly)
“And When You Call for Me” MV # 96
(We will sing this through 4 X’s – first time together, second time women only, third time men only, and the fourth, together once again)
GOSPEL PASSAGE:
JOHN 3:1-17 (Rev. Jope) Nicodemus learns that “God so loved the world”…
SERMON / MESSAGE / HOMILY:
“Using Your Time to Make a Life worth Living”
*HYMN: “Psalm 121 – Unto the Hills” VU # 842
Responding
WORDS FOR OUR OFFERING: (Leader)
(Invitation – Leader)
We have enjoyed many gifts since the last time we were here, O God. Help us to remember them now and to make this offering to you in joy and gratitude for you are the giver of every good and perfect gift, and we are but children learning to imitate your generosity. At this time, the offering plate will be brought forward for a blessing:
OFFERTORY PRAYER: (Unison)
Bless these gifts which we offer. Bless we who offer them. Bless those who will be touched, in turn. May this circle of blessings be pleasing in your sight, O God…Amen
CHOIR SELECTION: “Come Unto Me” by: Larry Nickel
Sacrament of Holy Communion
(With special music by Fiona Hayes)
Leader: May God be with us as we share in this Holy Meal together.
ALL: God is surely here among us!
Leader: Let us open our hearts to God.
ALL: We open our hearts to God and also to one another.
Leader: Let us give thanks to God.
ALL: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Leader: (Words of welcoming…)
ALL: “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, Power of Life and Love! Heaven and
Earth are full of your glory! Hosanna through the ages!
Blessed is the One who comes to bring justice to earth!”
Let us remember that vision of God’s reign shown to us at table.
Leader: (Words of Institution…)
ALL: (Unison) Come, Holy Spirit, move among us this day. May your energy draw us closer together with our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world to live your peace and your compassion. Come, Holy Spirit, move among us this day. Move among all people of this world with your love and peace! Amen.
MEDITATIVE PRAYER: (Unison)
O God of the snow and ice, and God of the thawing fields, we bow before you now in the changing of the seasons and confess to changing seasons in our own lives. We may appear stable to others, but we know the fluctuations that are always taking place in our inner selves. First we doubt and then we have faith. We care about something and then we lose interest. We are strong and then we are weak. We are determined and then too laid-back. Sometimes it is all we can do to bear our own faithlessness. But you, O God, are always the same with us: strong…gentle…long-suffering…forbearing in love. Teach us to wait on you and be like you, to find in your nature what we lack in our own, and, finding it, to become imitators of you. Let us be followers of Christ, whose vision of your kingdom kept him always on course and always devoted to the welfare of others. Help us to care less about ourselves and our reputations and what we have in the world, and more about the ones who are in pain, lost in their own deserts of their lives. And visit us always, in our changing seasons, with a sense of your stead-fastness,
O God, our rock, that we may continually praise you. And now let us share to you the prayer in song which has been taught to us from generations past:
THE LORD’S PRAYER VU # 959
Commissioning (unison): And now may God, who knows our secrets of our hearts, who loves us inside and out, through and through, be our source, guide, and destination as we continue our Lenten journey. May we know ourselves to be so touched by God’s love that we will share that love with all we meet and work for justice and for peace for all God’s people.
*CLOSING HYMN: “Praise God for This Holy Ground” MV # 42
BENEDICTION & POSTLUDE
May You Journey Well Throughout Lent
March 12 – Readings:
EXODUS 17:1-7
ROMANS 5:1-11
JOHN 4:5-42