Service Sunday August 11, 2024
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Worship Leader: Debbie Sherwin
All are Welcome!
Watch a video recording of the whole service using YouTube below.
The Gathering
Welcome and Announcements.
Focusing Moment.
Acknowledgement of Land
We begin by respectfully acknowledging that we are gathered for worship on the traditional territory of the Michi Saagiig Nishnaaabeg --- a people with a history steeped in having the land and waters at the very centre of their lives, language, culture, and spirituality. We acknowledge their stewardship and commit to join with them to care for the lands and waters in this beautiful part of Turtle Island.
Call to Worship:
One: The door is open. The door is open for all who want to come in.
All: It’s open for those who slip in quietly, tentatively, hanging back a little...unsure.
One: The door is open. It’s open for those who swing it wide, letting it slam against the inner wall as they shout, “I’m HERE!”
All: The youngest, the oldest, the wanderers, the dutiful, the sinful, the just: All are offered a welcome that can make everything new.
One: God’s reconciling love is a gift, not only for us, but Love’s gift becomes ours to share.
All: The door is open, and all are welcome.
~ Juanita Austin, Gathering. Pentecost 1 2015 (Year B), p.28
Hymn: Come In, Come In and Sit Down” VU #395
Come in, come in and sit down,
you are a part of the family.
We are lost and we are found,
and we are a part of the family.
1 You know the reason why you came,
yet no reason can explain;
so share in the laughter and cry in the pain,
for we are a part of the family. R
2 God is with us in this place,
like a mother's warm embrace.
We're all forgiven by God's grace,
for we are a part of the family. R
3 There's life to be shared in the bread and the wine;
we are the branches, Christ is the vine.
This is God's temple, it's not yours or mine,
but we are a part of the family. R
4 There's rest for the weary and health for us all;
there's a yoke that is easy, and a burden that's small.
So come in and worship and answer the call,
for we are a part of the family. R
Opening Prayer: Spoken in Unison
Loving, Gracious, and Surprising Spirit, gather us together. Unify our hearts, minds, and spirits. Send us reminders of your presence so that we never forget to notice. Come to us in a friendly voice that we will recognize. Sing us songs that we know well and others for which the melody is catchy and new. Open our spirits as we journey the well-trodden paths so that we may discover you again as if for the first time. Your love gathers us together, helps relieve us in our grief, our guilt, and our loneliness. Help us to navigate the way forward and to listen for your call. Make this day and this gathering a new beginning for us. Amen.
~ Éric Hébert-Daly, Executive Minister, Eastern Ontario Outaouais Regional Council, Gathering. Pentecost 1 2024 (Year B), page 43.
MINISTRY OF MUSIC:
LEARNING TOGETHER:
HYMN: “They’ll Know We Are Christians”
1 We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord;
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord;
And we pray that all unity will one day be restored.
Refrain And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.
2 We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand;
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand;
And together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land. R
3 We will work with each other, we will work side by side;
We will work with each other, we will work side by side;
And we’ll guard each man’s dignity and save each man’s pride. R
THE WORD
Ephesians 4: 25 – 5: 2
Leader: Hear and listen to what the Spirit is saying to the church.
ALL: Thanks be to God.
MESSAGE
“Living in Harmony”
OUR RESPONSE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE and THE PILGRIM’S PRAYER:
Just as you called your servant, Abraham, watching over him in all his wanderings, and guiding the Hebrew people as they crossed the desert --- Be for us our companion on our journey. Our guide at the crossroads. Our breath in our weariness. Our protection in danger. Our shelter on the path. Our shade in the heat. Our light in the darkness. Our comfort in discouragement. And strength in our intentions. AMEN.
Hymn: “We Are Pilgrims” VU #595
1 We are pilgrims on a journey,
fellow travellers on the road;
we are here to help each other
walk the mile and bear the load.
2 Sister, let me be your servant,
let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace to
let you be my servant too.
3 I will hold the Christ-light for you
in the night-time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
speak the peace you long to hear.
4 I will weep when you are weeping,
when you laugh I'll laugh with you;
I will share your joy and sorrow,
till we've seen this journey through.
5 When we sing to God in heaven,
we shall find such harmony,
born of all we've known together
of Christ's love and agony.
6 Brother, let me be your servant,
let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace to
let you be my servant too.
PRESENTATION OF OUR OFFERINGS
OFFERTORY SONG: (Tune: Edelweiss)
God of Love, hear our prayer, bless this offering we bring you.
May our lives, do your will; guide and guard us forever.
Give us courage to stand for truth; help us care for others.
God of Love, hear our prayer, bless this offering we bring you.
OFFERTORY PRAYER: In Unison
Bless these gifts of our hands and hearts. Would that just and equal sharing be shown through kindness and love in action. May compassionate needs be met, the distressed be supported, the lonely find a friend, and the call to justice be heard. Amen.
SUNG BLESSING: “We Are One” VU#402 (part of v.4)
We are one as we leave,
as we love we are loved;
and we seek justice in God’s ways as we move together from this place.
Sending Forth:
One: Life is short, and we do not have much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel with us.
So, be swift to love and make haste to be kind.
And the blessing of God,
who made us,
who loves us,
and who travels with us
be with you now and forever. Amen.
A Time of Fellowship
© Music Reproduced with permission under License number A-605748, Valid for: 26/10/2023 - 25/10/2024; One License - Copyright Cleared Music for Churches.
MESSAGE: “LIVING IN HARMONY” (Ephesians 4: 25 – 5:2)
Paul’s words in his letter to the Christian church at Ephesus are as relevant to us today as they were when they were first written.
Church conflict happens. It did then and it does now. In community, there is bound to be differences of opinion, disagreements, and disputes. In the reading, we heard that it is not a sin to disagree.
It reminded me of a quote by actor, Morgan Freeman, who says that “Just because I disagree with you, does not mean that I hate you. We need to relearn that in our society.”
That wisdom gives us pause to consider how should we treat those with whom we are at odds? The big question is can we maintain respect, civility, compassion, and love in the midst of it all?
We have witnessed bickering in communities of faith today. Some of it has been exacerbated since the pandemic, but it has also been affected by church closures, amalgamations, shared ministries, resistance to change, church bullies, and personal agendas.
It seems that we are so polarized these days. It feels like more of us are finding reasons to disagree, disrespect, judge or separate from one another. In doing so, we have forgotten the words of the apostle Paul to the Ephesians, who had a vibrant church made of Jew and Gentile alike.
Paul calls us to live in unity with one another, to welcome and accept everyone into our communities of faith, and to learn to live together in harmony as we walk the Way of Jesus.
But in reality, that isn’t always easy to achieve, is it? Living in relationship can be messy and difficult, whether it’s family, a co-living relationship, or in community. There is great diversity in community. We all have different ways of doing things…different opinions…different approaches…different perspectives…different beliefs and values and morals.
Paul offers his support to the Ephesians, and he suggests guidelines that are essential to living in a healthy community, in the hopes that they will consider his input. These are the top five nuggets of advice that I lifted from his letter of encouragement:
1. Speak the truth in love, but also speak truth to power.
2. Anger is okay. It’s an acceptable emotion, but it’s not okay to be hurtful or cruel. “Be angry, but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.” (v. 27) We all know what happens when we go to bed mad. Buddha wisely said that “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else, but you are the one who gets burned.”
3. May the words of our mouths build up relationships in the community of faith…not tear them down.
4. Be kind to one another, for we never what crosses/burdens they have to bear.
5. Forgive.
When you look around, you do see people in this community being kind to one another. Forgiveness happens too. If you’re paying attention, you’ll see grace and love in action. You can also see continuing efforts to building up community, and dealing with righteous anger in healthy and open ways. For the most, we are making a concerted effort to engage in authentic relationship with each other and with Christ.
Do we waver and stumble? Of course, we do! Sometimes it takes true grit, resilience and love just to keep going. There are times that we have had to be reminded of Holy Manners! Being in healthy relationship is a work in progress. Paul’s letter draws our attention to the work that must be done…to notice the tiny fractures in relationship all over the place and attend to them, for they can easily become red flags when left unresolved…and reconciliation can’t occur.
Who do we say we are? Will others know we are Christians by our love? Are we building a house where all are welcome in this place? Or, do we encourage people to come in, come in and sit down, and be like us?
These were questions asked of us on a Regional Council webinar about growing and flourishing in our communities of faith. In break-out sessions, we talked about whether churches are looking for unity or uniformity, and we considered the impact of both when trying to build a healthy community of faith.
If a visitor senses bitterness, accusations, judgement, or unwelcome, they may choose to not return. We never get a second chance to make a first impression.
But not everyone has the same response. I found this little story titled “Church Gossip” on Facebook. George, a new member, was accused by the church gossip of being an alcoholic for having seen his pickup truck parked in front of the only bar in town in the middle of the day. Mildred actually had the gall to accuse him of this in front of a small group during coffee time. No one came to his defense, nor challenged Mildred for making the unfounded accusation. George didn’t even try to defend himself, nor did he deny it. He just quietly walked away. Later that evening, he parked his truck in front of her house, left it there for the night and walked home!
By the same token, if people witness tolerance, acceptance, kindness, and forgiveness, they will get a glimpse of the grace of God. They’ll know we are Christians by our love. But more importantly, we would be embodying our UCC’s Statement of Faith, A Song Of Faith, that assures us that “creating and seeking relationship in awe and trust, we witness to Holy Mystery who is Wholly Love.”
The world has been witnessing to global election cycles, and we need to take stock. After the assassination attempt, we heard calls for calm and unity, but it sure didn’t take long for it to ramp up again! Aggressive and toxic rhetoric needs to be toned down. It’s okay to disagree with someone’s opinion, but it’s not okay to humiliate and disrespect someone because they don’t think the same way you do. We all need to show respect. Our society needs more of that.
In a Progressive Christianity email that I received this week, Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines calls us to Take Back Christianity before it’s too late. He warns us to pay attention to the Religious Right’s narrative of what it means to be a Christian. In the Take Back Christianity Campaign, they are reframing the conversation about the issues that are most important in the election cycle south of the border, while being aware that some of it is also creeping north of the border: Climate Change, Immigration, Reproductive Rights, Christian Nationalism, Economy, Guns, and LGBTQ Rights. The campaign is shifting the narrative on how we more authentically follow Jesus’ teachings of radical inclusion, justice for the oppressed, and affirmation of all God’s children. He encourages us to discuss these issues in our faith communities, for it can affect the spiritual health and maturity of them.
Did you know that fear of the “other,” fear of difference, and fear of change can impact the pastor and other church leaders greatly. Behind closed doors, complaints can be made for a stance that the church has taken, and sometimes, the threat of withdrawal of financial support for the community of faith can occur. It’s times like this when there is often an increase in parking lot conversations, but very few if any, want to put their concerns in writing. It’s times like this when we need to remember the assurance of the hymn, “Don’t Be Afraid.” (MV#90). “Don’t be afraid. My love is stronger, my love is stronger than your fear. Don’t be afraid. My love is stronger and I have promised, promised to be always near.”
Rev. Amy Butler reminds us that “We are pilgrims on a journey. As we walk through a season, or through life together for the long haul, the real test lies in living a life of love, commitment, and faith…whether it’s a happy marriage, a healthy workplace, or living in unity as a community of faith.”
Would that this community of faith continue to be imitators of God, loving and caring for one another and caring for others in our outreach work…remembering that unity isn’t easy. It’s not about whether we agree with each other on everything, but whether we can disagree in love.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
