BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT / AGAPE MEAL

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

March 6, 2022

The video recording of this service can be found here.
You can also dial-in by phone to listen to the audio recording at 613-820-8104

Gathering Music: Sweet Hour of Prayer – Bradbury arr. Matt Hyzer Abe Feb 2021

Acknowledgement of the Territory Rev. Lorrie Lowes

As we begin our worship today, we remember that in this congregation, we live and work on the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin and Anishinaabe Peoples. We give thanks for their stewardship of the land and the water, the plants and the animals, through many generations. We also acknowledge their story, and our place in it, with sorrow. As we continue to live on this land with respect for it and for its people, may we commit to working toward truth, justice and reconciliation. All my relations.

Welcome & Centering for Worship Rev. Kim Vidal

Good day everyone! On behalf of BCUC, I welcome and greet you in the name of Jesus Christ on this First Sunday in Lent with an Agape Meal. We are glad that you have joined us today.

We are now in the Lenten season – this 40-day period is an opportunity to reflect inwardly, a time of renewal, a time of confession and repentance and for others, a time of contemplative fasting or giving up of something. May this Lenten journey bring you closer with God, with others and with yourself.

We have reopened the sanctuary for in-person worship service at 10 am. If you wish to attend the service, you are more than welcome. As a faith community called to love and serve others, we highly recommend getting fully vaccinated and being mindful of the health protocols like masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing and staying home if you feel unwell. Please take note that our Sunday worship service continues to be offered via Youtube, by email and by telephone.

A friendly reminder to please take time to keep in touch with each other through prayers, phone calls, emails or via Zoom. Check also the many announcements on our website including Sunday School resources for your children at bcuc.org to keep you informed and give you opportunities to respond.

Our Annual General Meeting will take place today via Zoom at 11:15 AM. Check your email for the Zoom link.

Friends, let us centre ourselves in the Spirit of God as we begin our journey in Lent. Let us now gather in worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle Acolytes: Fowler Family

We give thanks for the light of Christ,
our guide in this season of Lent.
Strong and unafraid, persistent and unrelenting.
May this light enflame our hearts with God’s grace and love.

Sung Response: Don’t Be Afraid - More Voices #90 Susan Feb 2021

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.

*Call to Gather Rev. Lorrie Lowes

(Lorraine MacKenzie Sheppard, Gathering, Lent/Easter 2017. Used with permission)

Lent is a time of returning,
returning to God, our first love.
Lent is a time of turning away,
turning away from sin that wastes us.
Lent is a time of lifting,
lifting guilt’s heavy burden.
Lent is the time of renewing,
renewing heart, mind and soul.
Now is the time:
Lent’s hard, joyful pilgrimage begins.

Prayer of Confession Rev. Lorrie Lowes

(An excerpt from Wendy Maclean’s “Inspiration”, Gathering, LE 2022. Used with permission)

During Lent, silence is our desert.
We are sent by the Spirit to encounter temptations.
We are ministered there in our exhaustion, to provide for our souls,
by the mercy that arises in the emptiness…
We are formed by many kinds of silence:
silence that wounds and betrays,
silence that blesses and renews.
May our silence be a spacious invitation for lost voices in forgotten languages
to share the gospel of mountains and rivers.
Holy One, Great Spirit, Creator of Life:
Meet us where we stand, tempted by bread and pinnacles,
and give us words, if words are what you need for justice,
and silence, if that is the way to resist the temptation
to hear only what we want to hear,
to receive only what we want to receive…
Pray your wisdom into our famished desert hearts
Until our words and silence dance together
And feast in the wonder of being heard and loved. Amen.

A Moment of Silence

Hymn: Jesus Tempted in the Desert - Voices United #115 BCUC Quartet Feb 2021

1.Jesus, tempted in the desert;
lonely, hungry, filled with dread:
“Use your power,” the tempter tells him,
“Turn these barren rocks to bread!”
“Not alone by bread,” he answers,
“Can the human heart be filled.
Only by the Word that calls us
is our deepest hunger stilled!”

2.Jesus, tempted at the temple,
high above its ancient wall:
“Throw yourself from lofty turret,
angels wait to break your fall!”
Jesus shuns such empty marvels,
feats that fickle crowds request:
“God, whose grace protects, reserves us,
we must never vainly test.”

3.Jesus, tempted on the mountain
by the lure of vast domain:
“Fall before me! Be my servant!
Glory, fame, you’re sure to gain!”
Jesus sees the dazzling vision,
turns his eyes another way:
“God alone deserves our homage!
God alone will I obey!”

4.When we face temptations power,
lonely, struggling, filled with dread,
Christ, who knew the tempter’s hour,
come and be our living bread.
By your grace, protect, preserve us
lest we fall, your trust betray.
Yours, above all other voices,
be the Word we hear, obey.”

Storytime Rev. Lorrie

This Sunday is the first Sunday of Lent, the time leading up to Easter. We usually think of Lent as a kind of sad time, a time that you think about things you want to change about yourself, a time to confess things you’ve done that might not be what God wishes for you and, for many people, it’s a time of fasting - of giving up something they really like – like chocolate, or coffee, or social media…

There’s a place for all of that, for sure. We are human after all and sometimes we make mistakes - but after two years of living with a pandemic, I think we need to think about Lent a bit differently this year! So, this year, we are going to focus on self-care. I think we all need to take some time to remember that we were created in love and that God loves us forever and wants us to love ourselves too.

Erin and I have put together a package for you. Hopefully you will have received it this week. It’s a journal with a twist! It’s called “Wreck this Journal” – sounds like fun already!

Each week has a very short Bible verse and then a fun activity for you to do each day, right on the page, an activity that will make sure that journal is a wreck by the time Easter comes – but here’s the interesting thing… each one of those activities is something that will help you take care of yourself. So, at the end, your journal will be a wreck but you will feel even better than you did when you started.

I bet some of you have already done the first few activities because they were meant to start on Wednesday, but if you haven’t started yet, that’s ok. It will be easy – and fun – to catch up.

If we missed getting your package to you, or if you would like a copy to share with someone else (or even if you are an adult who wants to feel like a kid again!), please call the office or drop by. There will be a few extra copies there or I would be happy to make some more.

Let’s make this Lenten season a time to feel good about who we are, to be grateful for our blessings, and to take care of that special person God loves so much – YOU!

Let’s pray:
Thank you, God, for all the love you put into making me who I am.
Help me remember to take care of this special person you created,
And to love myself as much as you love me. Amen.

Hymn: Guide My Feet – trad. African-American - CGS/Bell Canto – Erin – Mar 2021

1. Guide my feet while I run this race (x3)
For I don’t want to run this race alone.

2. Hold my hand while I run this race (x3)
For I don’t want to run this race alone.

3. Stand by me while I run this race (x3)
For I don’t want to run this race alone.

4. Search my heart while I run this race (x3)
For I don’t want to run this race alone.

Prayer for Illumination Reader: Jan Pound

Gracious God, be with us now as we turn to the pages of your Word.
We ask for your Spirit of Wisdom, to help us understand your will for us in this season of Lent. Amen.

The Reading: Luke 4: 1-13 (NRSV) The Temptation of Jesus

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” 4 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’”

5 Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only God.’”

9 Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’

11 and ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’”

12 Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
13 When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

May the Spirit of Love and Wisdom dwell where the Word is spoken. Thanks be to God!

Sermon: “Being Human” Rev. Kim

Prayer: Loving God, let your wisdom guide our understanding. Grant us clarity in proclaiming the truth of your Word. Amen.

We begin our Lenten journey with Jesus being led by the Spirit in the wilderness. Did Jesus realize that the temptations he was about to experience were a power struggle to choose between good and evil? one that would test his humanity to the fullest? Did Jesus know beforehand that he would wrestle with the devil? Walter Brueggemann defines the devil not as a red-eyed figure with a pitchfork but as “that sneaky quiet voice of seduction who offered Jesus three alternatives to consider.” Each of these temptations lures Jesus to contradict his identity as an advocate for love and justice – to abandon the connection as God’s beloved child. In the lectionary group this past Tuesday, there was a discussion about the tension between the good and evil, which is a basic human condition. This whole temptation story revolves around this tension. Every time that voice of seduction offers something – be it food or political power or security, Jesus responds with his deep faith and trust in God by quoting words in the Hebrew Scripture.

First, the devil tells Jesus to turn stones into bread. “Bread” here is not just something that appeases physical hunger. It is also a symbol of physical comfort - an integral part of what it means to live as a human being. We know how Jesus loved attending social gatherings, particularly where food is involved. In testing Jesus to magically appease his hunger, the devil invites Jesus to deny the reality of Jesus’ human weakness. Instead of waiting, paying attention to his hunger, and leaning into God for his lack of strength, the devil asks Jesus to cheat his way, to disrespect and manipulate creation for his own satisfaction. But Jesus responded with a better option: “One does not live by bread alone”, which means that there are other human hungers that need God’s presence in our lives. Debie Thomas said this: “…we can trust that when God nourishes us, it won’t be by magic or quick fix. It won’t be manipulative and disrespectful. It won’t necessarily be the food we’d choose for ourselves, but it will feed us, nevertheless.”

Second, the devil offered Jesus political power by showing him all the empires and wealth of the world. With Roman occupation causing so much fear, Jesus could use his political power to free the people from oppression. The political world in Jesus’ days was one that was violent, cruel and oppressive. Jesus stood his ground and said: “worship the Lord your God – this God who is loving and just and merciful – this God who is non-violent.” Jesus chose to be non-violent rather than becoming a subject to a violent political power. This is happening now in Ukraine. People were invaded and murdered in the name of empire expanding. And what evils tyrant dictators have done in the name of greed and power? The non-violent Jesus calls us to participate in the political realm, by truly loving our neighbours in a non-violent way: offering compassion and radical hospitality whenever it’s needed; to love and welcome others without seeking remuneration; doing acts of justice that is restorative, not retributive; to stand for what is true and what is right.

Finally, the third temptation targets Jesus’ safety net. Being human is to seek safety and security. We long to be safe from physical and emotional harm; safe from frailty and disease; safe from accidents; safe from death. To believe that we are free from all kinds of danger targets our deepest fears about what it means to be human in a broken, dangerous world. Jesus teaches us that having faith in God will not guarantee safety and security all the time. We will still suffer, feel pain and die. But one thing is for sure - we are loved and embraced in our human limitations. Not out of it. God does not have a magic wand to punish the evil and reward the good! Instead, God calls us to be responsible and accountable in making the world a better place. Our humanity is tested all the time. This is a fact of life. Whether it comes to us in the guise of illness, a thorny relationship, a troubled child, a sudden death, or a crippling addiction, we are tested all the time. This is part of our human existence.

Friends, how do you deal with temptations in life? How do you respond to that voice of seduction when it lures you to move away from God and from those values that Jesus taught us?

Lent is a time to wrestle with the hard questions that we avoid or put on hold for the rest of the year. Questions like: "How can I be fully human? Can I say no to temptations that move me away from my relationship with God, with others and with myself? Am I able to accept fear and death as part of life? What is my call as a person of faith in the world? Some of us may think that we cannot do anything to solve or put a stop to all the evils in the world. But we know that this is an understatement. We don’t have to think big. Jan Pound reminded the lectionary group to start small. She shared a story about three sisters and their spouses who took a day trip to a park in Nevada. Following a deserted trail around the back side of the cave, one of the men found the most incredible gift: a little quilted heart with a tag reading, “I need a home.” No one knew who placed that quilted heart in the desert of Nevada, but that beautiful little heart started a whole movement for the global quilting community known as “I Found a Quilted Heart” to cheer up a stranger or to bless someone with a simple act of love. Quilted hearts were left in many public places around the world for that random person to find one. It’s a small act of kindness with a big purpose: to spread love and joy among people.

These past few days, our television screens and social media have been full of images of Ukrainians in the wilderness of war! An unnecessary war of choice instigated by a Russian dictator. Ukraine is Russia’s neighbour with a shared history, traditions and people. The results of this war are familiar to many of us: deaths, particularly of civilians and children, the displacement of people, the destruction of nature and infrastructure, human agony, fear and rage! Whether we like it or not, as people of faith, we are tremendously affected by this war. We cannot but think of and lament with the people of Ukraine, who are enduring yet another violent chapter in their communal life. We also think of those courageous Russians who risked their lives in protesting against this war. Many people all over the world are standing with the people of Ukraine. Various church communities have planned vigils and calls to prayer of support. And we do so not because Ukraine is the invaded nation or because we admire the Ukrainians’ resilience and strength, but because we know that Ukraine’s cause is just and because they, like us, are vulnerable human beings facing imminent danger and death. We may not be able to stop the war in our own way, but one small thing we can do is to pray. Pray for peace. Pray for the people in Ukraine. Pray for the Russians who are against this war. Pray for the leaders that they may seek God’s wisdom and respect the sanctity of life. It might be a simple, small gesture to pray, but prayers when gathered together make a big difference in the lives of the people and the world.

On this Annual General Meeting Sunday, when we gather in communion as the body of Christ, remember that we are called to persistently resist that which endangers humanity. We are called to embody God’s love, compassion and justice in the places we are called to be. Be bold. Be vigilant. Express your humanity with integrity and make the world tremble with love, compassion and justice. As we share the bread and cup, ponder what part of your Lenten journey needs this nourishment. And may our faithful God not only lead us into the wildernesses of our lives but also journey with us. Amen.

Sources:

BCUC Lectionary Group Nancy Rockwell, The Politics of Temptation, Patheos.com
Walter Brueggemann, Remembering Who We Are, Collected Sermons.
Debie Thomas, Journey with Jesus.

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer Rev. Kim

Our prayer today was written by diaconal minister, the Rev. Ted Dodd.

Let us gather our hearts in prayer.
You who refused to turn stone into bread,
yet fed the hungry;
You who rejected a grab for far-reaching political authority,
yet preached a realm of peace and justice;
You who rebuffed the temptation to test God by jumping off a roof,
yet went to the cross trusting in new life and God’s grace;
we come to you in our own wilderness:
sanctions and brazen assaults,
war and nuclear threats;
we come to you in the midst of harshness and hostility:
blockades and debates about the meaning of freedom,
lifting restrictions and lingering anxiety;
we come to you surrounded by despair and difficulty:
environmental gloom and climate change desperation,
species loss and forest clearing.
In the myriad of personal and societal trials, troubles, and tests,
lead us not into temptation.
Deliver us from evil.
In this season of Lent may the Spirit lead us.
Renew our faith.
Restore our vision.
Return us to hope.
All these we ask in the name of Jesus who taught us to pray…

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kin-dom 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 kin-dom, the power and the glory, Forever and ever, Amen.

The Agape Meal Rev. Kim & Rev. Lorrie

“Agape” is the New Testament Greek word for “self-giving love”. The kind of love that comes from God and models God’s loving choice for our well-being and all of Creation. In the Christian tradition, agape is also the name for informal meals and times of togetherness and mutual sharing which remind us of all those meals Jesus shared with his friends and the unity that his Spirit continues to give us even today.

Invitation (Kim) (Peter Chynoweth, The Gathering, ACE 2019-2020. Used with permission)

Sharing food is an important part of our holy celebrations and gatherings with friends and family. We know that eating at table is one of the ways we experience companionship, share love and stories, nurture our social connections and satisfy our physical needs for sustenance. On this first Sunday in Lent, we are invited by God to gather at this table where we share bread and drink as important symbols of our existence as a faith community, symbols of welcome to those who come to worship and eat at table with us. This is God’s table! These are God’s gifts. May we know and experience the welcome that is intended.

Prayer of Consecration (Lorrie)

Loving friend and companion, we welcome your presence with us. May these gifts of bread and cup, nourish our bodies, hearts and minds. And may our spirits be refreshed as we live in the light of your presence, with us now, and at all times and places. Send now your Holy Spirit upon this bread and this cup, O God that they might be our remembrance and our proclamation of the presence of Jesus Christ with us, through us and in us. Amen.

The Sharing of the Bread and the Cup (Kim)

Let us now share and partake the bread and the cup reminding us of God’s unconditional love.
This is the bread – food for the Lenten journey. Take, eat and be nourished by God’s love.
This is the cup – drink for the Lenten journey. Take, drink and be sustained by God’s grace.

Prayer after the Meal (Lorrie)

For the bread we have eaten, for the wine we have tasted, for the life we have received, we thank you, loving God. Empower us to live as Jesus has lived, to bring new life to others and to give light to the world. Amen

Invitation to Offer Rev. Lorrie

The Holy Spirit that led Jesus on his wilderness experience is with us in amazing and powerful ways, bringing new hope and healing into the world. As we remember our own moments of wilderness, may we participate in the ministry of our church with that great hope, trusting in the promises of God. In our giving this morning, our love overflows in generosity.

I now invite you to offer your gifts of time, talents and resources as expressions of your gratitude to God’s blessings. If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offering and donations, you can drop them in the slot by the kitchen door of the church or mail them to BCUC. You can also send in your support through e-transfer. Thank you for your continued love and support to BCUC.

Offertory Prayer

(Karen Boivin, Gathering, LE 2022. Used with permission.)

Loving God, may these gifts be a catalyst for truth
about how we are blessed
and how we are broken
and how we are given to your world for hope and healing. Amen.

Sending Forth Rev. Kim

Go and seek hope in the wilderness of your life.
Go forth with open hearts, confident of God’s love.
Go and seek relationships of wholeness with others.
Go forth knowing that God will be with you.
May the peace of God,
the hope in Jesus Christ
and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit
transform and strengthen us in our wilderness encounters
today and always. Amen.

Hymn: When We Are Tested - More Voices #65 (tune:Slane) BCUC cong Feb 14 2016

1        When we are tested and wrestle alone,
          famished for bread when the world offers stone,
          nourish us, God, by your word and your way,
          food that sustains us by night and by day.

2        When in the desert we cry for relief,
          pleading for paths marked by certain belief,
          lift us to love you beyond sign and test,
          trusting your presence, our only true rest.

3        When we are tempted to barter our souls,
          trading the truth for the pow’r to control,
          teach us to worship and praise only you,
          seeking your will in the work that we do.

4        When we have struggled and searched through the night,
          sorting and sifting the wrong from the right,
          Saviour, surround us with circles of care,
          angels of healing, of hope, and of prayer.

Departing Music: Amazing Grace - arr. Schrader BCUC choir Jan 28, 2018

11:15 am – BCUC Annual General Meeting

Sunday Worship Service - March 6, 2022