Sunday Worship Service - October 3, 2021

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

WORLD COMMUNION SUNDAY / AGAPE MEAL (COMMUNION)

October 3, 2021

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: There’s A Spirit in the Air   VU 582

(Words: Brian Wren, 1969; Music: John Wilson, 1969)

1 There's a spirit in the air,
telling Christians everywhere:
"Praise the love that Christ revealed,
living, working in our world."

2 Lose your shyness, find your tongue,
tell the world what God has done:
God in Christ has come to stay.
Live tomorrow's life today!

3 When believers break the bread,
when a hungry child is fed,
praise the love that Christ revealed,
living, working, in our world.

4 Still the Spirit gives us light,
seeing wrong and setting right:
God in Christ has come to stay.
Live tomorrow's life today!

5 When a stranger's not alone,
where the homeless find a home,
praise the love that Christ revealed,
living, working, in our world.

6 May the Spirit fill our praise,
guide our thoughts and change our ways.
God in Christ has come to stay,
live tomorrow's life today!

Acknowledgement of 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 & Announcements         Rev. Kim Vidal

Good day everyone! On behalf of BCUC, I welcome and greet you in the name of Jesus Christ on this Fourth Sunday of Creation Time in the Season of Pentecost. Today, we are celebrating World Communion Sunday with an Agape Meal. Wherever you are, whether you are joining us via online, or onsite, or even reading the printed text of the service in the comfort of your homes, we are glad that you have joined us today.

We continue worshipping in the sanctuary on Sunday mornings at 10 am with a maximum number of 50 people. Due to the Covid variants that continue to pause some health threats to the community, the Public Health recommends staying at home, but if you wish to attend the service, you are most welcome. As a faith community called to love and serve others, let us be mindful of the health protocols such as masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing and staying home if you feel unwell. It is also highly recommended to get vaccinated as one of the best precautionary measures to protect yourself and others.

During this time of pandemic, the work of the church carries on. 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.

Friends, on this World Communion Sunday, as we gather around the table of grace and partake the bread and the cup, may God the Creator nourish us by the sacrament of a welcoming and inclusive love.  Let us now gather in worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle              Acolytes: Kim Family

We light this candle to remind us of God’s love and light, and that the Risen Christ is always with us. As we gather for communion, let us be reminded of these words from the Apostle Paul: “Let no one deceive you with empty words. For once you were like night, but now in Christ you are light. Love as children of light- for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true.” (Ephesians 5:8-10)

*Call to Gather & Opening Prayer              Rev. Lorrie Lowes

(Inspired by the prayer of Kate Crawford, Gathering, Pentecost 2, Year A, 2014. Use with Permission.)

In the presence of loaves and drink on our table,
and in the company of all the saints in the world,
we gather in this sacred place to prepare an earthly feast.
Yeast and flour and oil combine, freshly pressed wine,
like hope and love and joy.
The bread of faith rises in our midst.
The cup of grace touches us with hope.
God calls us to come and dine this day
with our brothers and sisters of the global village.
We come and dine in the presence of God whose Spirit ministers to us. 

Let us pray:
Loving God, as we gather to share bread around this table,
we pause to remember other tables, other times, other hands.
We come remembering the taste of bread and wine.
We come acknowledging the freedom of forgiveness and the strength of your presence.
Gather us in to be your people: in love, in faith, in service. Amen.

Hymn:   Come In, Come In, and Sit Down   VU395

(Words & Music: James K. Manley, 1984)

Refrain:
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

Storytime      Rev. Lorrie

Welcome, everybody!

I know that Rev. Kim already welcomed everyone to this morning’s worship service – but I want to make sure that you know that message of “Welcome!” was meant especially for you… yes, you! Each and every one of you.

I really miss seeing you all in person on Sunday morning. I miss saying good morning to each of you as you arrive with your families or walk past my office door. Saying it on a video just isn’t the same as when I see you in person. I miss you soooo much! But, we have to keep each other safe until this pandemic is over, and that means our welcomes can’t include hugs, even our smiles are hidden behind masks. A video is about the closest thing I can offer you for now. So, “WELCOME!!!” and I hope you feel all the love and excitement I am trying to put into that word.

I’ve been thinking about that word, “welcome” this week. You see it on welcome mats at people’s front doors. You see it on signs as you enter a new town or city. I’m not sure that’s the kind of welcome I’m trying to send to you though… It’s missing something… and, know what? I think our Bible story gives us a hint about that missing piece!

It’s a story you are familiar with – one I usually read at baptisms. The disciples are trying to keep the children from bothering Jesus and when he notices this, he tells them “No, don’t stop them! Let them come to me.” And then it says, “he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.” He didn’t say, come over here kids and sit quietly while I talk to the grown-ups. “He took them up in his arms.”

When I read that last part, I picture Jesus crouching down with his arms wide open and a big smile on his face. He wouldn’t even have to say the word “Welcome!” It’s the kind of welcome you get from your grandma when you knock on her door. It’s the kind of welcome that says, “I love you so much!”

That’s the kind of welcome I want to give each and every one of you this morning. And I think that’s the kind of welcome God wants to give us every day. So, next time you say a prayer, I hope you picture God with arms wide open, ready to scoop you up in love.

Now, when Grandma or Grandpa opens up their arms to welcome you, I bet you open your arms for that hug… so, this morning, when we say our prayer, let’s open our arms to receive that hug from God. Ready?

Dear God,

Thank you for loving us. Thank you for welcoming us with open arms.

Thank you for the love of our faith family at BCUC and keep us safe until we can welcome each other again in person. Amen.

Hymn:  I’m Gonna Shout   MV183

(Words & Music: Bruce Harding, 1998)

1 I’m gonna shout, shout, shout out my love
for Jesus, for Jesus!
I’m gonna shout, shout, shout out my love
for God’s most holy child!
For whatever I might do today,
at home, at school, at work, at play,
I’ve got Jesus’ love deep down inside of me! 

2 I’m gonna raise, raise, raise up my hands
for Jesus, for Jesus!
I’m gonna raise, raise, raise up my hands
for God’s most holy child!
For whatever I might do today,
at home, at school, at work, at play,
I’ve got Jesus’ love deep down inside of me! 

3 I’m gonna dance, dance, dance all around
for Jesus, for Jesus!
I’m gonna dance, dance, dance all around
for God’s most holy child!
For whatever I might do today,
at home, at school, at work, at play,
I’ve got Jesus’ love deep down inside of me!

Prayer for Illumination          Reader: Rick Morrison

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. Amen. 

The Reading:   Mark 10:13-16 (NRSV)

Jesus Blesses Little Children

13 People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. 14 But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. 15 Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

May the Light of Christ dwell where the Word is spoken. Thanks be to God!

Sermon:   “Bring the Children to the Table”       Rev. Kim Vidal

I still remember the first communion I received as a child. In the United Methodist tradition, we gathered around and knelt on a rail when we receive the elements from the pastor.  At age 11, I was so excited to join the other children as we anticipate the snack of the day! A small bread cut in 1 by 1 inch and grape juice poured in mini cups. At that young age, I may have never understood what it meant to participate in a communion but for me, it certainly was the highlight of the service which was far better than listening to the long-winded sermon!

Today, Christians, particularly those from the mainline Protestant denominations who are members of the World Council of Churches, are celebrating World Communion Sunday – that’s right! It’s worldwide – not just here in Canada but all over the world. Originally named as Worldwide Communion Sunday, this special Sunday was first introduced in 1933 by a Presbyterian minister, the Rev. Hugh Thomson Kerr who ministered at that time in a large church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  It takes place every first Sunday of October, the purpose of which is to bring Christian churches together in a service of unity and ecumenical cooperation. This is one Sunday every year for many Christians around the world to experience God’s invitation to feast together, affirming their journey with Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life. Although we are celebrating this sacrament in the context of a global community, reality is - there are still some Christian denominations who makes the sacrament of communion an exclusive privilege for the few. Some churches have some boundaries or policies regarding who can or cannot take communion. There are some churches who will only offer communion to their members or those of the same denomination.  Other churches have a special card like a passport for those who can take communion. Some churches do not even serve communion to children or those youth who have not been confirmed.

In our gospel story today, the disciples displayed an unwelcoming behaviour. They were shooing away the parents who brought their children to be touched by Jesus. But Jesus got upset with the disciples for doing this. Let’s be honest—sometimes children drive us crazy. For modern readers like us, this particular story sounds like a case of annoyed disciples rolling their eyes because a disruptive child is making it impossible to hear the sermon during a worship service. Why do you think the disciples stop people from bringing the children to Jesus? Several reasons come to mind. In Jesus’ time, children were considered nobodies. They were powerless. It could be that the disciples were trying to protect Jesus from the crowds in general, trying to give their leader some breathing space. Jesus had far more important things to do than entertaining these nobodies. Or perhaps the disciples were just applying the norm of the day - cultural values that deny children a meaningful place in society. Another possibility is that these children were sick, diseased, even gravely ill. After all, their parents are bringing them to Jesus “that he might touch them,” a phrase in Mark that is almost always associated with healing. The desperate parents want Jesus to reassure them that things will get better for their children. Children embody a particular kind of heartbreak when they are ill because they are so innocent, young, and vulnerable. And so perhaps the disciples were trying keep at bay the possible endless stream of parents who would bring their sick and diseased children to him.

There might be other hundreds of reasons for the disciples doing wat they have done but what we do know is that Jesus will have none of it. Jesus scolds his disciples’ snobbish attitude and welcomes the children as guests and friends. Jesus takes a step further by saying that it is “to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.” Think about that, for a moment. God’s reign belongs to the children – those who have no voice, the weak, the ill, the marginalized, the most vulnerable. If this is true, it is like no other kingdom or reign we’ve ever heard of. Not only that, but Jesus also says that only those who receive the Kingdom of God like these children will enter it. I like what Rev. David Lose has to say about this: “When we look to our strengths or power or possessions to secure our future and good, we will be disappointed. Only those aware of their brokenness and need, after all, can receive help…Those who are confident of the kingdoms of the world will look upon this spectacle as foolishness. But those who are broken, hurting, alone or ill will look and see God there…eager to gather them into God’s healing arms and embrace them in redemptive love.”

Sometimes we are just like the disciples. We get irritated when children run around the sanctuary or make some noise during the service. We want the children to act like adults when they should act like children. If Jesus so welcomes the children to come to him and be blessed by him, who are we to put a stop to them? Why do some churches bar children from taking communion? Communion is a sacrament of grace.  In the holy moment of eating and drinking, one can feel the presence of God.  God welcomes people of all ages, colour or faith at this table of grace, so why would we get in the way of that sacred meeting? We also need to remind ourselves that this table is not our table. It is God’s table. This is not a Bells Corners United Church table. It is a table for everyone who accepts the invitation to eat and drink together remembering Jesus as the gracious host. Communion is like a family meal time where everyone – children and adults alike gather to eat and share the stories of the day There’s no children’s table that is separate from this table. Some parents say, “We don’t let our children partake communion until they fully understand what’s going on.”  Children might not fully understand what’s going on, but they know what it means to be left out.  And I will never tolerate having a child feel that way in any congregation I am called to minister. For me, it’s OK if we let our children think that communion is like a snack time.  We have the responsibility as adults to teach them as we journey together.  Children will eventually understand the meaning of communion when we teach them and let them experience this sacrament of remembrance.  Instead of saying to the children, “the bread and grape juice is the body and blood of Christ” why don’t we say to them “with this bread and juice, Jesus wants you to remember how much God loves you.”  That’s all they need to know. That’s all any of us need to know.

We are the body of Christ. We are all God’s children who gather around God’s table of grace. Jesus shared a simple meal of bread and wine to have his disciples remember him, something he had shared with them countless times before, and something they would share together after he was gone.   Together they would sit, share the stories of Jesus, break the bread, share the wine in remembrance, in fellowship and in thanksgiving.

Today, Christians from Canada, the United States, Philippines, Brazil, South Africa, England, Ireland, Scotland, South Korea, Australia - all over the world are gathering to be fed.  They gather in cathedrals, churches, urban and suburban places of worship.  They gather in small buildings, in chapels, outdoors, indoors, in Zoom, wherever two or three are gathered. God’s children, like you and I, people of different race and economic means, of different political persuasion, people of different abilities, those who know freedom, those who do not, migrant workers, peasants, royalty, all gather today to be fed with the bread and wine - to appease their deep physical, spiritual and moral hunger for God.

Friends, on this World Communion Sunday, when we remember that God comes to us in the caring acts of the community gathered, let us return our gratitude for the grace offered to us in Jesus the Christ. And let us find, at this table, strength for our journey. Let's recommit ourselves to the Good News, welcoming such as these children as Jesus taught us. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Sources used:

• BCUC Lectionary Group

• David J. Lose, Reflections on Mark 10:13-16, davidlose.net

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer        Rev. Lorrie Lowes

(written by Rev Abi and posted on A Place for Prayer, http://revgalprayerpals.blogspot.ca/)

Lord as we gather around this wonderful meal 
everywhere and in every place; 
bless us all your children. 

As we eat this bread and drink this cup 
linking arms around the world,
pour your grace into us all. 

Grace us with your presence 
as we quietly and loudly pray to you. 

May we see in each other 
your light, your love and you.
May it not matter our differences, 
our names, our languages,
our looks, and our way of doing things.
May what matter today and everyday be that we are one in you. 

And as we pray many we call to mind our brothers and sisters
who are unable to be with us today whether in body or spirit.
May you bring comfort to those who are grieving, lonely,
heartbroken, ill or broken of spirit. 

May you strengthen those whose lives feel shattered,
don’t make sense, in crisis, and experiencing loss.
May you say the healing word to those who need it.
May you bring the human touch of love 
to those who have not been touched.
May you love the unloved through us. 

May you shine your light 
into those whose world is covered in darkness.
May you use us to feed the hungry, 
clothe the ones who need clothes,
give a cup of water to those who are thirsty,
shelter the homeless, visit the sick and those in prison. 

May lives be awakened to you, Lord, 
to your love and to your kingdom 
whose door is always open to all. 

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. 

Communion Hymn: We Gather Here VU 469

(Words & Music: Bryan Jeffery Leech, 1984)

We gather here in Jesus' name,
his love is burning in our hearts like living flame; for through the loving son God fashions us as one: Come take the bread, come drink the wine, come, share the Lord.

No one is a stranger here,
- everyone belongs;
finding our forgiveness here,
we in turn forgive all wrongs.

He joins us here, he breaks the bread,
the One who pours the cup is risen from the dead; the One we love the most is now our gracious host:
Come take the bread, come drink the wine,
come, share the Lord.

We are now a family of which Christ is the head; though unseen he meets us here
in the breaking of the bread.

We'll gather soon where angels sing;
we'll see the glory of our Lord and coming King; now we anticipate the feast for which we wait:  Come take the bread, come drink the wine, come, share the Lord.

The Agape Meal         Rev. Kim Vidal & Rev. Lorrie Lowes

I now invite you for an agape meal. Please make sure you have a piece of bread or crackers and a cup or a glass of your favourite drink.

“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)

(Gord Dunbar, The Gathering, Pentecost 2, 2021 (Year B). Used with permission)

The table is for everyone, a table of new light and of generous welcome.

To this table we bring our fears and our dreaming.

The risen Christ invites the whole human race to become light and love.

With hundreds of millions of our siblings worldwide – we are gathered by God’s invitation – in all our diversity and in all our difference.

The call to this table is for each person: doubtful or uncertain, broken or whole, stranger of friend, neighbour or foe. No one is barred. All are welcome to be nourished in Christ’s name.

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 journey. Take, eat and be nourished by God’s love.
This is the cup – drink for the 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. Kim Vidal

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

God of the global village, we bring this offering to join the gifts of others around the world.
We offer these gifts and our lives in your service. Amen.

Sending Forth    Rev. Kim Vidal

On this World Communion Sunday,
we have tasted God’s goodness,
we have seen God’s generosity and fairness.
we have been blessed with a legacy of faith,
we have welcomed children to the table.
Go out to live love, to serve others, to rejoice in our communion,
in the name of God, Creator, Christ and Companion. Amen. 

Hymn:  Christ Has No Body Now but Yours   MV171

(Words adapted by Stephen S. Warner, 2003 from St. Teresa of Avila; Music: Rick Gunn, 2006)

Refrain
Christ has no body now but yours
no hands but yours.
Here on this earth, yours is the work,
to serve with the joy of compassion. 

1.       No hands but yours to heal the wounded world, no hands but yours to soothe all its suffering, no touch but yours to bind the broken hope of the people of God. R

2.       No eyes but yours to see as Christ would see, to find the lost, to gaze with compassion; no eyes but yours to glimpse the holy joy of the city of God. R

3.       No feet but yours to journey with the poor, to walk this world with mercy and justice. Yours are the steps to build a lasting peace for the children of God. R

4.       Through ev’ry gift, give back to those in need; as Christ has blessed, so now be his blessing, with ev’ry gift a benediction, be to the people of God. R

Departing Music: He Shall Feed   (Handel)

Zoom Fellowship will be held on Sunday, October 17, 2021 at 11 am.

Sunday Worship Service - September 26, 2021

 BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

CREATION TIME 3

September 26, 2021

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:  You Raise Me Up (BCUC Choir)

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 third Sunday of Creation Time in the Season of Pentecost. Wherever you are, whether you are joining us via online, or onsite, or even reading the printed text of the service in the comfort of your homes, we are glad that you have joined us today.

As we enjoy the beauty of God’s creation all around us, 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.

We continue worshipping in the sanctuary on Sunday mornings at 10 am with a maximum number of 50 people. Due to the Covid variants that continue to pause some health threats to the community, the Public Health recommends staying at home, but if you wish to attend the service, you are most welcome. As a faith community called to love and serve others, let us be mindful of the health protocols such as masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing and staying home if you feel unwell. It is also highly recommended to get vaccinated as one of the best precautionary measures to protect yourself and others.

Friends, this day, we offer our gratitude for the gifts of the earth lavishly offered to us by a loving Creator. May we do so with praise and thanksgiving and a commitment to care for the earth and to serve each other. Let us now gather in worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle         Acolytes: David Stafford & Barbara Bole

As we light this Christ candle,
Let us remind ourselves that God, the Creator,
lit the light in the darkness and breathed life into all of creation.
We are created in God’s image and Jesus calls us to be a light to the world
and the salt of the earth.

Call to Gather & Opening Prayer      Rev. Lorrie Lowes

(Tony Tuck, The Gathering, Pentecost 2, 2021, Year B. Used with permission)

In the name of God, the Creator, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
We gather, marvelling at the beauty of creation
as we breathe in the splendour of life.
We are surrounded by all the signs of God’s creation;
God’s fingerprints are all around us.
Praise be to God!

Let us pray.

We are surrounded by life, and we are related and connected
to all the created world through you, O God.
Let us dwell respectfully in this amazing creation,
remembering that in this wondrous world,
we are not alone.
We are all part of heaven and earth.
In gratitude we declare, God is good
and everything God makes is good.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Hymn:    “Morning Has Broken” VU 409

(Words – Eleanor Farjeon, 1931; Music – Gaelic melody)

1 Morning has broken like the first morning,
blackbird has spoken like the first bird.
Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning!
Praise for them, springing fresh from the Word!

2 Sweet the rain’s new fall sunlit from Heaven,
like the first dewfall on the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden,
Sprung in completeness where God’s feet pass.

3 Ours is the sunlight! Ours is the morning,
born of the one light Eden saw play!
Praise with elation, praise every morning,
God’s re-creation of the new day!

Storytime  Rev. Lorrie

You may have heard that Neil and I have moved to a new house! Did you know that we have moved in with the Kelly family? One of the very best things about moving to this property is that our grandchildren live right next to us and we can see them every day!

This year, we were here for all the excitement of going back to school. They shopped for school supplies and new clothes and they couldn’t wait to see who their teacher would be and who would be in their class. And they picked out a special outfit to wear on the first day of school. I bet you were excited too.

I want to share a story with you about a little girl who was going to school for the very first time. Her name is Phyllis Jack and she lived on a reserve in northern British Columbia with her Granny. When she was 6 years old, she went to the Mission School. Just like you, she was really excited about going to school. Her family didn’t have very much money but somehow her Granny managed to buy her a new outfit to wear to school. She remembers that day clearly. Here’s what she says:

“I remember going to Robinson’s store and picking out a shiny orange shirt. It
had eyelets and lace, and I felt so pretty in that shirt and excited to be going to school!”

She sounds like every little girl and boy I know who is excited about starting school – especially with a brand-new special outfit.

But, Phyllis’ first day of school was very different from yours. It was a Residential School, a place where she stayed night and day. The teachers spoke a different language and she couldn’t understand what they were saying. On that first day, all of the students had their clothes taken away and they were given different clothes to wear. Phyllis never saw her special orange shirt again. She couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t give it back to her. It was her shirt, a special shirt, a gift from her Granny that she had picked out herself.

So, that little girl who was so happy and proud to be going to school, didn’t feel happy or cared for anymore. She didn’t want to stay at this school. She wanted to go home – and she wanted her orange shirt back. Phyllis wasn’t just feeling sad on that first day of school. She felt sad and unloved for much of her life. The colour orange always reminds her of that feeling.

Canada has named September 30 – this Thursday – as the Day for Truth and Reconciliation. We’ve heard a lot of upsetting stories in the news this year about Residential Schools and the terrible experiences of the children who went to them. This day is meant to remind us of the many ways the indigenous people of Canada have been treated over the years. It is a day for us to think about how we can change this and how we can help to heal the hurt they have experienced in the past and still live with today.

You may have heard this day called “Orange Shirt Day”. That’s because we can wear orange to remember this story about Phyllis Jack. This is a simple way for us all to say, “You are important and we love you,” not just to Phyllis but to all of the children who went to residential schools and all of the people who have lived their lives in the shadow of the trauma they caused.

You might notice that the stole I am wearing today is orange. If you were in the sanctuary at BCUC, you would see that the whole chancel is decorated in orange too, and that Rev. Kim is wearing an orange robe – not just for one day or one week. Orange is the colour of the season of Creation in the United Church. Isn’t that great coincidence? We can be reminded every day in this season that God created this beautiful world for everyone. We can remember Phyllis Jack’s special orange shirt and how her happy spirit was broken on that first day of school. It’s a reminder to us all to treat everyone we meet with love.

Will you be wearing orange on Thursday? I will. Let’s turn this reminder of sad times back into the happy colour orange was meant to be.

Let’s finish with a prayer:

Creator God, the Residential School stories make us sad and we are sorry that so many children were hurt over the years. Help us to show love to everyone we meet, whether they are like us or different in some way. Help us spread the kind of joy that the colour orange brings to our world with orange sunsets, orange leaves, orange pumpkins, and even orange shirts. Amen

Hymn:     “Roll Over the Ocean”         (CGS)

1. It's me, it's me, it's me who builds community
It's me, it's me, it's me who builds community
It's me, it's me, it's me who builds community
It's me who builds community (clap, clap, clap)

Chorus
Roll over the ocean, roll over the sea,
Roll over the ocean in the deep blue sea (Hey!)
Roll over the ocean, roll over the sea,
Go and do your part and build community.
2.  It's you...
3.  It's love...
4.  It's Christ..

Prayer for Illumination  Reader: Ellen Boynton

(Beth W. Johnson, The Gathering, Pentecost 2, 2013, Year C. Used with permission)

O God, you call us to new beginnings to explore our faith
with your Word that sustains us.
Inspire us as we search out new opportunities
for our learning and reflection. Amen. 

The Gospel Reading: Mark 9 :38-50 (NRSV)

Another Exorcist
38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 
39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 
40 Whoever is not against us is for us. 
41 For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.

Temptations to Sin
42 “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. 
43-44 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 
45-46 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. 
47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, 
48 where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.
49 “For everyone will be salted with fire.
 50 Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

May we find ourselves renewed through this difficult story of faith. Thanks be to God!

Sermon:   “Stumbling Blocks or Stepping Stones?”

I would like to begin my sermon with a poem written by American writer Robert Lee Sharpe entitled: “A Bag of Tools”
Isn't it strange how princes and kings,
and clowns that caper in sawdust rings,
and common people, like you and me,
are builders for eternity?
Each is given a list of rules;
a shapeless mass; a bag of tools.
And each must fashion, ere life is flown,
A stumbling block, or a Stepping-Stone.” 

 “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we tried to stop him! We tried to stop him, because he is not one of us – he is of another circle – another tribe, he’s different.” That’s how a lot of religious prejudices and biases start, don’t they? Not one of us! Not in our circle! Not in our denomination! The condescending attitude of the beloved disciple, John, struck a chord in me. There had been times when I was just like him. I sneered at those street preachers with microphones who were preaching about the end times and the second coming of Jesus. I detest attending conservative Christian churches who cried loudly when praying and those who believed in speaking in tongues. I am very cautious of those two people who knocked on my door to discuss about faith and spirituality. Growing up Methodist, I was shunned to dance, to smoke, and to listen to “worldly music.” I was even taught that the Roman Catholics were not “true” Christians. I was just like John and the disciples! And perhaps, many of you felt the same way too.

Thank goodness, Jesus did not listen to him. John’s tattletale will not get far with Jesus.  “I don’t think you should stop him, John – he is doing something good in my name! And, I know what you want to do next! You want to put a stumbling block in his way. Not only do you want to exclude him, you want to make sure he fails!” Jesus immediately turns the tables on the disciples, warning them that they are the ones in danger of doing harm. It's as though Jesus was saying, "The problem is not the folks outside our group. Don't worry about them -- they are not the problem. Rather, check yourselves and see if you are stumbling blocks. Look at how you exclude people who live, believe, worship, serve, and practice differently than you do.  Look at how smug and superior you feel when others fail.  Stop being stumbling blocks.”  Jesus’ words pierced like an arrow pointed to my heart.

The words “stumbling block”, according to American theologian Ched Meyers has its roots from the Greek word skandaliso- to scandalize. To scandalize, usually translated as ‘to cause to stumble,’ is a term used by Mark to denote rejection of God’s message or desertion of Jesus’ way.  Think about the diversity of Christianity in our modern world and the way Christianity have caused this “scandalizing.”  We, who claim as the body of Christ, we who claim to follow Jesus, I’m sure, have done many scandals or placed stumbling blocks in the way of following Jesus or in proclaiming the best intent of the gospel. Karoline Lewis writes: “Stumbling blocks have many manifestations when it comes to faith: excuses, blame, doubt, rejection, disbelief. They thrive on rules and stipulations, adjudications and manipulations, judgment and expectation. Whose faith is greater; who seems to believe more. Who follows the rules better than I do. As if Jesus came to set up a competition.”

I almost did not preach on today’s gospel reading. I find this text blunt and repulsive. This is one of the many biblical texts that should not be taken literally. Else, most of us would have been maimed, amputated and blind.  It’s difficult to read these words about demons, hell, and mutilation!  And what about this reference in wearing a millstone around your neck and throwing yourself into the sea? Is Jesus proposing to better kill ourselves than being scandalizers? Tell me if you are comfortable listening to these verses. I’m not. These Markan words - from the same Jesus, who only last Sunday, took a little child into his arms and taught his disciples about serving others! But I don’t think this passage is about condemnation. Rather, they make us realize of our human nature.  We exclude.  We judge.  We condemn.  We compare.  We put others down.

In our lectionary group discussion last Tuesday, it was pointed out that these verses were disjointed. They seemed to be taken from small chunks of writings that were put together but not in a chronological order. Traditional interpretations regard these jumbled sayings as hyperbole or exaggeration. The hand, the foot and the eye were considered by 1st century Jews to be sources of sinfulness and temptations. The hand was associated with theft, fraud, forgery; the foot with robbery or runaway slaves; the eye with adultery and sexual misconduct. For centuries, preachers and scholars have used this text to underscore the individual Christian notion of personal sin and the doctrine of hell. While I find these texts very disturbing, I feel strongly that Jesus was teaching his disciples something of highly importance. Why would Jesus speak so harshly about “causing one of these little ones – those of other circle – of other tribe - of other faith, who believe in me to stumble”?  Because Jesus wants his disciples to be radically welcoming and inclusive. He wants them not to make a big deal of who’s out or in, who belonged or excluded. Jesus wants them to move away from the “us-them” mentality and be gracious hosts to one another specially those who are not in the same circle. Jesus was not in favour of what Debie Thomas calls “bouncers” of faith – of those who provide tight security, refuse entry to people who aren’t members or allowed inside, and “bounce” or throw out those who doesn’t follow rules.  In a broader sense, a bouncer’s job, according to Debie Thomas, is “to serve as gatekeepers for the institution they serve.  They screen who is an insider and who is an intruder. They make sure they only allow those who deserves entry to come in and reject those who are not in the circle.” So here’s the good news. Jesus wants his disciples and us to be God’s generous and welcoming hosts.  Hosts who throw the doors wide open.  Hosts who understand that there’s enough divine goodness, mercy, justice and to go around.  Hosts who believe that God delights in diversity. Hosts who respond with joy and gratitude whenever acts of love and kindness are done in Jesus’s name. 

The symbolic meanings of hand, foot, and eye are an invitation to discern any behaviour, self-conception, or world view that hinder anyone in attaining a fuller relationship with God and with all of creation, humans included. This is a reminder to remove any stumbling block that obstructs an open path to God and what God stands for: be it love, justice, peace, compassion. Jesus here is warning us against tripping up others and stumbling ourselves. Instead of us becoming stumbling blocks, Jesus calls us to be stepping stones –to pave the way for God’s love to flourish in the world, to be able to have a dialogue with people of other denominations or faiths instead of arguing who owns the “real” truth.

I was a stumbling block. It took me many years of self-reflection, discernment, study and practice for me to become a stepping stone. I am evolving - still in the process of transformation and I realize it’s a difficult process but with God’s help, I know it is possible. I just have to push myself really hard!  And if you ask me what made me change from a stumbling block to a stepping stone? It’s none other than this radical teaching of Jesus to be welcoming and inclusive. What about you? How are you getting in the way of the Good News? Are you a stumbling block or a stepping stone?

Today’s reading ends with another hyperbole: “…everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” For the ancient Hebrews, salt is a symbol of the covenant – a symbol of right relationships. Salt is a valuable commodity for preserving, purifying, and adding flavour to foods. Salt preserves good relationship - our acts of generosity, our care for each other, our gestures of friendship, our acts of kindness, that spice up our life together and keep it from spoiling. We are to be salted with fire to be stepping stones. Being salted with fire is to “be at peace with one another” - about right relationships – about welcoming others – about being radical hosts. Be salted with fire. Be a stepping stone. Reach out. Invite. Welcome. Include. You are in the right path.
As you reflect further on this difficult passage, let me close with a poem written by Andrew King entitled: “If Your Foot Causes You to Stumble”
These words of seeming mutilation:
how strange to us, the exaggeration for heightened effect.
The need for change is what they’re about –
to rearrange one’s attitudes, actions, use of speech, habitual ways.
If what we reach for is not to serve someone in love
but to serve ourselves (choosing to shove aside another’s dignity or need),
then it’s our selfishness and greed that cause us from the path to fall (forgive the feet);
it is the stubborn call of pride that just won’t bend
(and not the hand) that most offends.
If our path from God’s has swerved,
look well inside, to that which serves the will.
There - seek healing.
And maybe start with where most hurting dwells – the heart. Amen.

Sources that helped me with my sermon:

1.     BCUC Lectionary Group
2.     Karoline Lewis, On Seeing Yourself, www.preaching.org., Sept 20, 2015.
3.     Travis Meier quoting Ched Meyers, http://www.thebartimaeuseffect.com/the-gospel-of-mark/mark-938-50, 2015.
4.     Debie Thomas, “Hosts, not Bouncers”, Journey with Jesus. Net
5.     Andrew King, A Poetic Kind of Place

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

Let us gather our hearts in prayer… Like gentle rain from above, so are your gifts of life to us, great God. In your mercy you move our hearts from anxiety to an act of gratitude. Like the sun that rises in the morning so is the steadfastness of your love that provides for us. In your mercy, you move us from trust in things we’ve made to trust in your goodness and promises. Like a surprise gift, you offer us possibilities and a chance to breathe again. In your mercy, you move us from fear to courage in your ways. In your love, you transform us from being stumbling blocks to stepping stones.

Generous and merciful God, move us to be companions to the sick, the lonely and those who experience life’s harsh challenges. Give us the opportunity to feed those in the world who are hungry and to give water to the thirsty. Give us the awareness that you are present even in our most vulnerable, fearful places.

O God, bless us now with this Franciscan blessing as we hope to become stepping stones, welcoming and inclusive hosts, salted with fire:

May God bless us with discomfort,
At easy answers, half-truths,
And superficial relationships
So that we may live
Deep within our heart.

May God bless us with anger
At injustice, oppression,
And exploitation of people,
So that we may work for
Justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless us with tears,
To shed for those who suffer pain,
Rejection, hunger and war,
So that we may reach out our hand
To comfort them and
To turn their pain to joy

And may God bless us
With enough foolishness
To believe that we can
Make a difference in the world,
So that we can do
What others claim cannot be done
To bring justice and kindness
To all our children and the poor.

These we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, our good and wise teacher, who taught us to trust in God as we recite this prayer together…

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.

Invitation to Offer        Rev. Lorrie

In this season of harvest when we are blessed with nature’s amazing bounty, we are called to share the gifts we have been given with our neighbour. Time, talents, and resources are all wonderful ways to further the mission of this church and the building of God’s kin-dom in the world. If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offering and donations, you can drop them in the mailbox 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

(Ali Smith, The Gathering, Pentecost 2, 2017 Year A. Used with permission.)

Creator God, you give us our daily bread
so that we might have all we need to survive and to thrive.
In return, receive here our offering
so it can be used to nourish others and the world. Amen.

Sending Forth  Rev. Kim

(Bob Root, The Gathering, Pentecost 2, 2021 Year B. Used with permission.)

May the blessing of God,
who made us in love and for relationship
with one another and all creation;
the blessing of Jesus,
whose footprints are deep on our earth
and deep in our hearts;
and the blessing of Spirit,
who blows through us and around us,
go with us this day and always.
Go and be a blessing. Amen.

Hymn:   “Go Make A Diff’rence”        MV 209

(Words & Music: Steve Angrisano and Tom Tomaszek, 1997)

Refrain:
Go make a diff’rence.
We can make a diff’rence.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.
Go make a diff’rence.
We can make a diff’rence.
Go make a diff’rence in the world. 

1- We are the salt of the earth,
called to let the people see
the love of God for you and me.
We are the light of the world,
Not to be hidden but be seen.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.   R 

2- We are the hands of Christ
reaching out to those in need,
The face of God for all to see.
We are the spirit of hope;
We are the voice of peace.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.   R 

3 – So let your love shine on,
let it shine for all to see.
Go make a diff’rence in the
world. And the spirit of
Christ will be with us as we go.
Go make a diff’rence in the world!    

Departing Hymn: Go Now in Peace (Besig/Price)

Sunday Worship Service - September 19, 2021

 BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

CREATION TIME 2

September 19, 2021

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: “O Beautiful Gaia”   MV41

(Words & Music: Carolyn McDade; Arr., Lydia Pedersen, 2006)

Refrain:
          O beautiful Gaia, O Gaia,
          calling us home.
          O beautiful Gaia,
          calling us on. 

1.       Soil yielding its harvest,
          O Gaia, calling us home.
          Soil yielding its harvest,
          calling us on. R 

2.       Waves crashing on granite,
          O Gaia, calling us home.
          Waves crashing on granite
          calling us on. R 

3.       Pine bending in windstorm,
          O Gaia, calling us home.
          Pine bending in windstorm
          calling us on. R 

4.       Loon nesting in marshland,
          O Gaia, calling us home.
          Loon nesting in marshland,
          calling us on. R 

Welcome & Centering for Worship     Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Good morning and welcome to this service of worship at Bells Corners United Church on this second Sunday in the Season of Creation. At this time, we continue to offer our Sunday services through, video and audio on our website, and by telephone. The church is also open for modified in-person worship each week and we are happy to see people in the pews on Sunday morning. The Public Health folks warn that we still need to follow precautions as the new Covid 19 variants are still with us so we take distancing, masking, and sanitizing very seriously. While we are doing our best to avoid transmission of the virus, please remember that getting vaccinated is one of the best protections you can give yourself and those around you. If you are not comfortable gathering in this space or you feel unwell, the best precaution is still to take part in worship from home. 

As we settle in to the routines of life that September brings, let’s not forget to enjoy the wonder this time of year holds for us – cool nights for sleeping, days that are not too hot or too cold, the changing colours of nature, and the opportunities to reconnect with friends and colleagues. This year, we are also celebrating the gradual re-opening of the church building and the rhythm of Sunday morning worship that so many of us have missed over the past year and a half of the pandemic. Let us think of this time of year – especially this year – as a season of hope and refreshing renewal. Now let us centre ourselves for worship with the lighting of the Christ candle.

Lighting of the Christ Candle        Acolytes: The Berard Family

(Scott Martin, Pentecost 2 2021, p 30. Used with permission.)

There once was a wonderful man who did wonderful things and they said, “He is the light of the world.” In his light, the light of Christ, we gather.                     

Call to Gather & Opening Prayer (Based on Psalm 19: 1-6)     Rev. Kim Vidal

(Rod Sykes, Gathering Pentecost 2 2015, p30. Used with permission)

Honour the child.
The child within,
the spirit that echoes from our youth,
yearns to dance in the light.
Honour the child.
The child in our midst,
the silent one who dares not speak,
longs to sing a song of praise.
Honour the child.
The Child of God, Jesus the Anointed One,
touches our spirit, welcomes little ones,
leads us all to worship our God. 

Opening Prayer

(Richard Bott, Gathering Pentecost 2 2015, p26. Used with permission)

In the rush of the wind, in the laugh of a child,
in the beat of our hearts, speak to us, God.

In the purr of a kitten, in the lap of the waves,
in the warmth of our hands, speak to us, Christ.

In the cry of the moment, in the dance of our feet,
in the crackle of the flame, speak to us Holy Spirit.

We are listening. Amen.

Hymn:    “It’s a Song of Praise to the Maker”    MV30

(Words: Ruth Duck, 1992; Music: Ron Klusmeier, 1992)

1.    It’s a song of praise to the Maker,
The thrush sings high in the tree.
It’s a song of praise to the Maker,
The gray whale sings in the sea. 

Refrain:
And by the Spirit, you and I
Can join our voice to the holy cry
And sing, sing, sing to the Maker too.

2.    It’s a call of life to the Giver
When waves and waterfalls roar.
It’s a call of life to the Giver
When high tides break on the shore. R 

3.    It’s a hymn of love to the Lover;
The bumble bees hum along.
It’s a hymn of love to the Lover;
The summer breeze joins the song. R 

4.    It’s the chorus of all creation;
It’s sung by all living things.
It’s the chorus of all creation;
A song the universe sings. R 

Storytime  Rev. Kim

Who among you wants to be the best? I do, sometimes. I want to have the best marks in school, win at competitive games or look my best. Admit it – we love to win. We love to be on top of everything. We want to be the greatest. We want to be the best. But how do you know who is the best or the greatest? Do we always have to aim for the best? What would happen if we fail?

Let me share a story that I learned when I was young. This is an indigenous story about the legend of the Rainbow written by Anne Hope in 1976.[1]

“Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel: all claimed that they were the best, the most important, the most useful, the favourite.

Green said: “Clearly I am the most important. I am the sign of life and of hope. I was chosen for grass, leaves, trees–without me, all animals would die. Look out over the countryside and you will see that I am in the majority.”

Blue interrupted: “You only think about the Earth, but consider the sky and sea. It is the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea. The sky gives space and peace and serenity. Without my peace, you would all be nothing.”

Yellow chuckled. “You are all so serious. I bring laughter, gaiety, and warmth to the world. The sun is yellow, the moon is yellow, the stars are yellow. Every time you look at a sunflower, the whole world starts to smile. Without me, there would be no fun.”

Orange started next to blow her trumpet. “I am the color of health and strength. I may be scarce but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life. I carry the most important vitamins. Think of carrots, pumpkins, oranges and mangos. don’t hang around all the time, but when I fill the sky at sunrise or sunset, my beauty is so striking that no one gives another thought to any of you.”

Red could stand it no longer. He shouted out: “I am the ruler of all of you. I am blood! Life’s blood. I am the color of danger and of bravery. I am willing to fight for a cause. I bring fire to the blood! I am the color of passion and of love, the red rose, the poppy and the poinsettia. Without me, the earth would be as empty as the moon!”

Violet rose up to his full height. He was very tall and spoke with great pomp: “I am the color of royalty and power. Kings, chiefs, and bishops have always chosen me for I am a sign of authority and wisdom. People do not question me. They obey.”

Finally, Indigo spoke, much more quietly than all the others but with just as much determination: “think of me. I am the color of silence. You hardly notice me, but without me, you all become superficial. I represent thought and reflection, twilight and deep water. You need me for balance and contrast, for prayer and inner peace.”

And so all the colors went on boasting and quarreling, each convinced of their own superiority. Soon, their quarreling became louder and louder. Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightening! Thunder rolled and boomed! Rain started to pour down relentlessly. The colors crouched down in fear drawing close to one another for comfort.

In the midst of the clamor, Rain began to speak: “You foolish colors, fighting amongst yourselves, each trying to dominate the rest. Don’t you know you were each made for a special purpose, unique and different? Join hands with one another and come to me.”

Doing as they were told, the colors united and joined hands. The rain continued: “From now on, when it rains, each of you will stretch across the sky in a great bow of colors as a reminder that you can all live in peace. The rainbow is a sign of hope for tomorrow.”

And so, whenever a good rain washes the world and a rainbow appears in the sky, let us remember to appreciate one another”.

In our Gospel story today, Jesus heard the disciples arguing about which one of them was the best.  So, Jesus stepped in to end the argument. Jesus tells his disciples that if they want to be the best, they have to think of others first before themselves. They have to help others and serve those in need.  Likewise, Jesus wants us to put others first before ourselves. Greatness or being the best according Jesus, is about loving and welcoming others and showing them that we care. It is not about competition. Greatness is about encouraging others and making them feel special.  Jesus wants us to win at helping others.

I’m sure it was a hard lesson to learn for the disciples, so it will be difficult for us too.  But just like learning anything else, we have to put what we have learned to action.  Look for ways to serve others in your own simple way.  And even though you won’t get an award, a prize or a round of applause, God will be cheering you on, and that’s better than any reward you could ever get. Imagine how the world will be like if we do just that!

Let me close with a prayer:

Dear God, thank you for Jesus who taught us about the meaning of being great. Help us to remember that to be the greatest, we must be willing to love and welcome others. Amen.

Hymn:     “There is Room For All”     MV62

(Words & Music: Bruce Harding, 2004; French Trans., David Fines, 2006)

English:
There is room for all in the shadow of God’s wing;
There is room for all, sheltered in God’s love.
And I rejoice and sing, “My refuge and my rock, in whom I trust.”
There is room for all, there is room for all. 

French:
Chacun a sa place a l’abri sous l’aile de Dieu;
Chacun a sa place en l’amour de Dieu.
De joie, je chanterais: “Mon refuge  en lequel je me confie.”
Chacun a sa place, chacun a sa place. 

Prayer for Illumination  Reader: Keith Bailey

Creator God, let your words speak in each heart.
Let the truth set each one free.
Let the gospel story inspire us for justice.
Let the Spirit’s presence fill us with joy. Amen. 

The Gospel Reading: Mark 9 :30-37 (NRSV)

Jesus Again Foretells His Death and Resurrection
30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” 32 But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.

Who Is the Greatest?
33 Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” 34 But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. 35 He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

May we find ourselves renewed through this story of faith. Thanks be to God!

Sermon:   “How to Be First: A Christian’s Guide to Greatness”  Rev. Lorrie

There once was an anthropologist who was studying a tribe in Africa. One day, he called the children together and told them they were going to play a game. He showed them a big basket of fruit and then hung that basket from a tree at the other end of the meadow. “When I say, ‘go’ everybody run to that tree,” he told them. “The first one to get there wins the basket of fruit!” The children were very excited. He had them all stand up in a line… “Ready… Set… GO!”

With glee, the children all joined hands and ran to that tree together and then sat down to share the fruit. Well, this surprised the anthropologist! “Why would you do that? You could have had that whole basket of fruit for yourself!”

The children were confused. “How can we be happy if one of us is sad?” they asked.

This story is a familiar way to illustrate the concept of “ubuntu”, a philosophy that is central to many African cultures.

I can’t help thinking that I don’t know many children in our culture who would have done the same thing – maybe a few individuals would consider the idea, but would they be able to convince a whole group to buy in? Would they be able to convince the fast runners, the ones with long legs, the hungriest?

Competition and the desire to be the best, the first, the richest, the most loved, the most beautiful, the fastest… seems to be ingrained in us. I wonder, is this concept of ubuntu particular to African cultures or is competitiveness something that is unique to western society? Is it innate or is it learned?

In our reading from the book of Mark this morning, Jesus is trying to find some private time with his disciples. He wants some time away from the crowds to teach them, to delve deeper into the things they have seen and heard.

In the verses preceding today’s passage, Jesus has taken Peter, James, and John up the mountain – it’s the story of the transfiguration, when these three disciples get a glimpse of who this man they follow really is. The others are left below, dealing with the crowds. A boy, possessed by a spirit is brought to them for healing but they are unsuccessful in casting the spirit out of him. An argument has ensued with the scribes, the crowd is not happy. Jesus calms the situation by healing the boy and then moves on with his disciples.

It seems that he is lost in his own thoughts on this trek. He has tried to bring up the topic of how bad things are going to get once more – that he will be betrayed into human hands and they will kill him, but that he will rise again. They don’t engage. They don’t understand and are afraid to ask him about it. Perhaps they just don’t want to have to deal with such a scary thought. So, it seems that Jesus moves apart from them. I imagine him thinking this through, looking for a way to get his friends to listen to the reality he sees coming, to plan next steps.

As they continue along the road, he can tell that they are arguing about something but he isn’t part of the conversation. Once they stop and are alone together in the house in Capernaum, he asks them, “What were you arguing about back there?” and they don’t want to tell him because they were arguing about who was the greatest.

Now here, I think is where our competitive North American mindset might influence our understanding – even without us noticing it! I would wager that most of us read that line and assume that the disciples were engaged in a battle of “I’m better than you!” I’m the favourite, …the oldest, the smartest, … any of a myriad of superlatives. It makes sense, of course. They wouldn’t want to tell Jesus that’s what they were arguing about because they knew it was something he wouldn’t like, something that wouldn’t please this man they had grown to know and love.

So, what if we turn off our western minds for a minute and look at this statement through a different lens… What if, rather than fighting for bragging rights, these men were holding each other up as examples of greatness? Maybe the argument would go like this…“I think it’s obvious, Peter, that you are the greatest. You are the one who can talk to him as an equal”…  “Oh, no, not me! It’s obvious how much he loves you, John.” “But Andrew was the first one he called, I think he is the greatest.”…

Makes some sense, doesn’t it? After all, were these men following Jesus because he was famous? … Or was it because of his message and his way of being in the world? Would they really have left their lives behind and headed out into the unknown just to gain some fame and glory by hanging on his coat tails? Would they have stuck with him through the hard road and not considered heading home to family and comfort – especially when he keeps telling them that it’s going to get harder, that he facing rejection and danger, even death? Had they really not learned anything from him all this time? Did any one of them believe that he was capable of leading the others into this scary future?

Jesus seems to sense that this is what they were arguing about on the road. And so, he talks to them about what it means to be great when you are a follower of the Way.

“Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” It seems counter intuitive, doesn’t it? We know that Jesus teaches humility – but what can be gained in the work toward God’s kin-dom if we all allow ourselves to be humble servants? Would the corrupt powers of the world topple because they had obedient servants, ready to meet their every need or would they be strengthened because we all bowed to them?

I don’t think this is what Jesus had in mind. And I think the writer of Mark has left a lot out of Jesus’ lesson. Maybe that’s because we are expected, like the disciples, to understand, if we’ve been paying attention on this journey we’ve been on with Jesus, on the meaning of his ministry.

We know that Jesus was not the Messiah the people were expecting. He wasn’t there to raise a large angelic army who would beat the oppressors with violence. So, how did this humble man, a man who preached love, who healed the sick, who cared about everyone, even the outcasts of society… how did he think this could change the world?

I believe his solution was to empower the oppressed, not to overpower the oppressors. How do you change the world as a Christian, a follower of Jesus? Can it change by exchanging an existing power with a new one, with a new victor who raises his sword over the dead and wounded bodies of his enemies and shouts, “I win! I am now the greatest!” Or do you change the world by ensuring that everyone – the weak, the sick, the poor, the oppressed, and even the enemy and the oppressor – that everyone has what they need, physically and emotionally, to face the world with dignity. Perhaps, as Jesus teaches, you change the world by opening eyes and hearts to lift the gaze from “me and mine” to care for each other in the spirit of ubuntu. Jesus wasn’t out to humiliate the powerful. He didn’t want to change places with them. He proposed a new world view where we acknowledge that each person has gifts from God – powers that can be used to make the world a better place.

If you want to be first, you need to be last, according to Jesus. You need to be moving those with the gifts needed at the moment, to the front of the line; you need to be willing to support from the back. This doesn’t just apply to the disciples. It doesn’t just apply to followers of Jesus. If we want the world to change in the way God dreams, everyone needs to be willing to take their place at the back. If we want to make the greatest change, we need to get rid of the notion that the line from first to last is fixed in place. It’s not about using our power to reach back and give someone else a hand up, we need to give them the space and the support to move up to join us.

And then Jesus brings a child into their circle. Is this a signal that he’s moving on to a new topic to ponder, or is this child connected to what he’s been saying? We know that children were not considered important members of society in Jesus’ time. They were loved, they were nurtured, they were taught – but they weren’t consulted when decisions needed making in the family or in the world. Remember the story I usually read at a child’s baptism? The disciples try to keep the children from bothering Jesus. They aren’t as important as adults. They don’t know or understand as much. But Jesus gathers the children in. He says we need to be more like them if we want to enter the kingdom of heaven. I wonder if he was thinking along the same lines as the children in our story about ubuntu…

So, here in this house in Capernaum, Jesus pulls a little child close. Right in the middle of this serious discussion with his disciples, in a moment when he finally has their undivided attention and can do some teaching, he puts the child among them.

“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name, welcomes me.” One such child… That word, “such” stands out to me… Jesus could have left it out: “Whoever welcomes one child in my name, welcomes me…” What made this child different? What made this child stand out? Why was this the child he wanted the disciples to pay attention to?

I think about all the pictures I’ve seen of Jesus with children. Think about it… They are always sitting quietly at his feet, listening intently or smiling as he hugs them. Sweet, well-behaved, quiet, engrossed in what Jesus is saying to the crowd… Is that realistic? For those of you who have any experience with kids, is this what you would expect? You might hope for it, of course. You might lecture them before Jesus arrives and tell them not to misbehave, and some would comply… for a little while, anyway.

“One such child …”  This child caught Jesus’ attention in the middle of a serious discussion with his disciples, a teaching moment that he had been trying to organize for a while… I am imagining a child who has gotten tired of being quiet and still, a disruption but not because they were trying to be bad, just trying to be heard – and I think this child is an integral part of the lesson.

Jesus is offering a guide to greatness – be humble, don’t push your way to the front of the line, empower others to take the lead, … acknowledge that others have gifts to offer – not just the lovable ones but also the difficult, the troublemakers, the misfits, the down and out, the ones who are not even part of the line. Listen. Listen to the wisdom around you – even from someone as low and as helpless – even as disruptive as this child was in the society of that time.

Does this version of greatness ring true for you? Think about the “great” people you have known in your life. Where did their power lie? Were they the ones at the top of the ladder or the ones supporting it from the base?

If you were having an argument about who is the greatest, would you want to be the one at the top with the power to do what you want, or would you want to be the one empowering from below? Which position of power feels most dangerous and scary to you? Which seems harder? Which one do you think might continue to affect the world when you’re gone?

Tomorrow we are faced with choosing leaders for our country. It’s a time to look past our own greatness and to elect those who have the power to make our country great. It’s a hard decision for each one of us. Does it help to think in terms of ubuntu, to think about who can make life better for all of us rather than just ourselves or our small circle? Does Jesus give us any guidance here to help us choose who should be first?

These few short verses in our reading from Mark this morning give us so much to think about… Sometimes I wish the Bible or God would just give us a clear answer but Jesus warns us, over and over again, it’s just not that simple to follow him. Amen.

Prayers of the People & the Lord’s Prayer:   Rev. Lorrie

(With inspiration from Joe Milner, St. Louis University, https//liturgy.sluhostedsites.org)

God of us all, As the season changes once again and we move from summer freedom back to the regular routines of life – work, school, clubs, and committee meetings, help us to remember to look beyond our own busy-ness to both the beauty and the needs around us.

Jesus challenges us to look at the world with new eyes, to put our egos aside and consider the deeper meaning of greatness – the greatness to which you call each of us. As we strive to become the people you need us to be, in the world as you envisioned it:

We pray: For this church that we may be servants of one another, particularly of those in need, and that this church be an example of love lived out in the world.

We pray: For greater awareness, that we may recognize our common humanity in spite of differences in race or culture, or status, and that we strive to accompany one another along the journey of life.

We pray: For a spirit of humility, that we may recognize all our gifts as gifts from God, gifts to be used and shared. And we pray that we may recognize our need for one another in our quest to become our fullest selves.

We pray: For a clearer recognition of healthy and unhealthy ambitions, that we may be aware of the motivations that stir our hearts, and respond to those that lead us closer to God and toward greater wholeness in ourselves, our communities, and the world.

We pray: For the poor and powerless in our society, that we may hear their voices, understand their pain, and humbly walk alongside them through life’s challenges, that we use our privilege to empower others rather than to lift ourselves.

We pray: For all who have been impacted by hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, or wildfires, that God will strengthen them, remove the obstacles which they encounter, and guide them to the assistance they need.

We pray: For healing and strength, that the Good News of Jesus may bring hope to the sick and strength to those who care for them. We pray especially for those in our faith family who are facing illness, injury, and grief. Let them feel the love with which we hold them.

We pray: For all of the burdens in our hearts, voiced or held in silent thought, and through these ancient words we repeat together with followers of Jesus throughout the world…

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.

Invitation to Offer         Rev. Kim

We are called to plant seeds of grace, hope, and justice; to wait for God’s mystery to work in the hearts and minds of others. The gifts we offer are seeds that reap a harvest beyond our imagining. I now invite you to offer your gifts of time, talents and treasures as our response to God’s abundant love. If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offering and donations, you can drop them in the mailbox 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

(Kate Gregory, Pentecost 2, Gathering 2017, Year A)

Creator God, you gave us gifts and we have used them:
we offer them now to you in love and wonder.
Be pleased to accept our gifts in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Sending Forth  Rev. Lorrie

(Jamie Miller, Gathering Pentecost 2 2021, p39. Used with permission.)

As Jesus called the children to come to him
and the disciples to follow him, we too have a calling,
a calling to live out the word,
to be the love and do the work of Christ’s church.
May you feel rooted by your faith in God,
inspired by the stories of Jesus,
and lifted by the Guiding Spirit along your way. Amen.

Hymn:   “May the God of Hope”         VU 424

(Words – v1 Alvin Schutmaat, 1984; v2 Fred Kaan, 1993; Music – Argentine Folk Melody)

1 May the God of hope go with us every day,
filling all our lives with love and joy and peace.
May the God of justice speed us on our way,
bringing light and hope to every land and race.

Refrain:
Praying, let us work for peace,
singing, share our joy with all,
working for a world that's new,
faithful when we hear Christ's call.

2 May the God of healing free the earth from fear,
freeing us for peace, both treasured and pursued.
May the God of love keep our commitment clear,
to a world restored, to human life renewed. R 

Departing Hymn: This is God’s Wondrous World VU 296 

(Words: Maltbie Davenport Babcock, 1904; Music: English traditional melody, adapt. Franklin L. Sheppard 1915; adapt. Stanley Oliver 1929.)

1 This is God's wondrous world, 
and to my listening ears 
all nature sings, and round me rings 
the music of the spheres. 
This is God's wondrous world; 
I rest me in the thought
 of rocks and trees, of skies and seas,
God's hand the wonders wrought. 

2 This is God's wondrous world: 
the birds their carols raise,
the morning light, the lily white,
declare their Maker's praise.
This is God's wondrous world:
God shines in all that's fair;
in the rustling grass or mountain pass,
God's voice speaks everywhere.

3 This is God's wondrous world:
O let me ne'er forget
that though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the Ruler yet.
This is God's wondrous world: 
why should my heart be sad? 
Let voices sing, let the heavens ring:
God reigns, let earth be glad.

Zoom Fellowship – 11 am

[1] Based on an Indian Legend by Anne Hope – 1978

Sunday Worship Service - September 12, 2021

 BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

CREATION TIME 1

September 12, 2021

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: This is God’s Wondrous World - arranged by Phil Keveren       Abe:piano

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 of Creation Time in the Season of Pentecost.  The liturgical colour of Creation Time is orange which is a warm colour associated with creativity, enthusiasm, fruitfulness, fall and harvest and the changing of seasons. Orange is the red of passion tempered by the yellow of wisdom. Wherever you are, whether you are joining us via online, or onsite, or even reading the printed text of the service in the comfort of your homes, we are glad that you have joined us today.

As we continue to be under pandemic restrictions, please be reminded that the work of the church carries on. 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 at bcuc.org to keep you informed and give you opportunities to respond.

Our sanctuary has re-opened for in-person worship service on Sunday at 10 am with a maximum number of 50 people. The Public Health recommends staying at home but if you wish to attend the service, you are most welcome. The usual health protocols will be in place which include masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing and staying home if you feel unwell. Take note too that our worship service will still be offered via Youtube, by email and by telephone.

Friends, this day, we offer our gratitude for the gifts of the earth lavishly offered to us by a loving Creator. May we do so with praise and thanksgiving and a commitment to care for the earth and to serve each other. Let us now gather in worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle        Acolytes: Monica Peck, Dave & Samantha Jones

(Richard Bott, The Gathering, Pentecost 2, 2016 Year C. Used with Permission)

All creation is made of star stuff.
From the basic building blocks of the universe,
come fire, air, earth and water.
All creation sings praise to the Creator of all.
Warmed by this flame, we go where Christ’s light shines!

Call to Gather & Opening Prayer: (Based on Psalm 19: 1-6)   Rev. Lorrie Lowes

(Gord Dunbar, The Gathering, Pentecost 2, 2021 Year B. Used with permission)

Listen!
Wow! The music of the spheres without words,
sings to our hearts of God’s glory.
Look!
Incredible! The myriad mysteries of deep space,
light years of complexity,
blaze with God’s majesty.
Notice!
Amazing! The intricate weaving of life’s rhythms,
the pulse of creation,
dances with joy in God’s love.
Come! We come to celebrate God’s goodness in our lives!

Let us pray:

Our hearts fill with awe, O God,
For your Spirit works within us all.
You gift us as Christ’s body to become one,
In wholeness, one with all of creation.
Empower us for that purpose this morning,
We pray, that we may heed, hope and heal in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Opening Hymn:   Called by Earth and Sky – More Voices #135   BCUC choir

Refrain:
Called by earth and sky,
promise of hope held high.
This is our sacred living trust,
treasure of life sanctified,
called by earth and sky.

1 Precious these waters, endless seas,
deep ocean’s dream, waters of healing,
rivers of rain, the wash of love again.

Refrain: (French)
Du-ciel et de la terre,
Nous entendons l’appel’
Nous de-vons ché-rir l’univers,
é-crin de vie, pré-cieuse et belle;
du-ciel et de la terre.

Verse 2 (French)
Pré-cieux est l’air que l’on respire,
libre est le vent; Es-prit qui souffle,
viens nous in-struire, de grâ-ce
nous com-blant.

Refrain: (French)

3 Precious these mountains, ancient sands;
vast fragile land. Seeds of our wakening, rooted and strong, Creation’s faithful song.

Refrain:

4 - Precious the fire that lights our way,
bright dawning day. Fire of passion,
sorrows undone, our faith and justice one.

Refrain:

Words & Music © 2005 Pat Mayberry, Arranged © 2005 Marg Stubington, Translation: 2006 David Fines
Song#119776 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved.

Storytime  Rev. Lorrie

Read Aloud – “The Doorbell Rang” by Pat Hutchins

Mom bakes a dozen cookies for Sam and Victoria to share – yummy ones that look and smell as good as Grandma’s! Just when they are about to eat them, the doorbell rings and two more children arrived. This happens over and over again until there is just enough for one cookie each – and the doorbell rings again…

Did you wonder what the children would do when the doorbell rang that last time? Mom thought they should just gobble up their cookies before she opened the door but those children decided to wait and see who was there. I was surprised! Were you? This was a hard decision to make, wasn’t it? It was pretty easy to share when there were enough cookies for everyone, but those kids were still willing to share the cookies, even if it meant they might not get one for themselves. What a nice surprise when it was Grandma at the door with more!

In our Bible reading today, Jesus tells his disciples that following him will sometimes be very hard to do but, if they are going to be true followers of his teaching, they will make the difficult choices – and they will feel better about it in the end. Of course, he was talking about choices a lot harder than sharing cookies but the idea is the same. Jesus says there is no point in just making yourself happy if it turns you into a selfish person who is not very nice. He says you will be rewarded for sticking to his teaching about showing love to everyone. It might not always mean that you get more cookies – but it will make you feel better about the person you are growing to be! I think these children were good followers of Jesus, don’t you?

Hymn: Will You Come and Follow Me? -Voices United #567  TeGrotenhuis family Jan 2020

Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown, will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?

Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?

Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?

Will you love the "you" you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you've found to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?

Christ, your summons echoes true when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.
In Your company I'll go where your love and footsteps show.
Thus I'll move and live and grow in you and you in me.

Words: © 1987 John Bell, Music Scottish traditional
Song # 87129  Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination         Reader: Tamara Glanville

Creator God, let your words speak in each heart. |
Let the truth set each one free.
Let the gospel story inspire us for justice.
Let the Spirit’s presence fill us with joy. Amen. 

The Gospel Reading: Mark 8:27-38 (NRSV)        Who Do You Say That I Am?

27 Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 

28 And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 

29 He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” 30 And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 

32 He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 

33 But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 

35 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 

36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 

37 Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 

38 Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

May we find ourselves renewed through this story of faith. Thanks be to God!

Sermon:   “When Fine Print Matters”       Rev. Kim

          Have you ever found yourself excited about something - only to find out that you literally have sold your soul by not reading the fine print?  Admit it – most of us do not read the fine print. Maybe, we should! Here are some ridiculous true-to-life stories about people who found themselves at a losing end because they didn’t bother to read the fine print.

In 2014, FSecure, a cyber security company based in London UK ran an experiment to see if people are reading the fine print by offering a free Wi-Fi access. Before they could get on the Internet, users had to check a box agreeing to "assign their first-born child to FSecure for the duration of eternity." Still, 6 people signed up, but the company providing the Wi-Fi said the clause likely wouldn't be enforceable in a court of law.

Few years later, Manchester-based Wi-Fi company, Purple, promoted a similar experiment by offering a free public Wi-Fi for two weeks. The company inserted a clause in its agreement "to illustrate the lack of consumer awareness of what they are signing for when they access free WiFi." About 22,000 people who signed up, inadvertently agreed to 1,000 hours of community service — including cleaning toilets, scraping chewing gum on the streets and "relieving sewer blockages."

          How many of us have been tricked by fine prints that somehow quashed our expectations or have given us high hopes leading to other information that make us “not buy into it”? We are so engrossed in reading the big bold letters and we sometimes forget to ask the question, “what’s the catch?” The catch is a disclosure that is almost always penned in tiny mouse print that we easily ignore. That happened to Peter and the other disciples in this Gospel story.

          Jesus wondered how he was being perceived by people. What was the big bold letters that advertise his presence to those, whom he healed, touched, spoken to. Was he being seen as one among them? a healer? a preacher? a revolutionary leader? or a nut case?? He asked the disciples, "When you're out there, when you're talking to people or drawing water at the well or helping those in need, what are the people saying about me?” The disciples began to answer in big, bold claims -- familiar names in large print that are popular among the people in those days: JOHN THE BAPTIST…ELIJAH…A PROPHET. The disciples were filled with such hope and expectation. Like them, it was so easy for us today to identify Jesus in large prints as: REFORMER, LEADER, THE WAY, THE HEALER, TRUTH-TELLER, LIBERATOR, ACTIVIST. We think Jesus might be flattered to hear those big bold titles he was associated with. But Jesus was looking for more. So Jesus challenges his disciples and asks them: “But, who do you say that I am?” Peter rose to the occasion – just like all those times when he just opens his mouth without even thinking and said: “You are the MESSIAH”.

          Peter was one who understood church marketing. Fun and entertainment is always in style and sacrifice or sweating it out is always a put down. Talking about bearing burdens ad discomfort are in no way to promote the church. Church marketing is one strategy nowadays to lure people to come to church. One rich church mailed a glossy advertisement to each household in the neighbourhood with big bold large print poster telling the public that their church is a 3-C church: “casual, creative and contemporary.” On a fine print, they listed five reasons for people to “Come and check them out”: (1) jeans and t-shirts, no suits and ties; (2) no guilt. Leave your wallet at home; (3) positive sermon you will enjoy; (4) awesome programs for kids and teens; (5) pop, rock, country—our band rocks.  Another church promises “we won’t make you listen to organ music; the service won’t take more than an hour; we won’t visit your home unannounced; we will let you remain anonymous; we serve espresso drinks, free cotton candy to children 12 and under!” Sales gimmicks might draw a big crowd, but so does Lady Gaga. But promoting God the way we promote business is not what Jesus had in mind.

The large print of Jesus as the Messiah was obvious to Peter. He believed that when he left his career as a fisherman, when he dropped his fishing nets, left his family and the security of home and had followed Jesus--Peter had found the Messiah - someone powerful who will put down the Roman oppressors. Someone like King David who trampled down the enemies of Israel. And as he followed Jesus with the other disciples, Peter began to see the signs of the in-breaking of God’s reign--the sick was healed, the lepers were cleansed, the blind regained vision, the crippled walked, a tax collector became a disciple, people were fed. So when asked who Jesus was, he exclaimed, "You are the Messiah!" Peter understood messiahship in the tradition of the return of a David-like king, of a mighty, conquering hero, not one who will be put to death.

          Jesus doesn't deny the truth of what Peter says, but there is more to that large print. When Jesus points to Peter and the other disciples the fine print of suffering, rejection, and death, the disciples do not want to hear it. Peter rebukes Jesus. He taps Jesus on the shoulder and motions for a word in private: “Jesus, what are you talking about? Your popularity is skyrocketing. You don’t need to talk about suffering or dying.” Peter was ticked off – he could not sign off the fine print of following his hero, Jesus, the Messiah – all his dreams were shattered in one big explosion.  Peter was so hopeful -- he was so excited. Jesus was the one -- he was the one who would restore Israel to its former glory. He was the one he had been waiting for since the time of King David. Peter was not expecting a Messiah that would be defeated. Peter was looking for a Saviour who was stronger than anyone -- who would take care of all the threats and who would overpower all opposition -- someone who would rescue him and the people from the mess they were in. Peter rebukes Jesus for talking nonsense... suffering and rejection and being killed. That was not part of Peter's agenda for the Messiah. And Jesus took his turn, rebukes Peter, and calls him Satan! As if saying, “Peter, stop being a deceiver. I’ve had enough of this in the wilderness! What you’re thinking is the complete opposite of what God calls me to do and to be.”

Jesus continued talking about the fine print -  the hard stuff of being a disciple which we do not want to read, much more buy into it. "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me." What does it mean to deny oneself and to take up one’s cross? What does it mean to follow someone who has been crucified by the ruling power? Are we expected to die for what we believe? Do we have to give up our personal ambitions?  forget about our own comforts?  speak and listen to people we do not find interesting? care about people who wronged us? Who doesn’t already have enough suffering in their lives without looking for more? What will we have left if we give ourselves away?

          But come to think of it. Why did the disciples continue following Jesus? Why didn’t Peter and the rest of them leave and go home after knowing what it takes to be a Jesus’ follower? Why are we still here following Jesus and his way of life?  Because Peter and the disciples knew in their hearts that Jesus lived the way God wills every human being to live, which is a life of love, humility, justice and compassion. A life lived in putting others first. Because Jesus initiated a movement that believes in God’s power to change and transform lives. Because the God revealed in Jesus shows up even in broken places of our lives and in the world. Because in Jesus, we discover, not the God we may want, but the God we desperately need. This God will meet us in the places of our brokenness and wholeness and will embrace us with grace and love. Because life is never the same after Jesus showed us the way to God.

          A few years ago, in one of our lectionary group discussions, Peggy Aitchison shared a story about a Norwegian man her family hosted one summer. On Sunday morning, Peggy invited him to go to church and he said, shall I bring a sacrifice? Peggy was surprised to hear this but then she came to realize that in Norway, sacrifice means the Sunday offering.  This story made me think seriously about my faith. What does my offering - my sacrifice - say about my commitment in following Jesus? Our day-to-day choices are not likely to lead to martyrdom, but each day we have to decide how we will spend our time, our resources, our talents, our lives.

          Denying ourselves and bearing our own crosses may mean so many things. It could mean walking the extra mile, standing with the people who are losing, doing good that will receive no applause, building homes and partnerships in far-flung Nicaragua or Zambia, treating marginalized and disabled people as children of God, shopping for someone else’s groceries, reading stories to someone else’s children, taking flowers to someone who’s not a friend, visiting someone else’s mother in the nursing home, talking about faith when we would rather be silent, doing good for people who will do not good to us in return, praying not for an easier life but for strength to give our lives away, marching with the blacks, the indigenous people, or the climate change activists in their pursuit of a just society . I could go on and on... And what do you get in return? Nothing fancy - just a dose of tremendous comfort and peace of mind knowing that you have made a difference in someone’s life and in the world. Denying oneself reminds me of the song, Put a Little Love in Your Heart and when you do, the world will be a better place for you and me!

          As we continue to journey as the body of Christ in this season of creation time, Jesus invites us to be his followers. It never means that we give up our dignity, but it does mean that we will take on the mantle of faithfulness and life-giving commitments. We will speak as Jesus speaks. We will act as Jesus has come to act. There will be times in our lives when we realize that in losing our agenda, our power, our resources, our relationships, we find our true identity, our call and our purpose. It's not that nothing is lost. It's that something more important is gained. Read the fine print, put it to heart and live in good faith. Thanks be to God. Amen.

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

Come all of you who seek a sanctuary and a time to listen to God within. Bring your heart, your needs and your acknowledgement of the sacred in your midst. Let us join our hearts in prayer.

O Great Love, we give thanks for this cycle of surprising life, its challenges, its beauty and its delights... informed by your presence in and through it all. And yet, some days, words fail us when we wish to speak of love or life or hope. No words come - instead we shed tears, feel our brokenness and an outburst of despair. Those times we turn wordless from the world and from you. Take our hands, show us how to return with hope renewed, with energy to love others and work for change, with attention to the beauty that lives in all our lives.

Help us to see the blessings each day brings. Help us to see the thoughtful gestures of those around us. Help us to see the beauty of the earth and to commit ourselves to be good stewards of the whole of creation. Help us to see the richness of our Christian heritage taught and lived by Jesus. Help us to see the satisfaction in doing something well. Help us to see the workings of your hand in our lives. Give us the far-off vision of things yet unseen.
Like Peter and the other disciples, help us to have the courage to understand what it means to follow Jesus and to present our questions or even our doubts. Help us to be faithful to your way of life and know you richly as our God.

Giver of Life, we pray for your healing and comforting presence in the lives of those needing care, giving thanks for all those who opened their hearts to pray for them and are present with them.  We pray for those in need of healing, relief from symptoms of diseases, and wholeness of mind and spirit. We pray for those in retirement homes and nursing facilities, for those recovering at home and for those hoping that each day new mercies will come. We pray for those who are alone, who are alienated from their families, those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. We also remember those who are celebrating wonderful occasions and milestones in life. And now in silence, hear the deepest concerns of our hearts.

God of peace, we pray for the storms battering our communities in many forms; the wars and conflicts that never seem to reconcile; the continuing global economic fears. We feel afraid and powerless. We pray for refugees and many displaced people in the world. We pray for all the leaders of the world that they may make wise choices for everyone and that they may lead us to honour one another and serve the common good.

When you call our names, Creator God, you call us into a journey of faith following the example of Jesus. May we treasure your words in our hearts in whatever we say and do, so that our lives may reflect your way of light and love to others. These we ask in the name of Jesus who taught his disciples this prayer.

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.

Invitation to Offer        Rev. Kim

God invites us to take part in God’s caring for the earth and for one another. The gift of creation reminds us of God’s abundant generosity and invites us to live with gracious offering of our time, talents and treasures. If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offering and donations, you can drop them in the mailbox 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

God of earth and sky, in response to your abundant love that you offer us, we offer our gifts: time, talent and treasures for the life of this congregation and the lives of many in the world. Amen.

Sending Forth  Rev. Lorrie

(Sheryl McLeod, Gathering Pentecost 1 2021, p53. Used with permission.)

God blesses us in so many ways.
As God’s beloved, we know God’s love,
we follow Christ’s way,
and we are sustained by the Holy Spirit’s persistence.
Now go into the world extravagantly
scattering God’s seeds of love. Amen. 

Hymn:   Praise with Joy the World’s Creator – Voices United #312    Keith, Sheryll, Angela

1 Praise with joy the world's creator,
God of justice, love and peace,
Source and end of human knowledge,
God of grace shall never cease.
Celebrate the Maker's glory,
Power to rescue and release.

2 Praise the Christ who feeds the hungry,
Frees the captive, finds the lost,
Heals the sick, upsets religion,
Fearless both of fate and cost.
Celebrate Christ's constant presence -
Friend and Stranger, Guest and Host.

3 Praise the Spirit sent among us
Liberating truth from pride,
Forging bonds where race or gender,
Age or nation dare divide.
Celebrate the Spirit's treasure -
Foolishness none dare deride.

4 Praise the Maker, Christ and Spirit,
One God in Community,
Calling Christians to embody
oneness and diversity.

This the world shall see reflected
God is One and One in Three.

Words © 1985 The Iona Community, alt.; Music: John Goss, 1868
Song #40528 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music: Great is the Lord – Michael W. Smith                     Abe:organ

Zoom Fellowship – 11 am

Sunday Worship Service - September 5, 2021

 BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

15th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

September 5, 2021

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: I Have a Dream – ABBA (Ulvaeus/Andersson)      Abe:instrumental

I believe in angels Something good in everything I see
I believe in angels When I know the time is right for me
I'll cross the stream, I Have a Dream             © 1979 Universal Music Pub All rights reserved

Acknowledgement of 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 15th Sunday after Pentecost. Wherever you are, whether you are joining us via online, or onsite, or even reading the printed text of the service in the comfort of your homes, we are glad that you have joined us today. On this Labour Day weekend, we remember and give thanks for all those who shoulder the tasks of human labour, both active and retired—in the farms, marketplaces, in factories and offices, in schools and churches, and in family living. We also lift up all the students and teachers who are returning to school in the coming week.

As we continue to be under pandemic restrictions, please be reminded that the work of the church carries on. 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 at bcuc.org to keep you informed and give you opportunities to respond.

Our sanctuary has re-opened for in-person worship service on Sunday at 10 am with a maximum number of 50 people. The Public Health recommends staying at home but if you wish to attend the service, you are most welcome. The usual health protocols will be in place which include masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing and staying home if you feel unwell. Take note too that our worship service will still be offered via Youtube, by email and by telephone.

Friends, let us come as a welcoming people, centering ourselves in a loving, welcoming God as we worship together.

Lighting of the Christ Candle        Acolytes: Fowler Family

"No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in can see the light.” (Luke 8:16)

May the light of Christ shines on!                                                                  

Call to Gather & Prayer of Confession     Rev. Lorrie

(Kate Crawford, The Gathering, Pentecost 2, 2014. Used with permission)

Come, people of dancing waves and burning sun!
Come to worship God!
Come, people of refreshing rains and growing things!
Come to this place of prayer and praise!
Come to sing! Come to deepen faith!
Come to rest in God’s love!
Come and we are strengthened!
We are lifted up in this community of friends!
Come, let us worship and give thanks!
People of God, the Spirit calls.
The Spirit calls us to a life of responsive relationship.
Sometimes we ignore or forget this call.
Let us not be afraid to seek healing for our brokenness and pain.
Let us confess and draw once again in the relationship that is truly life-giving.

Let us pray:

Broken, we turn to you.
Hurting, we look to you.
Mourning, we lean on you.
Failing, we beg of you.
Hear our confession as we offer our silent prayers.

(Moment of Silence)

You call us blessed and so we are blessed,
for this and for all your mercies, thanks be to God!

Hymn:   Come, Let Us Sing of a Wonderful Love – Voices United #574           Mary Schmieder

1 Come let us sing of a wonderful love,
tender and true, tender and true,
out of the heart of the Father above,
streaming to me and to you:
wonderful love, wonderful love
dwells in the heart of the Father above.

2 Jesus, the Saviour, this gospel to tell,
joyfully came, joyfully came,
came with the helpless and hopeless to dwell, sharing their sorrow and shame,
seeking the lost, seeking the lost,
saving, redeeming at measureless cost.

3 Jesus is seeking the wanderers yet;
why do they roam? why do they roam?
Love only waits to forgive and forget;
home, weary wanderers, home!
Wonderful love, wonderful love
dwells in the heart of the Father above.

4 Come to my heart, O thou wonderful love!
Come and abide, come and abide,
lifting my life till it rises above
envy and falsehood and pride:
seeking to be, seeking to be
lowly and humble, a learner of thee

Words: Robert Walmsley, 1900, Music: Adam Watson
Song reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Storytime  Rev. Lorrie

“This Is Our House” by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Bob Graham

Read by Rev. Lorrie, Katie, Owen, Bree & Jack Kelly and their friend Barrett Burgess

This is a story about some children who find a big cardboard box and use it to make a playhouse. One child, George, decides that it is his house and makes up reasons to exclude all the other children – no girls allowed, or small people, or twins, or people who wear glasses, or who like tunnels. When George leaves to go to the bathroom, the other children all go in the house and exclude him when he comes back because he has red hair. George throws a tantrum but then stops and thinks… he declares that everyone is welcome in the house because “This Is Our House!”

George learned a big lesson, didn’t he? The other children showed him that excluding others makes everyone unhappy and that welcoming everyone is a lot more fun.

In our Bible story today, a Syrophoenician woman asks Jesus to heal her daughter. We would expect Jesus to do this for her, wouldn’t we? - but this woman is from another country. She looks different and sounds different from the people Jesus knows. Jesus was brought up amongst people who said that people like this woman were no good and so he says he can only help the Jews. He excludes her! This woman, a stranger, teaches Jesus a lesson about inclusion. Jesus listens to what she has to say and realizes that God would not want him to exclude anybody, not even someone so different. Jesus changes his thinking and the woman’s daughter is healed.

Jesus learned from the Syrophoenician woman, just like George learned from the children in the book we heard this morning. Both of them came to understand what the situation looked like from the other people’s view and realized that excluding them made no sense at all.

There are so many things we can learn if we take the time to listen. Sometimes what we hear can change our thinking and make life better for everyone.

Hymn:    Seek Ye First the Kingdom - Voices United #356      Ellen, Chris, Bernice & Angela

1 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God,
and God’ righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you.
Hallelu, hallelujah!

2 Ask and it shall be given unto you;
seek and ye shall find;
knock and the door shall be opened unto you.
Hallelu, Hallelujah!

3 We do not live by bread alone,
but by every word
that proceeds from the mouth of God. 
Hallelu, Hallelujah!

Words & Music © 1972 Karen Lafferty, maranatha music
Song reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved 

Prayer for Illumination         Reader: James Eaton

Be with us, O God, as we reflect on your Word.
Open our eyes, our ears and our hearts
to listen to your voice and make of us
witnesses and doers of a living faith in Christ. Amen. 

The Gospel Reading: Mark 7:24-37 (NRSV) - Jesus & the Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith

24 From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, 
25 but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him,
and she came and bowed down at his feet. 
26 Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin.
She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 
27 He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” 
28 But she answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 
29 Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.” 
30 So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

May we find ourselves renewed through this story of faith. Thanks be to God!

Sermon:   “Who Deserves the Crumbs?” Rev. Kim

In our partnership visit to Nicaragua in 2015, there were two kinds of dogs that caught my attention. One was the street smart and the other, the upper class.  It was impossible to ignore the street-smart dogs that roamed around the city of Managua especially in the barrios or villages on which we did our work. Everything about these dogs’ demeanor and appearance were so different from the dogs we are accustomed to seeing here in Canada. The street-smart dogs were unbelievably skinny with ribs and hipbones sticking out, almost disturbingly in some cases. Most likely they have no owners and no families and no particular people to take care of them. They scavenge food wherever they can find it: in garbage, from the sewers, on the streets and scraps from people. The upper-class dogs, on the other hand, were properly fed and well taken care of. They were owned by the host families and the middle class, those who live in rich neighbourhood where we stayed. 

If there is a wide gap between the rich and the poor in Nicaragua, likewise, dogs have similar fate there. I remember Elly Crow’s comments one night when we gathered for reflection. She said: “I feel sad looking at the dogs on the streets. In Canada, we feed our dogs with human food and are considered family members. But here, they are left on the streets to survive on their own.” Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere.  And I certainly understand that getting enough to eat and basic survival are real concerns for a considerable proportion of the population. Nicaraguans, like other people everywhere, choose to feed their children first. Only when poverty is adequately addressed by the worldwide community can the lives of individuals of all species, including dogs, be expected to improve.

How would you feel if someone calls you a dog? If you answer this question in Jesus’ time, you will realize that calling someone a dog is an outright insult and a put down. Let’s admit it. In this particular story in Mark, Jesus uttered a racial slur by calling the Syrophoenician woman and her sick, dying child, “dogs”. Calling Gentiles "dogs" was a form of verbal abuse. We call it racial prejudice in our modern language. Although the term “race” was a human construct brought about by the slavery of Africans in the 17th century, we can say that “racism” is already present in Jesus’ time as verbal and physical abuse, but also in less explicit ways, more hidden, covert and unconscious. Perhaps “racism” in the Bible is closer to the word “prejudice.” As a Jewish man, Jesus was brought up in a tradition that taught a covenant theology where Jews were the only people on earth who deserves God’s mercy and grace. This is absolutely one of those difficult gospel moments with which Christians must wrestle. Who is this Jesus, portrayed in this Markan story, who seemed to be scornful of other ethnic groups? How are we to understand such an indifferent and prejudiced Jesus? 

In this story, a Syrophoenician woman, challenges Jesus to practice what he preaches. The woman nagged and begged Jesus to heal her daughter who was diagnosed with an unclean spirit. In those days, it was unseemly for any woman to approach Jesus directly, but she was also a Syrophoenician, a Gentile, a foreigner, an intrusion into the holy boundaries set by Mosaic laws. This woman, living in Tyre, which is modern-day Lebanon, just beyond the borders of Israel, is a descendant of those who were the most outcasts of the outcasts. The Markan Jesus barely listened to her plea and then uttered an odd remark: “it is not fair to take the children's food and feed it to the dogs.”

If one is familiar with Mark’s agenda of showing Jesus as being sent first to the Jewish people, the children in this story refers to the Jewish people, the one whom God favoured above all others and the dogs were the Gentiles, the pagans, the unclean, the outsiders. Jesus turns the woman away by using a metaphor that implies a limited supply of food that only the privileged – the children of God - may eat while those in the margins – the dogs - go hungry.  Now isn’t that something? Surely Jesus of all people should know that God's goodness is extravagant - that there is more than enough food for everyone. And this is essentially what the Gentile woman points out to Jesus. She believes that in God’s abundant grace, there's plenty of food for everyone – children and dogs alike.

The woman does not back down. She had a crumb of confidence and that was enough to make her persist. The woman answers Jesus’ remark point-blank: "You are right, Sir, but dogs eat the children’s crumbs under the table. Yes, Sir. I agree that you were sent first to the house of Israel. Yes, I understand that we may not be your first priority. But I also believe that there is more than enough to feed us all. If we are dogs, then at least let us have a dog's rations. You have more than enough to feed us with the crumbs, some scrap of grace for someone a dog like us that are left under the table.” Karoline Lewis interprets the woman’s response like this: "What are you going to do, Sir? Judge me by my race and colour -- or judge me by my heart? Who are you to reject me when the God of justice, the God beyond borders said yes to me. God said yes to me when you came here in Tyre, this pagan land instead of spending all your time in Jerusalem. It’s okay to be me, so get over yourself, Sir”. Jesus was mesmerized, awestruck by her remark. Her response stopped Jesus from his tracks. It was a learning moment for him. Jesus realizes that the woman tells the truth. And when the truth gets told? The world changes. Her world changed. Same for Jesus. The rest of Jesus’ ministry was never the same again because of her.  Jesus learned a lesson from this outsider, this non-Jewish, marginalized woman. Her faith astounds Jesus: "Woman, you have made an excellent point. You’re right- You get the same food as all of God's other children anyway, so why not have a seat at the table?" In that historic encounter, the "dog" becomes a dinner guest and gets to sit at the table with the "children.” And Jesus healed her dying daughter!

This story should stop us also in our tracks. David Henson comments that this story “presents Christians with some difficulty, particularly if we understand ethnic prejudice and racism as the systemic sins they are. When faced with the complexities of personal and systemic sin, it is much easier to think of Jesus as transcending them all and loving all peoples regardless of skin color or culture of origin. We want Jesus to be the simple, easy answer to all our problems and to all of society’s problems. Perhaps part of the difficulty of this passage…is that we want Jesus to be colorblind. We want Jesus to be colorblind because that’s what many of us want to be or think we should be.”  Don’t you find this story encouraging and challenging? I do.  Jesus, the rabbi, the leader of a movement, the Jewish man from Nazareth became a learner just like many of us. His teacher was a woman, an outsider, a Syrophoenician, a gentile. From his encounter with this woman, Jesus realizes that God’s love was for all people, that there were no outsiders, no distinction of ethnicity, colour or creed. From this point on, Jesus does not hold his healing power to only those in the inner circle, but expands the circle of God’s mercy and grace to include those once considered outsiders. Jesus opens himself to the whole world Jews and non-Jews alike.

Does anyone deserve only the crumbs? Or should we all have a seat at God’s table of grace no matter how poor or rich we are, no matter what faith we possess, no matter if we are children or dogs? Jews or non-Jews? Does God have boundaries regarding those receiving God’s grace? I strongly believe that the day the good news went to the “dogs” was the day it came to all of us. We are the recipients not of the crumbs under the table but a whole feast laid for us on the table. No one deserves the crumbs. We deserve to eat real food, real grace, real blessings from God. Through the Syrophoenician woman’s faith and persistence, Jesus fully understood that in God's love, there was more than enough food to go around!

How can we not pay attention to this story when the world is in a mess?  When millions of refugees, migrants and immigrants across the world come to ask persistently for sanctuary and shelter in a new country, who come seeking the crumbs from the bounteous table of richer nations? This week, the world continues to be in horror as thousands of Afghans are fleeing their beloved country because of a change of government that dehumanizes particularly women, children and those of ethnic and religious minorities. This crisis has revealed so many failings and injustices. It highlights the evils of war, violence and persecution that desecrates humanity.

Dear friends, how do we respond as the body of Christ on the issue of racism?  Are we willing to be an ally and to have our boundaries pushed back and to let go of the walls that divide people and communities? We don't have to go far to have our boundaries pushed back. We can proclaim Jesus and act like Jesus to a lonely new neighbour, to change our behaviour towards whites and non-whites and those of other faiths, to support and advocate for the refugees and immigrants that knocks on our doors for safety and refuge. The opportunities to serve are limitless. Where ever we are tempted to draw back, to judge, to turn away, to avoid someone's eyes, to tighten our protective circle - that's where God is calling us to let go of our limits, to a right relationship with someone outside our boundaries, our comfort zones. Who deserves the crumbs? No one - because God’s grace is outrageously abundant for all. We can all eat together on God’s table of grace. Thanks be to God! Amen.

Sources that helped me with my sermon:

1. Rev. Peter Lockhart, Does Jesus learn a lesson? A Different Heresy.

2. Heidi Husted, Christian Century, August 16, 2000

3. David R. Henson, “Crumbs: Jesus and the Ethnic Slur”, Lectionary Reflection, Mark 7:24-37, September 2, 2015, patheos.org.

4. Alyce Mackenzie, Jesus Is In the House! Reflections on Mark 7:24-37. patheos.org.

5. Commentaries of Karoline Lewis, preaching.org.

6. Elly Crow’s reflection – Mission Trip to Nicaragua 2015.

Prayers of the People & the Lord’s Prayer   Rev. Lorrie

Holy One,

We marvel at the wonders of Creation and all the blessings we have been given.

We know that this planet and all life that inhabits it are suffering, in great part because of the way we humans have used earth’s resources without thought about how it affects the beautiful balance of nature. We know that many people around the world are suffering due to exclusion because of perceived differences – race, skin colour, sexuality, economic status, or differing abilities. We know that change is necessary to ensure that we, and all living things, can continue to thrive as you intended – but we also know that change is difficult.

Help us to learn. Help us to be open to new ways of living in respect with each other and with the ecosystem that supports all life. Help us to look at our way of life through new eyes, with the new information and wisdom that is available to us, with new understanding, and with your dream for creation as our focus and goal.

We pray for those who are dealing with the terrible effects of climate change – fires, floods, earthquakes, and ravaging storms. Move us to provide immediate relief and move us to action that will keep these things from worsening in the future.

We pray for all who are suffering today from illness, injury, grief, or loneliness. Help us to listen with open hearts and minds, that we can be a source of compassion and comfort.

We pray for all those living with fear and violence, for those experiencing the terrors of war, oppression, and abuse. We pray for all who have suffered from this pandemic – physically, economically, emotionally, and mentally. Help us to be agents of justice and a source of help and hope.

As Jesus was open to the wisdom of the Syrophoenician woman, may we be open to the voices of wisdom around us. Help us to look past our cultural assumptions and our fear of change so that we can transform our lives in a way that transforms the world.

All these things we ask in the name of Jesus, who urges us to see the world through the eyes of compassion and justice, and in the words he taught his disciples:

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.

Invitation to Offer        Rev. Kim

Engaging the wholeness of life is what God is all about. Our ministry as a church is to accompany others in this journey toward wholeness and so we offer our time, talents and treasures knowing that we are all God’s beloved children. If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offering and donations, you can drop them in the mailbox 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

Teach us God to offer the very best of who we are. Through these gifts, may we offer hope, joy and healing to a world so much in need. Receive what we offer in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sending Forth  Rev. Kim

Go from this place like the Syrophoenician woman:
bold, daring, ready to take a risk.

Go to be a blessing!
Be people of courage!
Be people of healing and love!

Go to bless others because you have been blessed
and tell the world that God: Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer
loves us all! Amen. 

Hymn:    “Bless Now O God the Journey”  - Voices United #633

1      Bless now, O God, the Journey
that all your people make,
the path through noise and silence,
the way of give and take.
The trail is found in desert
and winds the mountain round,
then leads beside still waters,
the road where faith is found.

2      Bless sojourners and pilgrims
who share this winding way,
whose hope burns through the terrors,
whose love sustains the day.
We yearn for holy freedom
while often we are bound.
Together we are seeking
the road where faith is found.

3      Divine Eternal Lover,
you meet us on the road.
We wait for lands of promise
where milk and honey flow.
But waiting not for places,
you meet us all around.
Our covenant is written
on roads, as faith is found.

Words © 1989 Sylvia Dunstan, GIA pub,  Music: 1898 Basil Harwood
Song #08081 reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved 

Departing Music: Thank You for the Music – ABBA                 Abe:instrumental

So I say Thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing
Thanks for all the joy they're bringing
Who can live without it? I ask in all honesty
What would life be?
Without a song or a dance, what are we?
So I say thank you for the music
For giving it to me

Songwriters: Benny Andersson & Bjorn Ulvaeus © 1978 Universal Music Publishing
All rights reserved

Zoom Fellowship – 11 am 

Sunday Worship Service - August 29, 2021

 BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

14th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

August 29, 2021             Celebration of Baptism

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: Out of Deep Unordered Water – Voices United #453          Instrumental

Words © 1965 Fred Kaan, Hope Publishing, Music © 1974 Ron Klusmeier
Song #44009 & 80440 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

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 14th Sunday after Pentecost. Today we are happy to welcome the families of Elly Crow and Conor Morris as we celebrate the baptism of their child, Cian James Morris during the onsite service in the sanctuary. Wherever you are, whether you are joining us via online, or onsite, or even reading the printed text of the service in the comfort of your homes, we are glad that you have joined us today.

As we continue to be under pandemic restrictions, please be reminded that the work of the church carries on. 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 at bcuc.org to keep you informed and give you opportunities to respond.

Our sanctuary has re-opened for in-person worship service on Sunday at 10 am with a maximum number of 50 people. The Public Health recommends staying at home but if you wish to attend the service, you are most welcome. The usual health protocols will be in place which include masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing and staying home if you feel unwell. Take note too that our worship service will still be offered via Youtube, by email and by telephone.

Friends, at the font and at the table, in the church and in the world, in our tears and in our laughter, we meet Christ. Let us come as faithful people, centering ourselves in God as we worship together.

Lighting of the Christ Candle       Acolytes: Mandy & Meighen Crow

Friends, as we light this Christ candle, remember the promise expressed by these words: “The voice of God is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, God’s spirit over mighty waters. The voice of God is powerful; the voice of God is full of majesty.”   (Psalm 29: 3-4)

Call to Gather & Opening Prayer     Rev. Lorrie Lowes

(Inspired by the writing of Gord Dunbar, Gathering ACE 2016-17. Used with permission)

Come and listen: to the beat of water in your veins,
the very stuff of life within us all.
Come and drink: the beauty of rain-washed earth,
the awesome wonder of God’s holy glory drawn in light.
Come and see: the baptismal waters of promise and of covenant,
The proclamation of God’s power in humble relation.
Come let us worship God who calls us by our name! 

Let us pray…
Holy God, you have fashioned and formed us in your image, calling us by name.
You fire in us a shining glaze that reflects your tender loving care.
We ask that you pour your love upon us, a refreshing, cleansing water
calling out all that is Christ in us, shining into our world.

Remind us in our gathering today that we are your beloved,
for we see your love reflected in ourselves and in one another.
In the name of God: Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, we pray. Amen.

Hymn:   Worship the Lord - Voices United #401    Ellen, Chris, Bernice & Angela

Refrain:
Worship the Lord (worship the Lord)
praise the Creator, the Spirit, the Son,
raising our hands (raising our hands)
in devotion to God who is one!

1 Raising our hands as a sign of rejoicing,
and with our lips our togetherness voicing,
giving ourselves to a life of creativeness,
worship and work must be one! R

2 Praying and training that we be a blessing,
and by our workmanship daily confessing:
we are committed to serving humanity,
worship and work must be one! R

3 Called to be partners with God in creation,
honouring Christ as the Lord of the nation,
we must be ready for risk and for sacrifice,
worship and work must be one! R

4 Bringing the bread and the wine to the table,
asking that we may be led and enabled,
truly united to build new communities,
worship and work must be one! R

5 Now in response to the life you are giving,
help us, Creator, to offer our living,
seeking a just and a healing society,
worship and work must be one! R

Words © 1972 Fred Kaan, Hope Publishing, Music © 1977 Ron Klusmeier
Song #59171 & 80567 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Storytime  Rev. Lorrie

Summer is almost over for another year and school will be starting soon! Have you had a good summer vacation? I know that my grandkids found it better than last year because there were more activities open – like day camps and even sleepover camp!

I think kids all over the world really missed those kinds of activities last summer when everyone was locked down because of the pandemic. You might remember hearing about a day camp that happens in the little village of Chipembi in Zambia – the village we are in a three-way partnership with – BCUC, Emmanuel UC in Ottawa, and the church in Chipembi. For several summers, young adults from Ottawa traveled to Zambia and worked with young adults in the village to plan a day camp that was a bit like our Camp Awesome. More than 100 children went to the camp from Chipembi and from other villages in the area. It was a highlight of the year for them! Well, last summer, the pandemic meant that there was no Camp Chipembi there, just like there were no day camps here in Ontario. Well, this summer, Camp Chipembi was back – a little bit different but still lots of fun. Our partners at Emmanuel made a little video to show us how it went. You might see a familiar face in here!

Camp Chipembi 2021 video   

Preparations

In April 2021, it was decided that, after a year off due to the pandemic, Camp Chipembi would proceed this year.  With the disruption of life in general and school in particular for the children in Chipembi, Omega Bula, our prime contact in Chipembi, felt that it was important to hold the camp.

One thing for certain was that, given the situation with COVID 19, we would not be sending young people to participate as leaders in the camp this year and possibly for several years to come.  We would, however, continue to provide financial support for the camp and explore ways of having “virtual leaders” participate in the camp.

In early June, Emmanuel started a fund raising campaign to provide t-shirts, face masks and lunches for the children at the camp.  Funds for other elements of the camp had been raised previously and events such as the online Christmas Market – Just Gifts.

Between some folks at Emmanuel and others at Bells Corners United (a third member of the partnership), we created a number of virtual leader videos with stories, songs and crafts.  Due to the uncertainty of the internet in Chipembi and the size of the files transmitted, only a small number of the videos were received successfully.

Planning

From July 3 – 6, 2021, Omega held a Camp Leaders’ Planning and Training session at her farm in Chipembi.  Because Omega was going to be back in Canada for cancer treatments during the camp, Muyunda Zileni was recruited to be the Camp Director.  In all, there were 12 leaders planning and running the camp.

The main goal of the camp was to rebuild the community from the effects of COVID and mining activities nearby and as such the theme was “Together We Can Overcome”.

COVID 19 had created havoc in the community and, at the time, very little vaccinating had been done.  The mining activities had started in nearby villages within Chipembi and were having a negative effect on the community.  People had relocated to the mining areas to earn a living, leaving their children unattended.  In the camp planning, the leaders had to consider that many of the participants would be arriving unkempt, late and hungry.

In the planning of the camp, the usual COVID precautions were to be followed with crafts and games being done in small groups.  Only morning devotions, held in the church sanctuary, would include the camp as a whole.

The Camp

The camp was held from August 2 – 6, 2021.  With 100 kids in attendance.

(video from Day 1 in the sanctuary)

Over the course of the 5 days, the children listened to stories, made crafts, sang songs and played games (pictures of the crafts) (videos of the group singing and playing games).

Winners never quit.  Quitters never win
Oh oh ooooh - We can win
By Acting together, acting together
Oh oh ooooh - We can win 

Celebration of Baptism: Cian James Morris

Parents: Elly Crow & Conor Morris
Godparents: Meighen Crow & Joseph Cacoilo

In our onsite worship service, we welcome Cian James Roy Morris, child of Elly Crow and Conor Morris, grandson of Mandy & Pete Crow, Jan and John Blagg, Frank Morris and Tracy Bankley Morris, and great grandson of Ruth & Ian Howes and Marion and Roy Blatherwick.  Today we welcome him into our church family through the sacrament of baptism. We also welcome the godparents, Meighen Crow and Joseph Cacoilo. Let our offer our support, our prayers and our congratulations to Cian and his family on this momentous occasion.

Hymn:  I Have Called You by Your Name – More Voices #161 – BCUC Choir

1 I have called you by your name, you are mine;
I have gifted you and ask you now to shine.
I will not abandon you; all my promises are true.
You are gifted, called, and chosen; you are mine.

2 I will help you learn my name as you go;
read it written in my people, help them grow.
Pour the water in my name, speak the word your soul can claim,
offer Jesus’ body given long ago.

3 I know you will need my touch as you go;
feel it pulsing in creation’s ebb and flow.
Like the woman reaching out, choosing faith in spite of doubt,
hold the hem of Jesus’ robe, then let it go.

4 I have given you a name, it is mine;
I have given you my Spirit as a sign.
With my wonder in your soul, make my wounded children whole;
go and tell my precious people they are mine.

Words and Music © 1998 Daniel Charles Damon
Song #54619 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination        Reader: Sue Morrison

God of Wisdom, as we ponder on your Word, remind us again that we are your beloved children. Open us to receive your spirit of grace and inspire us to embrace your life-giving Word. Amen.

Readings from the New Testament: (NRSV)   The Baptism of Jesus – Mark 1: 9-11

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

All are Children of God– Galatians 3: 26-29

26 for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. 27 As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.

May we find ourselves renewed through these ancient words of faith. Thanks be to God!

Sermon   “Affirmed by Love: Immersed in Grace!” Rev. Kim Vidal

At first, I thought it was for real. But I was relieved to learn that it actually was just a staged photo that meant to be funny! I’m referring to the photo of Fr. Stephen Klasek of the Diocese of Nashville, TN that went viral using a water gun to baptize an infant when the COVID-19 pandemic was on its rise. The photo received many criticisms – both good and controversial. The parish facebook post went to explain that the family had requested for Fr. Klasek to do this pose as copied from several posts of priests circulating around the internet. It was not his original idea. He agreed because he thought it was funny. The water in the water gun is not holy water and was squirted towards the dad and not the baby for humor impact.

The photo garnered millions of views and was posted in several websites and memes. While some took this story to be lighthearted and funny, others criticized the photos, suggesting they seemed to make light of the sacrament of baptism or underestimate clergy ministry. Today we have witnessed the baptism of Cian James Morris and aren’t you glad I did not use a water gun to baptize him? (But great grandpa Ian might try it with Cian at home!)

          In our gospel reading this morning, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptizer at Jordan River. Here he makes his first public appearance on the stage of human history.  The baptismal account of Jesus was the opening act in the book of Mark. Mark introduces us to Jesus as a thirty-year-old something, and we don’t have a clue as to what happened prior to his baptism. When Jesus stands up, according to Mark, the waters of the Jordan dripping down his face, he saw the heavens torn apart. Torn apart! Mark uses a form of the Greek verb schitzo – the same root we find in the word schism and schizophrenia. It is a more violent and dramatic word than just the word “open”. Its message tells us that through Jesus’ baptism, God ‘s presence and power are on the loose in the world, nothing will be the same again. There was also the presence of the Spirit descending like a dove that rested upon Jesus’ head. The Spirit comes, not as an all-consuming fire of judgment, but in a form of a dove, with the flutter of hopeful, unfurled wings, the symbol of shalom – God’s vision of peace. And a voice from heaven addresses the crowd: “You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased.”

          For most of us, one thing that brings us to church on Sunday is the fact that we were baptized through the symbol of water. Since ancient times, water is a symbol of cleansing, healing and renewal.  Water, as we know, is one of the most powerful elements on the face of the earth. But many people do not have a clue as to why baptism is an important sacrament that we still do. Let me share with you a funny story. Before celebrating a baptism, the minister approached the young father and said solemnly, “Baptism is a serious step. Are you sure you’re prepared for it?” "I think so,” the man replied. “My wife has made appetizers and we have a caterer coming to provide plenty of cookies and cakes for our guests.” “I don’t mean that,” the minister replied. “I mean, are you and your wife prepared spiritually?” “Oh sure,” came the reply. “I’ve got a keg of beer and a case of whiskey." Kidding aside, how many of us really understand the meaning of baptism?

The Greek word for baptism is baptizo which means: "To dip, to immerse, to submerge—and the best one for me—to saturate." Someone even said “baptism is like a marinade. We are marinated with water, with light, with God’s grace and blessing.”  "You’ll know it when it happens" says the preacher Caspar Green. He notes that “Baptism might just get you wet. Or it might just change your life. In itself, there’s nothing magical about it. Even if it’s a religiously motivated one, with a formal liturgy, with water, with candle, godparents, and the whole works. What makes baptism special is what you do with it after you get out of the water…” Jesus began his ministry on earth after his baptism! He went about doing good as the song says – healing the sick, affirming the marginalized, teaching the Good News, socializing with his friends. Baptism is a revelation of God’s grace and abounding love.  It is a sacrament through which we become part of the family of faith.  The symbol of water becomes the tide that sweeps us into God’s love; that washes us in to receive the nurture and support of a Christian church, and then washes us out to do the work of Christ in the world.  This water tells us who we are. It tells us that we are affirmed by loved and immersed in grace - that we belong, and that we are connected.  It tells us who we might become.

The apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians encourages us to look at a deeper meaning of baptism. Paul says that “In Christ Jesus, you are all children of God through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”  Obviously, for Paul, baptism is a sign affirming our identity and relationship to Christ.  Putting on Christ literally means to “clothed yourself with Christ.” Be like Christ to others – no matter who they are. Jesus taught us to be a loving neighbour to both friend and stranger beyond religion, colour of the skin, language, race, status or sexual orientation. Paul went on to say that our baptism makes us all brothers and sisters – siblings in faith. And “in Christ’s family”, according to Eugene Peterson in The Message, “there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. We are all equal.”

          Some people believe that baptism is an exclusive privilege and a necessary requirement in receiving God’s grace. I don’t think so. I believe that whether one is baptized or not, everyone is welcome in God’s love. Everyone is God’s beloved child. Through baptism, we are provided with the opportunity to commit ourselves to live a life of being in right relationship with God, with others and with ourselves. Yes - baptism offers us to become a member of a faith community with a commitment to follow the ways of Jesus Christ to guide us in making life’s choices. Parents profess their faith on behalf of their children with the hope that their children will later profess their faith after undergoing the rite of confirmation. Through the waters of baptism, we proclaim that our lives can be transformed and renewed over and over again. Water is the visible symbol of God’s grace reminding us that we are affirmed intimately in a relationship of love - a love that is not distant, but real, alive, tender and completely present in that very moment. 

          In the United Church tradition, infant baptism is the primary baptismal practice, but we certainly encourage adult baptism as well which we sometimes call the “believer’s baptism”. We sprinkle candidates with the baptismal water. Other traditions utilize pouring or immersion. I once read a facebook illustration entitled: “Babies’ Perspective on Baptism”. The photo shows a toddler on the phone talking to his friends. The toddler with his big “I’m not kidding you” eyes said: “So today at church, a man wearing a suit dunked me in the water trying to drown me! No! I am not joking! My family just stood there taking pictures!” While sprinkling is part of our United Church tradition, whatever the practice or mode, no matter how much water is used, and regardless of the location of the event -- the Spirit, like the dove descending on Jesus in Mark, is present in the act of baptism and infusing the baptized with the possibilities of a new beginning to follow Jesus’ way of life. And that is more powerful than any flowing water on the face of the Earth.

Baptism is not just a sentimental ritual that we perform because it makes for Kodak moments. Baptism is a human, physical ritual to remind us of the divine transformation soon to take place in us through our connection with Jesus’ baptism. Theologian and preacher Walter Brueggemann wonderfully capture this connection in his book, Prayers for a Privileged People. This is what he says: “We become aware, out of Jesus’ baptism, of a new world, a world of grace and goodness, a world of freedom and opportunity, a world of justice and mercy and forgiveness, all from that moment of water . . . and the dove and the name and the power. And we remember our own baptism when we were named and claimed, and called to newness. In our moment of water… our world began again: we are grafted to God’s new governance; we are summoned into new obedience; we are rooted in fresh goodness and forgiveness. We hear the splash of water and pause, and begin again . . . not burdened by what is old, not bewitched by what is failed, not cowed by what threatens us. Now is our time for newness and hope and love and forgiveness, and we, after him, reenter your newness yet again.”  

          Today, baby Cian, his mom, Elly and dad, Conor, his whole family from both sides and his godparents came with him to these waters, filled with expectations and hopes. But the one that bubbles up for us today is the expectation that in these waters, Cian was sprinkled in the life of God through the story of God’s people. This water is full of our very own stories. Today, Cian becomes one with our stories that will help him grow in hope, in faith and in love.

       Baptism does not protect us from the harsh realities of life. Like all human beings, we will pass through the waters of life's difficulties. We will cross the rivers of life's pains, and we will walk through the joys and challenges of being human. But we also recognize that God will go with us, and calls us by name as God called on Jesus that day of his baptism. As the prophet Isaiah proclaims, God says to you and me:

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.
When you pass through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.
When you walk through the fire, the flame shall not consume you.
I have called you by name, and you are mine.”

Mark added to Isaiah’s words. God declares: “You are my child, my beloved; with you I am well pleased.” We need to hear this affirmation over and over again. These are life-giving words that transform our lives forever. Jesus heard them and his life was changed forever. They will do the same for Cian. We are affirmed by God’s love. We are forever immersed in God’s grace. Thanks be to God! Amen.

Sources of my sermon:

Debbie Thomas, Thin Places, Deep Water. http://www.journeywithjesus.net/
Rev. Dr. Scott Black-Johnston, Sermon “How’s the Water?” Day1.org.
Walter Brueggemann, Prayer for a Privileged People.
Facebook illustration

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

Let us gather our hearts in prayer.

Gracious God, your spirit moves over the waters to bring forth life. Your Spirit rains and pours and floods in rivers, in oceans, in baptismal fonts - cleansing, purifying, anointing all creation, to live your goodness and love.

Like Cian, you have called us by our names and we respond with joy, knowing that we are your beloved children. We come to your font of grace to celebrate and to give thanks for calling us your beloved. Open our hearts as we pray, and call us to a new faithfulness in our baptism. Inspire each one of us to show forth our loving kindness in our hurting world, and bring healing and peace to all your people.

Loving God, baptize us with the water of love, service and hospitality. Empower us to be your bringers of good news to others. May our feet move in directions of service. May our hands seek to do the work of justice. May our hearts be shaped to see love and connection.

Healing God, baptize us with the waters of compassion and wholeness. We pray for those who seek healing and recovery from illnesses, from grief, from despair. We pray for those for those who are in the midst of health challenges; for those awaiting surgery and other medical procedures; for those who are recovering in hospitals and in home; bring comfort for those who are grieving the loss of loved ones. We pray for those in long-term care facilities and nursing homes, those who are still affected by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the many of us who seek your healing grace. And now in silence, hear the deepest concerns of our hearts. (Moment of Silence)

Compassionate God, we pray for our communities, the neighbouring places, our city, our province and our country as a whole. Baptize us with the waters of justice so that the poor, the lonely and grieving, the homeless and all those pushed to society’s margins can once again be gathered into the heart of neighbourhood. 

Justice-seeking God, baptize our world with the waters of compassion, hope and strength so that evil systems and acts of terror will come crashing down replacing them with systems of sharing, of peaceful endeavours and acts of grace. We pray for the people in Haiti especially those who are suffering due to the massive earthquake that destroyed livelihood and killed many people. We pray for peace in the world particularly in Afghanistan as terror, violence and fear sweep the country. We pray for the Afghan people facing great uncertainty, displacement and death particularly for women, girls and ethnic and religious minorities. We pray for the peacekeepers from many parts of world and the families of the US service members and Afghan citizens who died. We pray safety for those who are fleeing from the country that they may find refuge.

Ever-Present God, affirm and baptize us with the water and spirit and fire of your love We, whom you call as your beloved may spread the good news of Jesus through our words and our actions. Implore us to rekindle hope, transform our ways and offer fresh possibilities. These we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, baptized in the waters of Jordan, who taught us this ancient prayer that we recite together:

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.

Invitation to Offer         Rev. Lorrie

On a morning like this, when we celebrate the blessing of a new baby and the joy of baptism, we are reminded to share our many blessings with others. And so, we take this time to offer our gifts of time, talents and treasures. If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offering and donations, you can drop them in the mailbox 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    (Glad Faith Klassen, Gathering, Pentecost 1, 2021 Year B. Used with permission)

God our Creator, giver of all good and perfect gifts, we bring our praise for who you are, the one who is and was and is to come. You continue the work of creating, of giving and forgiving, and we give thanks for it all, embracing your grace and love. Help us on our journey to live the mystery of being born of water and spirit. Be patient with us as we learn to embrace your grace and extend it to others. We offer up to you all we are, all we have, and all we are becoming, in the name of Jesus, our perfect example. Amen.

Sending Forth  Rev. Kim        (Inspired by the prayers of Rev. Dawn Hutchings and Rev. Beth Johnson, Gathering 2016-17. Used with permission)

Let the waters of baptism sooth you, nourish you,
and sustain you for all the possibilities yet to come!
We are the beloved children of a Creator who rejoices with us!
Listen closely. Hear the flapping of the wings of a dove
as the Holy Spirit alights upon you.
We gladly receive the blessings of possibility!
Go forth as God’s baptized people,
knowing that the refreshing waters
will sustain you in your journey. Amen.

Hymn:   Let All Things Now Living - Voices United #242      BCUC Quartet, Erin:flute

Let all things now living a song of thanksgiving
To God the creator triumphantly raise.
Who fashioned and made us, protected and stayed us,
By guiding us on to the end of our days.
God’s banners are o'er us, pure light goes before us,
A pillar of fire shining forth in the night.
Till shadows have vanished and darkness is banished
As forward we travel from light into Light.

By law God enforces, the stars in their courses
And sun in its orbit obediently shine;
The hills and the mountains, the rivers and fountains,
The depths of the ocean proclaim God divine.
We, too, should be voicing our love and rejoicing;
With glad adoration a song let us raise
Till all things now living unite in thanksgiving:
To God in the highest, hosanna and praise!"

Words and Descant © 1939 Katherine Davis, traditional Welsh melody
Song #06098 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music: Take Up This Song - More Voices #213       Ellen, Chris, Bernice & Angela

Take up this song of *peace and go into the world.
Take up this song of *peace in ev’ry moment.
In ev’ry moment of the journey, we’re laying down our lives,
Lay them down, in *peace lay them down,
And take up this song.
*hope, faith, love

Words & Music © 2005 Laura Herman; Arr. © 2006 Robin King;
Song # 84482 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved  

Zoom Fellowship – 11 am

Sunday Worship Service - August 22, 2021

 BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

13th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

August 22, 2021

Worship Leader: Rev. Lorrie Lowes
Music: Abe TeGrotenhuis 

Sermon Theme: Shake the Dust From Your Feet 

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: Be Thou My Vision – arr: Mark Hayes     Ellen, Chris, Bernice & Angela

1.      Be thou my vision, O joy of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that thou art
Thou my best thought, by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light

2.      Be thou my wisdom, my calm in all strife
I ever with thee and thou in my life
Thou loving parent, thy child may I be
Thou in me dwelling and I one with thee

3.      Be thou my battle shield, sword for the fight
be thou my dignity, thou my delight
thou my soul’s shelter, thou my high tower
raise thou me heavenward, O power of my power

4.      Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise
Thou mine inheritance, now and always
Thou and thou only first in my heart
Great God of heaven, my treasure thou art

5.      Great God of heaven, after victory won
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's sun
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, O ruler of all

Song #117636 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Welcome & Centering for Worship

Good morning! On behalf of BCUC, I welcome you to our worship service in the name of Jesus, our guide and companion, on this 13th Sunday after Pentecost. I’m so glad that you have joined us for worship!

As we continue to be under pandemic restrictions, please be reminded that the work of the church carries on. Take time to keep in touch with each other through prayers, phone calls, emails or Zoom. As well, don’t forget to check the many announcements on our website at bcuc.org to keep you informed and give you opportunities to respond.

Our sanctuary has re-opened for in-person worship service on Sunday at 10 am with a maximum number of 50 people. If you wish to attend the service and feel safe and comfortable doing so, we will be happy to see you! For the safety of all attendees, the usual health protocols will continue to be in place including masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing and staying home if you feel unwell. Take note too that our worship service will still be offered via YouTube, by email, and by telephone.

Friends, whether you are joining us in the sanctuary on Sunday morning or connecting through the wonders of technology at a different time or place, together, we are the church, united in faith. Let us join our hearts as we centre ourselves for worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle      Acolytes: Rick and Sue Morrison

 Throughout these days when “gathering” for worship does not always mean that we are together in one place, let us pause to remember that we are connected by God’s love, no matter how scattered around the world we may be. We light this candle as a reminder that God is always with us, and to centre our hearts and minds for worship.

Call to Gather & Opening Prayer

We gather now to worship God: Kind Creator, Compassionate Friend, Ever-present Spirit.

God’s promise is to meet us here and to go with us as we journey onward, helping us to be faithful disciples of Jesus, empowered by the Spirit, here in this holy place and to the ends of the earth.

With love and gratitude, let us worship God.[1]

Let us pray:

Holy One,
Renew us again in worship. Renew us with the strength to conquer all that is ahead this week. Renew us. Fill us. Bless us with your spirit so we may touch your world with a heavenly kiss. Amen.[2]

Hymn: God, We Praise You for the Morning -  Voices United #415   Susan, Mary & Bram

6.    God we praise you for the morning;
Hope springs for with each new day,
New beginning, prayer and promise,
Joy in work and in play. 

7.    God, we praise you for creation,
Mountains, seas, and prairie land.
Waking souls find joy and healing
In your bountiful hand.

8.    God, we praise you for compassion,
All the loving that you show;
Human touching, tears, and laughter,
Help your children to grow. 

9.    God, we praise you for your Spirit,
Comforter and daily friend,
Restless searcher, gentle teacher,
Strength and courage you send. 

10.God, we praise you for the Saviour,
Come that we may know your ways.
In his loving, dying, rising,
Christ is Lord of our days. 

11.Hallelujah, hallelujah!
Hallelujah, hallelujah!
Hallelujah, hallelujah!
Christ is Lord of our days!

Words & Music © 1984 Jim and Jean Strathdee, Desert Flower Music
Song #59964 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Storytime:  Erin Berard

Guess what?! We're leaving on a camping trip this afternoon!  I’m very excited.  I'm just checking that we've got everything we need packed.  The cooler, sleeping bags, stove and cooking tools, our clothes, and tent are already in the van.  And in this bag I've got the flashlights, sunscreen, bug spray, towels, some books and games.  Yes, I think I'm good to go!

You know, though, in today's Bible passage we'll hear how Jesus sends the disciples out to teach and heal in the nearby villages and basically tells them not to take any provisions with them - no food, no tent, no money!  Wow - they'd really have to trust that God had their backs.   But really, where would they stay?  How would they get food? 

I guess Jesus' plan was that without any supplies, they'd have to actually talk to people and get to know people in these other villages, so the villagers would trust the disciples and welcome them in.  Just like, I suppose, if I'd forgotten matches or dish soap or something, and I'm out at the campground, I could ask someone at a neighbouring campsite.  I think Jesus did a lot of important teaching just being with people, hearing about their worries or illnesses, and especially sharing a meal.

I suppose, though, that some people might not be willing or able to share what they have or be nervous around strangers (Covid sure makes that even harder).  Actually, Jesus tells his disciples to expect that, but not to stress out about it, and just move on and try to make a connection with someone else. When Jesus travelled to the town where he grew up and tried to teach them about God's kin-dom, most of his old neighbours just saw him as 'Mary and Joseph's' kid, and didn't really listen to his message and weren't willing to be helped and healed.  So Jesus and the disciples just picked up and moved on.

I wonder how you'd react if a new kid in the neighbourhood approached you looking to talk, wanting to play, or asking for help?  How can I be welcoming to the new students in classes this Fall?  When I meet new people, do I sometimes jump to conclusions about what they’re going to be like? And, I wonder, what am I missing out on if I do turn people down or don't bother getting to know them?

Hmmm… some things to think about when I'm out on a hike later today…

Hymn:  “One More Step”   -  Voices United  #639                   BCUC choir

1.One more step along the world I go;
one more step along the world I go,
From the old things to the new,
keep me traveling along with you.
And it’s from the old I travel to the new,
keep me traveling along with you. 

2.‘Round the corner of the world I turn,
more and more about the world I learn;
all the new things that I see;
you’ll be looking at along with me.
And it’s from the old I travel to the new,
keep me traveling along with you.

3.As I travel through the bad and good,
keep me traveling the way I should;
where I see no way to go,
you’ll be telling me the way, I know.
And it’s from the old I travel to the new, keep me traveling along with you.

4.Give me courage when the world is rough;
keep me loving though the world is tough;
leap and sing in all I do,
keep me traveling along with you.
And it’s from the old I travel to the new,
keep me traveling along with you. 

5.You are older than the world can be,
You are younger than the life in me,
Ever old and ever new,
keep me traveling along with with you:
And it’s from the old I travel to the new;
keep me traveling along with you.

Words and Music; Sydney Carter        © 1971, Stainer & Bell Ltd          Song # 03216
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination        Reader: John Boivin

May the reading of your word, O God, give us inspiration, hope, and confidence. Amen.

Reading: Mark 6: 1-13 The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth

6 He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” 5 And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief.

The Mission of the Twelve

Then he went about among the villages teaching. 7 He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 9 but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. 10 He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11 If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. 13 They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

May we find wisdom for today in these ancient words.

Sermon:  “Tough Crowd!”

It all started out well.

Way back when, I was accepted at McMaster University into a program where I earned two degrees concurrently – a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Social Work. It was a tough program to get into and my family was really proud of me.  My parents hadn’t had the opportunity to go to university so you can imagine how excited they were and how interested in the work I was doing. They loved to hear stories about the families and the kids I was working with. Well, sometime after graduation, I was visiting home when my brother was going through a period in his life that was causing grief for those around him, including my parents. Looking through my new eyes as a Social Worker, I made some observations and probably even suggested some places where he might get help.

Whew! Big mistake!

Just who did I think I was? Just because I worked with people who needed help, doesn’t mean that everybody needs that kind of help – and certainly not anyone from our family!

Much as we love our families, sometimes it’s hard to go home again. Even though we grow up and manage careers and families, we will always be that same “child” in the eyes of our parents, our siblings, and Mrs. Smith next door. Most of the time, that’s a good thing, a comforting thing.

Don’t get me wrong, they were all still proud of me – as long as I didn’t try to challenge their view of the world.

When I read this story from the Gospel of Mark, I can empathize with Jesus. He had been creating quite a stir in the area with his charismatic leadership, his teaching – and of course all those healing miracles! He headed home to Nazareth, maybe for a little break. There’s nothing like mom’s home cooking and time amongst family and friends to help recharge your batteries.  I bet they were really happy to see him and excited to hear all about his new ministry, his new career as a rabbi. Their small town boy had really done big things! The stories of his mission would certainly have made their way to this town ahead of him.

We hear in this passage today that his disciples followed him to Nazareth. What a great time they would have! He would have been happy to introduce them to his family and friends. I can imagine they spent a few days sharing stories of Jesus as a little boy. Mary would have been fussing around, making all of his favourite dishes.  What a great visit!

Now, the custom of the time was that visiting teachers would be asked to read and interpret scripture in the synagogue if they were there on the Sabbath.  So, it makes perfect sense that Jesus would have been asked to do this. And they were amazed at his eloquence – “astounded” is the word the NRSV Bible uses. He was so wise! He had done so many marvelous things! And he was just “one of us”.

It all started out well.

Mark doesn’t tell us what happened to change the attitude of the congregation that day, just that, suddenly, they “took offense at him.” The story is told the same way in the book of Matthew. Luke also tells the story but he adds some details. Perhaps we can borrow from Luke to give us a possible explanation. I am reading from Luke 4: 16-22:

“When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”

And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Well, that caused quite a stir! “Isn’t this the carpenter? He’s that kid who grew up down the street from us - Mary’s boy (notice they don’t call him Joseph’s boy, which would have been the usual custom at the time). We know his whole family, they are just like us. What makes him think he’s so special?”

Tough crowd!

So tough, in fact that he is unable to do much there. He laid hands on a few sick people and cured them. “And he was amazed at their unbelief,” says the author of Mark. It was a strong case of “familiarity breeds contempt.” The people in Nazareth were unable to hear the word of God because it came from the mouth of a carpenter’s son, the boy who grew up down the road, the son of Mary - whose parentage was questionable.

We might think that’s crazy! This was Jesus speaking! How could they not know that they were hearing the Word of God? But then, I wonder, would we have been any different? Are we any different today? Is God speaking to us today? Would we recognize it if He did?

I met a young woman, recently, who is going through a difficult period in her life. She is a single mom and has had to make some pretty significant changes in the past while. Sometimes, when she is faced with hard decisions, she tells me, she prays to God, “Just give me a sign! What should I do?” And there are times when she realizes after the fact that she had been given many signs - an advertisement for a job right below the announcement of an event she wanted to attend… a chance meeting with a friend of a friend who just happened to know about that job opening … her mother telling her, “You would be really good at a job like this…”  And still she asked God to give her a sign. Sometimes, she told me she prays to God “You know I’m really stupid God, I’m just not seeing the signs. You’re going to have to make it really hit me over the head.” She couldn’t hear the voice of God because it wasn’t coming in the way she expected to hear it. It was happening in everyday conversations with ordinary people.

She applied for the job, by the way - and got it. She is really happy in this new position and laughs when she looks back at the “signs” that she missed.

And then there is the story - perhaps you’ve heard it - about the man living through an incredible flood in his area. Everyone was told to evacuate but he insisted on staying put. “God will provide!” was his response when they came knocking on his door with the evacuation order. The flood waters rose to the point where the man had to go out on his roof. Some folks came by with a boat and said, “Get in! We will take you to safety.” but… “God will provide!” was his only response. A while later he was clinging to the very peak of his roof while the water swirled around him and a helicopter flew overhead. “We are going to lower a rope and harness to you! Strap yourself in and we will get you out of here.” Nope… he wasn’t budging, “God will provide!”

Well, that man eventually drowned clinging to his house and when he arrived in heaven to meet God, he said, “Why did you desert me? I waited for you to save me and you let me drown in that flood!”

And God answered, “I sent you an evacuation notice, a boat and a helicopter, what more did you want?”

He couldn’t hear the Word of God because it came from an ordinary worldly source.

The people of Nazareth didn’t recognize God in their midst because that Spirit was housed in the ordinary carpenter who grew up just down the road.

Can you imagine how Jesus must have felt at that moment? This was his home! These were people he loved. He could have gotten angry - maybe tossed a few tables? - or maybe he felt hurt. He might have felt defeated or that he was a failure. I mean, if you can’t help out the folks in your own home town, what chance do you have to change the world? Perhaps he might have stayed on, tried to convince them…

But that wasn’t his reaction at all. Instead, he and his disciples moved on. This time he sent them out, two by two. That must have been a scary thought, having just witnessed what Jesus went through!

But he sent them well prepared. He had a pretty simple set of instructions for them:

Travel in pairs - This way you can support each other and be safe.

Travel light - You have everything you need to do this work - you have the tools for the job within you and the authority over evil. You don’t need to carry extra money or food or clothing. Just a walking stick and a couple of pairs of good walking shoes because you won’t be staying in one place too long.

Live simply - Stay in the first place that welcomes you, don’t go looking for luxury hotels!

And if you experience what I just experienced here in Nazareth, just shake the dust off your feet and move on.

He didn’t send them out to fail but he also didn’t send them out with the unrealistic expectation that everyone would welcome their message with open arms. He showed them, first-hand, how to carry on in the face of failure. And he even gave them a ritual for when it might happen. “Shake the dust off your feet.”

In today’s world it seems hard to tell people around you that you are a Christian, let alone to share the Word of God!  Many people equate that label of “Christian” with the extreme fundamentalist views they read about in the media. Many people believe that “truth” is the same thing as “fact” and that, because the Bible’s stories can’t be proven as historical fact or because some of the books in the Bible contradict each other, then it’s all a pack of lies - no “truth” here.

Tough crowd!

We are blessed to be part of a community of faith that sees the Bible as a collection of books written by people who were trying to make sense of the world with the knowledge they had at the time. A collection of stories that try to make sense of that Great Mystery of creation and community and spirituality and living in right relation with all of it, that Great Mystery that we call God and Spirit and Jesus. We know the people of Old Testament times, or even New Testament times, didn’t have it all figured out. I don’t think we have it all figured out yet - and that’s ok.

We do know that there is a lot of “truth” in those ancient stories - truths that are as important today as they were thousands of years ago.

So, what message does this story from Mark and Matthew and Luke have for us in the 21st century? What “truth” is there for us today?

Let’s take another look at the instructions Jesus gave those disciples as he sent them off to spread the Word:

Travel together - support each other, treat each other with respect, keep each other safe. that’s one of the wonderful benefits of coming here on a Sunday morning - that supportive community we have built together.

Travel light - you have everything you need to bring the Kingdom of God to the world around you. You have the tools for the job within you.

Live simply - you don’t need a flashy light show or a big orchestra to take the Message out there. It’s all about how you live your life, how you are in the world.

If you face a tough crowd - and of course you will from time to time - don’t worry. Don’t fight back. Just shake the dust off your feet and carry on.

Simple instructions for a very powerful life.

Thanks be to God.

Prayers of the People & the Lord’s Prayer

God of us all,

We give thanks for all the blessings in our lives – for summer days, for celebrations, and for the gradual reopening of the world and long-awaited opportunities to spend time with friends and loved ones.

We pray for this planet and for the many situations in the world that are making life scary and difficult for many – forest fires, floods, and earthquakes caused by climate change, oppression, war, and violence caused by human greed for power and possessions. Be with us as we take your message and your Way out into the world as disciples of Jesus. Help us to be steadfast in your message of love, even when faced with tough crowds.

There are so many in this world who are suffering.
We pray for all those who hunger for food – in their bodies or in their souls.
We pray that they will be filled.
We pray for those who suffer injustice, oppression, and discrimination
That they may be lifted.
We pray for all those dealing with grief, sorrow, and loss.
That they may be comforted.
We pray for our families, our friends, and our neighbours, near and far,
That they may be strengthened by your love.
We offer up to you all the blessings and concerns that we share aloud or hold silently in our hearts,
Knowing that you hear each one.
We ask all this as we continue in these familiar words together:

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.

Invitation to Offer

We take time now to offer our gifts of time, talents and resources to further the mission and ministry of our church.

If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offering and donations, you can drop them in the mailbox 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

Take what we offer this morning, O God:

Take our caring for neighbours from a distance; take our phone calls, texts, and social media greetings with our families; take our action of staying home and physical distancing; take all we offer this morning in word, in action, and in donation, blessing us and our giving in Jesus’ name. Amen.[3]

Sending Forth

God send you from here in the power of love.
God keep you filled with the Holy Spirit.
God build in you the reign of Christ.
Amen.[4]

Hymn:   “Go Make a Diff’rence”      - More Voices #209         Music Team

Refrain:  Go make a diff’rence. We can make diff’rence.
               Go make a diff’rence in the world. (2x) 

1.    We are the salt of the earth, called to let the people see,
the love of God for you and me.
We are the light of the world, not to be hidden but be seen.
Go make a diff’rence in the world. 

2.  We are the hands of Christ reaching out to those in need,
The face of God for all to see.
We are the spirit of hope; we are the voice of peace.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.  

3.    So let your love shine on, let it shine for all to see.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.
And the spirit of Christ will be with us as we go.
Go make a diff’rence in the world! 

Words and Music © 1997 Steve Angrisano and Tom Tomaszek                  spiritandsong.com
Song # 82988 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music: Go Now in Peace – Besig & Price       Ellen, Chris, Bernice & Angela

Song #78821 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Zoom Fellowship – 11 am

[1] from: Phil Hobbs, Gathering Pentecost 1 2021, p42. Used with permission.

[2] From: Elaine Bidgood Sveet, Gathering Pentecost 1 2015, p33. Used with permission.

[3] Gord Dunbar, Gathering Pentecost 1 2021, p51. Used with permission.

[4] Robin Wardlaw, Gathering Pentecost 1 2021, p53. Used with permission.

Sunday Worship Service - August 15, 2021

 BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

12th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

August 15, 2021

Worship Leader: Rev. Lorrie Lowes
Music: Abe TeGrotenhuis 
Sermon Theme: A New Way 

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: Boree in Bflat - R. Jones     Grade5 piano: Noah Berard

Welcome & Centering for Worship

Good morning! On behalf of BCUC, I welcome you to our worship service in the name of Jesus, our guide and companion, on this 12th Sunday after Pentecost. I’m so glad that you have joined us for worship!

As we continue to be under pandemic restrictions, please be reminded that the work of the church carries on. Take time to keep in touch with each other through prayers, phone calls, emails or Zoom. As well, don’t forget to check the many announcements on our website at bcuc.org to keep you informed and give you opportunities to respond.

Our sanctuary has re-opened for in-person worship service on Sunday at 10 am with a maximum number of 50 people. If you wish to attend the service and feel safe and comfortable doing so, we will be happy to see you! For the safety of all attendees, the usual health protocols will continue to be in place including masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing and staying home if you feel unwell. Take note too that our worship service will still be offered via YouTube, by email, and by telephone.

Friends, whether you are joining us in the sanctuary on Sunday morning or connecting through the wonders of technology at a different time or place, together, we are the church, united in faith. Let us join our hearts as we centre ourselves for worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle    Acolytes: James and Liam Eaton

When we gather for worship, together or apart, we come longing for connection – connection with each other, connection with the teachings of our faith, connection with our Creator, Spirit, and Guide. We light this candle to remind us all that, when we gather for worship, together or apart, that holy presence is among us.

Call to Gather & Opening Prayer

Jesus became the talk of the town and was highly criticized when he ate with those considered unclean and unacceptable.

The apostle Paul was challenged and criticized when he visited those considered unclean and unacceptable.

Acceptance, generosity, healing, forgiveness:
these are words that defined what Jesus was all about.

Acceptance, generosity, healing, forgiveness:
the early church shaped their life together around those spiritual practices as well.

Acceptance, generosity, healing, forgiveness:
may these words define our life together as a congregation and the way that each of us lives and works in this world. Come, let us worship God, who strengthens these gifts within us![1]

Let us pray:
Creating, Loving God, In Christ, you show us a way to heal and to shape a new day, and you entrust us with the gifts of faith: forgiveness, compassion, trust, and love. In the changing seasons, in the changing world, your love is constant. May our witness and prayer sustain and support goodness, justice, and peace in our worship and our work, enough for this day and for all the generations who follow us. Amen.[2]

Hymn: Come Touch Our Hearts - More Voices #12 (verses 1-4)     BCUC choir

1.       Come touch our hearts that we may know compassion,
          from failing embers build a blazing fire;
          love strong enough to overturn injustice,
          to seek a world more gracious, come touch and bless our hearts. 

2.       Come touch our souls that we may know and love you,
          your quiet presence all our fears dispel;
          create a space for spirit to grow in us,
          let life and beauty fill us, come touch and bless our souls. 

3.       Come touch our minds and teach us how to reason,
          set free our thoughts to wonder and to dream;
          help us to open doors of understanding,
          to welcome truth and wisdom, come touch and bless our minds. 

4.       Come touch us in the moments we are fragile,
          and in our weakness your great strength reveal;
          that we may rise to follow and to serve,
          steady now our nerve, come touch and bless our wills. 

5.       Come touch us now, this people who are gathered,
          To break the bread and share the cup of peace;
          That we may love you with our heart, our soul, our mind, our strength, our all,
          Come touch us with your grace.

Words Music © 2002 Gordon Light, arr © 2002 Andrew Donaldson  Common Cup Co.
Song # 118062  Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Storytime:  Annabelle’s Second Chance     - Karen Boivin

Annabelle was a curious and energetic lamb. She loved to run, jump and play in the meadow with the other lambs in the flock. And she especially liked to explore on her own and learn new things. She searched for flowers, rocks or birds she hadn’t seen before. Her parents encouraged her learning, but sometimes they got a bit frustrated with her. They’d say, “You focus so much on your adventures that you are not always paying close enough attention. You have to be careful. Remember the time you stuck your nose in the flower and got stung by a bee. Be careful!”

Sometimes Annabelle’s curiosity took her so far that she could no longer see the flock. Her parents would panic. The shepherd who looked after the flock would whistle and whistle to get her attention so she’d come trotting back. The other sheep were getting less and less patient with Annabelle’s wandering.

“Always make sure you can see the flock and the shepherd,” her parents would say. “It’s only polite to them both.”

One day Annabelle heard something that sounded kind of like a bee, but then she realized the humming was coming from the flapping wings of a tiny little bird. She had never seen anything like it before. Its little wings were a blur and its body shone with colours of neon blue and green. Annabelle was fascinated and she didn’t want to lose sight of it. She bounded through the meadow after the hummingbird, watching as it stopped briefly at various flowers to dip in its beak which was huge compared to the size of its body. And some of the flowers were amazing too; some like slippers in pinks and orange, others like big red trumpets. She had never seen anything like this before!

Wait…she had never seen anything like this before. Annabelle looked around her. Where was she? The sky was getting dark; not only because the day was ending but because thunderclouds were gathering; a storm was on the way. Annabelle knew the shepherd would be leading the flock back to the farm for safety. Where was the flock? She had no idea from which direction she had come. Thinking back and all the stops she made following the hummingbird she knew she had come a long way. Annabelle started to be afraid. “Maybe they will leave me here!” she thought, “In the dark, and the rain, amidst the wild animals that come out at night. Oh no!” She started to cry.

Meanwhile Annabelle’s parents were frantic. Where is she! They called “Baa, Baa!” but heard nothing back. The other sheep, however, were fed up with once more having to wait for Annabelle. “Baa Baa!” they said, “Why should we wait for her when she never seems to care that she bothers us with her wandering. Leave her there and that will teach her a lesson.”

The shepherd often talked to the sheep and he thought he understood them even though he couldn’t talk sheep and they couldn’t talk shepherd. He thought by the way they bleated that they were angry and afraid and wanted to get moving. Only Annabelle’s parents seemed concerned she was missing. “Now I know Annabelle has caused us some trouble in the past, but we can’t leave her out there,” he said. Then much to the sheep’s displeasure and anxiety, the Shepherd went off across the meadow searching back and forth for Annabelle. It was a long search and the wind was whipping up. The storm was coming!

Annabelle had wedged herself between some big boulders to try to keep safe but it made her even harder to see. Eventually she heard the shepherd’s whistle and she let out some desperate bleats as loud as she could. When he found her she was so relieved. But as they made their way back she had plenty of time to think about how mad she must have made the other sheep and how worried her parents must be. She was very sorry she hadn’t taken her parent’s advice and been more careful, and caring about the rest of her flock. What would happen when she got back to them?

She was met by some very angry looks from the other sheep; as was, she was surprised to find, the shepherd! Great, she had also made the flock angry at the shepherd for coming to find her? How would she ever live this down. Thankfully Annabelle’s parents looked more relieved than angry; maybe that would come later.

The shepherd said to the sheep, “Let us rejoice, that the one that was lost has now been found!” But the sheep didn’t look much like rejoicing; even her friends turned their back to her.

“Today,” said the shepherd, “I think Annabelle has grown up a lot and I am going to let her lead us out of the meadow.”

The shepherd indicated to Annabelle to go ahead down the path in the direction of the farm.

“I’m too little to do that,” thought Annabelle, but away she went. It took a lot of focus to keep going in the right direction, there were lots of interesting flowers and rocks along the way, but she knew she had a job to do. She kept looking back too to make sure that everyone was following. And she had to admit it was annoying when they had to stop because a little lamb had wandered off.

Eventually Annabelle led them all safely back to the farm…with a little help from the shepherd. She wasvery proud of herself. And having led them all successfully back, the other sheep didn’t seem angry at her anymore. Annabelle had learned so much that day.

Hymn: I Am Walking A Path of Peace - More Voices #221

I am walking a path of peace (3X)
Lead me on. Lead me on.

I am walking a path of love (3X)
Lead me on. Lead me on.

I am walking a path of hope (3X)
Lead me on. Lead me on.

I am walking in wisdom’s way (3X)
Lead me on. I am home.

Words & Music © 2007, Janet Bauman Tissandier
Song #126815 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination         Reader: David Stafford

God of fresh starts and new beginnings, God of hope and promise, flesh and spirit entwined to become one with you through Jesus Christ: As heaven and earth connect, so too may we, through responding to your word.

Increase our depth of understanding as we receive the words of scripture this day. God of eternal life, teach us to keep on the path of righteous living, which so many have travelled before. Amen.[3]

Epistle Reading: Ephesians 4:24-5:2 (The Message)

24 And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.

25 What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.

26-27 Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.

28 Did you use to make ends meet by stealing? Well, no more! Get an honest job so that you can help others who can’t work.

29 Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.

30 Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted.

31-32 Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.

5 1-2 Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.

May these words from long ago offer us wisdom and guidance for today.

Sermon:  “A New Way”

As the summer sermon series on Lamentations has come to an end, I thought I would move to a New Testament reading for us to ponder this week. It is actually from the suggested lectionary for last Sunday, but it’s one I think will give us lots to think about. David read this excerpt from Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus. In the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible – the one we most often use in this congregation - it is titled “Rules for the New Life”. In The Message – the modern paraphrase of the Bible that David read from today - the title is “The Old Way Has to Go”.

The Message is not always my favourite translation, but in this case I like the down-to-earth language. It makes the rules pretty clear.

And it is quite the list of rules, isn’t it! Most of them make sense at first glance: be truthful, don’t steal, don’t curse… These would all have been familiar to the people Paul was writing to. They are all in the ten commandments. They are the kind of guidelines that, if everyone actually followed them all the time, would make for a pretty peaceful and pleasant world. Paul goes beyond those rules though. He knows that there will inevitably be conflicts in our lives and then offers some guidelines for what to do when they crop up:

It’s ok to be angry, but don’t let your anger fuel revenge,
Don’t go to bed angry
Forgive each other quickly and thoroughly
Learn a life of love…
These are new.
These are Christ-centred.
Remember how Jesus commanded us to “Love your neighbour as yourself”… and even “Love your enemies”? 

That “love your enemies” part has always been a difficult one to deal with. How can you possibly love someone who is an enemy? How can you love someone who has hurt you?

When I read this letter from Paul, I hear the basic foundations of Restorative Justice and Restorative Practice in real, down to earth terms. Actually, the more I think about it, the more it amazes me that we think of Restorative Justice as a new and radical concept and yet, Jesus and Paul were talking about the same things over 2000 years ago! I guess we humans are just slow learners.

Restorative Justice turns our western justice system on its head.

Our present system asks,

          What law has been broken?
          Who broke that law?
          What is the punishment?

The main focus is the law. The only person mentioned is the lawbreaker and then only to make sure the right one is being punished. Nowhere in these questions do we hear the voice of the victim of the crime. Nowhere do we hear the voice of the victim’s family, the offender’s family, or the community where the crime took place. We don’t even hear the voice of the offender. The important thing is that a law was broken and someone has to be punished for it.

It feels very similar to the way the Old Testament people viewed the justice of God. “Here are the laws. Break any of them and you will be punished!”

and the corollary:

“If something bad is happening to you - disease, injury, poverty, any disaster - then you must have done something to make God angry.”

Restorative Justice, on the other hand, is justice that heals. It aims to heal both the victim and the offender and to allow for them to make a transition back into the community as whole, productive citizens. And it gives a voice to all the victims of the crime!

Restorative Justice asks:

          What happened?
          Who has been affected?
          What are we going to do to make things right?

These questions are very different, aren’t they? They send us in a whole new direction – a Christ-centred direction.

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul says, “Go ahead and be angry…” He recognizes that anger is a justified response to harm. He isn’t saying, “Go give your enemy a hug and forget about the whole thing.”

No, he tells us, “Just don’t let your anger fuel revenge.”

Revenge. It feels so good in the moment but it does little to help the situation.

In the Restorative Justice system, victims are encouraged to meet face-to-face with their offenders. Now, there is a lot of work that goes on before this meeting actually takes place but it is the key process in making this work. Participation in the process has to be voluntary - no one is coerced into doing this. It is led by the victim.

When I read this, I thought, “Wow! As a victim, how could you possibly do this without wanting to strike back at the person who hurt you - or without at least being afraid of living the nightmare all over again?”

So, I watched videos of these meetings in progress and videos of victims and offenders talking about the experience.

And I did hear people who felt that way, who wanted revenge. Some victims even talked about carrying a weapon with them in hopes of finding the offender and causing the same pain for them and their families as they were feeling themselves.

I wondered why they would want to take part in such a meeting. Here are some of the things they said:

          “I wanted him to know that it was not the State of Texas that he had done this to, it was us.”
“I wanted to know why.”
“I wanted him to see me as a human being and not a piece of meat.”

And then they spoke about what happened through the process of meeting and interacting with the person who had caused them harm:

          “I always pictured him as some kind of monster. The moment I saw him                        everything changed. He looked so young.”

“You start seeing the criminal as a human being, not just a crime.”

The offenders also had things to say about meeting their victims face-to-face:

          “It was the first time I really had to take responsibility for what I did. All the time I was in jail my mother thought I was innocent, that someone had framed me. I had to finally come clean with her.” 

Another man talked about how you have to play the role of the hard criminal when you go to jail. There’s no room for weeping remorse there. 

He said, “When I met my victim it broke down the wall I’d built around myself.”

This process looks at a crime as a wound that must be healed rather than an act that must be punished. It acknowledges that crime wounds everyone, not just the parties directly involved. It is more than the breaking of a law. It is the breaking of the peace of the community. This process is one of building relationships, of repairing the damage done.

Howard Zehr, one of the founders of the Restorative Justice System, describes it this way: “When a wrong has been done, it needs to be named and acknowledged. Those who have been harmed need to be able to grieve their losses, to be able to tell their stories, to have their questions answered - that is to have the harms and needs caused by the offence addressed. They - and we - need to have those who have done wrong accept their responsibility and take steps to repair the harm to the extent it is possible.”

“Go ahead and be angry,” says Paul in his letter to the Ephesians, “You do well to be angry - but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.”

This is the forgiveness part of the equation. Forgiveness is a tricky thing. It’s probably one of the most important things Jesus asks us to do - and one of the hardest.

How many times do we say to our children, “Tell your brother you are sorry!”, to which we get a mumbled, “Sorry” and then we look to the offended child, expecting them to say, “That’s ok.” Is there really any remorse or any forgiveness happening here?

The whole point of Restorative Justice is - it’s not OK! You have caused harm and you need to both take responsibility for doing it and find a way to make it ok again.

Forgiving doesn’t mean letting the offender off the hook. It means taking the burden off yourself. And in the practice of Restorative Justice, it means a community working together toward healing.

This doesn’t mean that incarceration is off the table. Sometimes that’s still necessary to make everyone feel safe and to ensure that plans for rehabilitation are followed through. Sometimes a “time out” is absolutely necessary for everyone involved before they can deal with getting together.

That’s a familiar discipline technique used by parents, isn’t it? I am a big fan of “time out” as a strategy when dealing with kids. It gives everyone, including the parent, time to cool down so that the situation can be handled out of love rather than anger. After the “time out” though, we need a “time in” - where all voices can be heard, plans can be made for repairing the harm, and the transition back into the loving relationship of the family can happen for everyone involved.

The Restorative Justice route takes a lot more time and effort than the traditional model. Perhaps that’s why we’ve been slow in coming to it. But, if everyone affected is included in the process, it’s worth that extra time and effort. It is a route to continued peace rather than just a short pause in the conflict.

Restorative Justice is not a new concept by any means. It is the basis of Justice Circles or Sentencing circles in the native cultures of our country. It formed the basis of the Truth and Reconciliation Hearings around our Indian Residential Schools. It is the basis of the Maori traditional practice in Australia and I believe it was what Jesus was getting at when he talked about loving our enemies and forgiving quickly and thoroughly.

Most of us here will not be involved in the Restorative Justice System directly but we all live in a world where people harm each other. We can use the principles of Restorative Justice to think and act in everyday life. Howard Zehr lists “Ten ways to live Restoratively”:

1.     Take relationships seriously, envisioning yourself in an interconnected web of people, institutions, and the environment.

2.     Try to be aware of the impact - potential as well as actual - of your actions on others and the environment.

3.     When your actions negatively impact others, take responsibility by acknowledging and seeking to repair the harm - even when you could probably get away with avoiding or denying it.

4.     Treat everyone respectfully, even those you don’t expect to encounter again, even those you feel don’t deserve it, even those who have harmed or offended you or others.

5.     Involve those affected by a decision, as much as possible, in the decision-making process.

6.     View the conflicts and harms in your life as opportunities.

7.     Listen, deeply and compassionately, to others, seeking to understand even if you don’t agree with them. (Think about who you want to be in the situation rather than about just being right.)

8.     Engage in dialogue with others, even when what is being said is difficult, remaining open to learning from them and the encounter.

9.     Be cautious about imposing your “truths” and views on other people and situations.

10.  Sensitively confront everyday injustices including sexism, racism, homophobia, and classism.

I think Jesus would approve of this list! Imagine a world where everyone thought and acted this way, where decisions were made based on the good of the community and the environment rather than the economics or the power of a few. To me, this sounds a lot like God’s Kin-dom on Earth.

There will always be crime in the world. There will always be injustices and imbalance. It is how we deal with those things that make the difference. The way we deal with these things are the lessons our children and others around us will learn about dealing with conflict in their own lives. “Don’t go to bed angry,” says Paul because the way we deal with these things will make the difference between a good night’s sleep or a night of tossing and turning - the difference between waking up to a new beginning or another day of suffering.

We have a great example in God and in Jesus for how to live this Restorative Life. God forgives. God always gives us another chance to start anew, to transform into something brand new. As we deal with the conflicts in our lives, whether we are the victim or the offender, we know that God shows us the path to healing relationships. Listen once more to what Paul tells us about God:

“Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant.  He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.”

What a blessing it is to have this extravagant love and this perfect example.

Amen

(The quotes used in this sermon are from: The Little Book of Restorative Justice by Howard Zehr)

Prayers of the People & the Lord’s Prayer

Holy One,

We give you thanks and praise for the beauty of Creation, for the wonders of the natural world, for the love of friends and family, and for the many ways we are blessed each and every moment. Help us to never lose sight of the dream you have for a world where each person can see those blessings every day.

We pray for those who are suffering in this world – those who must struggle for basic necessities, those who are sick, those who are grieving, and all those in need of care and comfort.

We pray for the leaders of our city, our country, and throughout the world, that they may put the common good ahead of personal ambition, that they will lead with compassion, and work for a brighter future for all, a brighter future for this planet that is our home.

We pray for this congregation, our faith family – for each member here with us today, in person or through technology, for those who are traveling, for all who are celebrating and all who carry burdens in their hearts.

We pray with thanks for the easing of the pandemic and with hope that we can be patient and diligent still so that this continues to improve. We pray for all those dealing with the effects of climate change, particularly the devastating fires in our own country and in other places around the world.

Hear us as we commit to following your call to peace and justice, to love and compassion. Give us the strength and courage to use our hands, our feet, and our voices to further the building of your kin-dom here on earth.

All these things we ask in the name of Jesus Christ who offered this ancient prayer to his friends:

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.

Invitation to Offer

Our offering today and every day, is an act of love. We give from what we have and as we are able; but always, we give in hope, faith, and love.  As a sign of our gratitude to God, we share our gifts of time, talents and treasures this morning, strengthening the ministry of this church. If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offering and donations, you can drop them in the mailbox 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

God of love and grace, may these gifts we offer from our hearts and hands be used to spread that love and grace in the world. Bless the gifts and the ministries we offer today and every day as we journey together. Amen.

Sending Forth

And now may the blessing of a second chance, the deepening awareness of God’s presence within and all around, the strength that comes through faith and the abundance of God’s love shared with others, be with each of us as we leave this time and place of worship to be a blessing in all the places life calls us to be. Go in love, for you are loved. Amen.[4]

Hymn: Voices United #371 - Open My Eyes that I May See – Erin Berard: vocal & flute

1.    Open my eyes that I may see, glimpses of truth thou hast for me,
Place in my hand the wonderful key, that shall unclasp and set me free 

Chorus:

Silently now I wait for thee, ready my God thy will to see,
Open my eyes (ears, heart), illumine me Spirit divine. 

2.    Open my ears that I may hear, voices of truth thou sendest clear;
And while the wavenotes fall on my ear, everything else will disappear. Chorus 

3.    Open my mouth and let me bear gladly the warm truth everywhere;
Open my heart and let me prepare love with thy children thus to share. Chorus 

Words and Music 1895 Clara H. Scott          Public Domain
Song #97964   Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music: Scamp - C. Norton       Grade5 piano: Noah Berard

Zoom Fellowship – 11 am

[1] Susan Lukey, Gathering Pentecost 1 2021, p41. Used with permission.

[2] Wendy MacLean, Gathering Pentecost 1 2021, p44. Used with permission.

[3] Roxanne Williams, Gathering Pentecost 1, 2021, p50. Used with permission.

[4] Bob Root, Gathering Pentecost 1 2021, p53. Used with permission.

Sunday Worship Service - August 8, 2021

 BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

11th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

August 8, 2021

Worship Leader: Rev. Kim Vidal
Music: Abe TeGrotenhuis, Erin Berard & Choir/Band Members 

Summer Sermon Series: “VOICES OF LAMENT”
Theme: Great is God’s Faithfulness

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: Sicilienne – Faure arr. McLean 1997 (first section)

Strings: Leslie Wade & Sarah Parker

Welcome & Centering for Worship

Good day everyone! On behalf of BCUC, I welcome you to our worship service in the name of Jesus Christ on this 11th Sunday after Pentecost. I’m so glad that you can join us in our virtual worship service. Today is our final Sunday in our sermon series on the book of Lamentations and today’s theme focuses on “God’s faithfulness.” I encourage you to reflect on this theme as we work together for the healing of the world.

As we continue to be under pandemic restrictions, please be reminded that the work of the church carries on. 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 at bcuc.org to keep you informed and give you opportunities to respond.

Our sanctuary has re-opened for in-person worship service on Sunday at 10 am with a maximum number of 50 people. The Public Health recommends staying at home but if you wish to attend the service, please do so. For the safety of all attendees, the usual health protocols will be in place which include masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing and staying home if you feel unwell. Take note too that our worship service will still be offered via Youtube, by email and by telephone.

Friends, God calls us as living witnesses to our world. With our gift of presence, let us come as faithful people and centre ourselves in God as we worship together.

Lighting of the Christ Candle        Acolytes: Berard Family

Friends, as we light this Christ candle, remember the promise expressed by Jesus Christ to the church: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am in their midst.” (Matthew 18:20). Let this light remind us that God is here in this time and in this place.

Call to Gather & Opening Prayer     Erin Berard

(Susan Lukey, Gathering Pentecost 1 Year C, 2019. Used with permission.)

Come everyone, all ages and stages. Come worship together!
We are here to show our love to God.
Come worship, everyone, you who are made in God’s image,
An image reflected in all shapes and sizes and colours.
We are here to share our joys and our sorrows,
our hopes and our dreams.
Come, let us worship our faithful God! 

Let us pray:
From the top of our heads to the tips of our toes,
we are your beloved children, O God.
You know our joys, frustrations, triumphs and tragedies.
You know where we feel weak and where we feel strong.
We are your beloved children, O God.
You hold us. You help us. You comfort us.
You keep our hearts soft with compassion,
so that we may share your love in this world.
For this, we give you thanks in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Gathering Music: Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah - Voices United #651 – BCUC choir & verse 2 by Valleymen 2002

1.    Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty,
Hold me with thy powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me till I want no more;
feed me till I want no more.

2.    Open now the crystal fountain,
whence the healing stream doth flow;
let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong deliverer, strong deliverer,
be thou still my strength and shield;
be thou still my strength and shield.

3.    When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside;
death of death and hell’s Destruction,
land me safe on Canaan’s side.
songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to Thee;
I will ever give to Thee.

Welsh: 1745 William Williams; trans. Peter & William Williams; Music: 1905 John Hughes,
Song # 97969 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Storytime  Erin Berard

(Nicholas is at home plate getting ready to hit)

 It's the bottom of the 9th, bases loaded.  Nicholas is up to bat, with 2 outs, 2 strikes.  This is the team's last chance if they're going to make it to the playoffs this year.  It's all down to Nicholas - Can he come up big for the team?

There's the pitch.. Strike 3!  You're out.  That's it, it's over for this team.

It's hard when we run out of chances in a game.  3 strikes and you're out!  There's rules like that in soccer where you can get a yellow warning card, then a red card kicking you out for unsportsmanlike conduct on the field.  I’m sure you can think of examples in the Olympics too - high jumpers only getting a certain number of chances to clear the bar at a height before they're out of the running.

Maybe at home or school you've had situations like that - where there's warnings issued before you get served a consequence for doing, or not doing something.  

But…it's a little different at home, or school, or church than it is in sports - the grown-ups around us still love us when we mess up - consequences are there to help people learn or keep people safe.  And it's not quite the same with God, either.

Part of today's passage from Lamentations says "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning…"

With God, there isn't a built-in limit of chances like in games and sports. Gods' love has no limits.  When we make mistakes, God forgives us.   We are blessed to be able to wake up to a new day with a fresh start with God to be kind, make good choices, be a helper, friend, and neighbour.  We're going to mess up sometimes, but God doesn't give up on us; the game isn't over - we get to come up to bat again to try again to do God's work in the world.  And, in that way, God asks us to do the same for others - to be kind and understanding and forgiving when our friends and family are not at their best.

It's like having unlimited innings in the ball game!

(Nicholas hits the ball 'out of the park'!)

Hymn: This is the Day – Voices United #412    Erin & Kim

1. This is the day, this is the day
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 is the day that our God has made, We will rejoice and be glad in it.
This is the day, this is the day 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. 

Repeat verse 1.

Words: v.1, unknown, vv2, 3 R. Gerald Hobbs, 1987, 1995; Music: Fijian folk melody; arr. Darryl Nixon, 1987, Song Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination        Reader: Monica Peck

(Beth Johnson, Gathering Pentecost 1 Year C, 2019. Used with permission.)

Ever-revealing God, when we receive the familiar words of scripture, we might stop paying attention, thinking we know what they mean. Open us, heart, soul and mind, to the new in what seems old: ready us for surprise, as we encounter the scriptures this day. Amen.

Reading from the Hebrew Scripture: Lamentations 3: 22-33 (NRSV)

God’s Faithfulness

22The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; 
23they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 
24“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” 
25The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. 
26It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. 
27It is good for one to bear the yoke in youth, 
28to sit alone in silence when the Lord has imposed it, 
29to put one’s mouth to the dust (there may yet be hope), 
30to give one’s cheek to the smiter, and be filled with insults. 
31For the Lord will not reject forever. 
32Although he causes grief, he will have compassion according
to the abundance of his steadfast love; 
33for he does not willingly afflict or grieve anyone.

May God’s wisdom give us understanding as we ponder on this passage. Thanks be to God!

Sermon:  “Steadfast Love, Mercy, Faithfulness”

(one verse of Come and Find the Quiet Centre VU 374) – BCUC choir

In 1989, New Zealander Presbyterian composer Shirley Erena Murray wrote the lyrics of this popular hymn that we love to sing that talk about finding our quiet centre. She writes:

“Come and find the quiet center in the crowded life we lead,

find the room for hope to enter, find the frame where we are freed:

clear the chaos and the clutter, clear our eyes, that we can see
all the things that really matter, be at peace, and simply be.”

The centre is the heart of every matter – of every relationship – of every phenomenon.
The earth has a center called the core that attracts gravitational force.

Earthquakes have hypocenters and epicenters. Every storm has a centre called the “eye”.

A labyrinth has a centre where the walker meets God’s spirit in prayer.

The sanctuary is the centre of this building. The heart is the centre of human body.

Today, we are at the centre in the book of Lamentations. Chapter 3 is the longest chapter in the book with 66 verses in acronym style. It is the only chapter that contains words of hope and assurance for the people of Jerusalem who witnessed and experienced political, religious, social and cultural traumas brought about by the evils of colonization and war in the 6th century before common era. Kathleen O’ Connor comments: “Like a lull during a violent storm, poems of desolation and doubt surround the chapter on both sides. The sudden appearance of hope in the centre of the book both startles and reassures, even as it creates one of Lamentations’ interpretive challenges.” Will the centre hold the other chapters? Will the centre move us to faith and action?

In today’s centre stage is another voice of lament referred by O’Connor as “the strongman.” He is the only speaker in this chapter and the only articulator of hope in the entire book. The poem refers to him in Hebrew as a “geber” meaning a hypermasculine figure charged with the defense of women, children and other non-combatant civilians. But he is also a captive warrior which means that he was not able to fulfill his responsibility to protect and defend the people. He was powerless and he himself as a protector needs protection. The strongman was an advocate of the reward-punishment theology who experienced first-hand the sufferings believed by him to have been caused by God’s anger. Robert Williamson Jr. describes him as one who submits to God’s authority, believing that God never gives people anything they can’t handle. Like Daughter Zion, the Strong Man identifies God as his attacker and describes in vivid terms the pain that God inflicted on him. He sees God as an attacking animal like a bear or a lion and God as an archer who uses him for target practice.

Although the strongman depicts God in stark, violent imagery, he did not give up on God and believes that all will be well in the end. The strongman accepts that the suffering was the people’s fault because they have angered God. He exempts God of all wrongdoing but also reasserts his belief in God’s unending steadfast love, mercy and faithfulness. Rather than protest, the strongman urges the people to repent, to transform from their wicked ways and to receive their punishment in silence because they deserved to be punished. Rather than crying out in protest, he calls for submission.

I don’t know about you but I feel very uncomfortable with the Strong Man’s theology particularly about receiving punishment in silence. Susan Young says that we need to have a time of reflection – a self-examination – to discern what went wrong. I totally agree with Susan. We need to look at all possible causes of the situation. As a loving parent, I do not reprimand my children without talking to them first and listening to what they have to say. Yes – they need to be accountable with their wrongdoings but they are allowed to voice out what made them do the deed. Communication is essential from both parties.
          Let me tell you a story about Larry Hanratty, who was named by the Los Angeles Times in 2007 as the unluckiest man in California. Larry nearly died in a construction site accident. For weeks he was in a coma with his lawyers fighting for his liability claim -- until one of his lawyers was disbarred, two of them died suddenly and his last lawyer ran off with his wife! Then after his recovery in June, he was in a terrible car accident and before the police arrived on the scene, he was robbed of the cash in his wallet of $55.00. On July 4th, his insurance company tried to stop his worker’s compensation claim; he came within 2 days of being evicted from his home. By the end of July of 2007, he was suffering from lupus and the start of a lung condition that required him to carry a canister of oxygen with him; he was taking so many pills a day for his heart condition and his liver ailments.
       Because he was not well-off, the City Council came to his aid and then his friends rallied around him. After all that had happened to Larry that year, he said to the Mayor, "There’s always hope! This I believe in the center of my being!” Even though he experienced very bad circumstances, that never stopped Larry from doing what he did best. Larry was a deacon in his church and was constantly helping others in their time of need. His faith grounded him in the hope that things will be well in the end just like Job in the Bible. Everywhere he went in his town he was known as "Mr. HOPE" because he told everyone... "There’s always hope".
          There’s always hope! That’s what the strongman said too! Despite the fact that I do not fully accept all of the strongman’s convictions, I cannot but agree to his optimism that calls everyone including you and I to centre on hope. Listen again to these 2 verses: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lam 3: 22-23) And this is the good news of chapter 3. There are three words that formulate the belief statement of the strongman about God: steadfast love, mercy and faithfulness.  The Hebrew word for steadfast love chesed, might be translated as the “unbreakable devotion or unending love of God.” The strongman poured out his heart to proclaim that the steadfast love (chesed) of God never ceases. It is always there. God will never abandon the people.
           The next word is mercy. And it is not just plain mercy – but one that never comes to an end and comes new and fresh every morning. Remarkably, the word “mercy” is based on the Hebrew word, “raham” meaning “womb.” This is the same Hebrew word for compassion. Mercy is defined as compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm. When the strongman looked for a word to best describe the mercy of God, he imagined God’s love like a mother’s unconditional love for her child. In the midst of life’s pains, the strongman says, we must centre on the womb of God’s love. Only in that love will we find hope in our hopelessness, the promise of joy in our sorrows.

          The third word is faithfulness from the Hebrew root word “emun” or “emunah” meaning “to believe”, “to confirm” or “to support”. The strongman believes that God of the Exodus who liberated them from slavery in Egypt is the same God who will liberate the people from their suffering under Babylon because God is forever faithful. The 1923 hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” written by an American poet, Thomas Obediah Chisholm beautifully captures the wonder of these convictions about God in moving lyrics and tune. Chisholm suffered health challenges most of his adult life and therefore had a smaller than average income. Of this lived experience he said, “God has given me many wonderful displays of his providing care, which have filled me with astonishing gratefulness.” Chisholm sent the lyrics to his friend, American composer William Runyan, who in turn, composed a beautiful musical setting.

          Steadfast love, mercy, faithfulness – three words of hope – three words that grounded the strongman. Friends, we may or may not share the same conviction as the strongman. We may or may not appreciate his way of thinking and fully embrace his theology. But deep inside me, the strongman is calling us to centre our hope in God.  The writer’s history with God has convinced the strongman that God is in fact fully present and is crying with the people. That even in the deepest despair, God’s steadfast love, mercy and faithfulness is justified. Theologian John Holbert writes: “However dark the night, however deep the fear, however hopeless the situation, we rely on the steadfast love of God and give ourselves over to the One who is always the centre of our hope.”

          Finally, as we wrap up this sermon series in the book of Lamentations, let me share Kathleen O’ Connor’s closing words: “Even when uttered in the most spiteful, angry and bitter tone, Lamentations urges us to present to God all that prevents full human flourishing – the wounds, despair, hatred, anger and injustices of the world. Lamentations is a prayer that is born in the deepest secrets of abandonment and loss. It expresses hungry, passionate yearning for God’s presence. It is therefore, enabling prayer that leaves no barriers between us and God…It is prayer for the in-between times of our relationship, and it will carry us through terror and despair to comfort, life and wholeness.” Thanks be to God. Amen.

Sources:
BCUC Lectionary Group
Kathleen O’Connor, Lamentations & the Tears of the World.
Robert Williamson Jr., The Forgotten Books of the Bible.
John C. Holbert, Commentary on Lam 3: 21-33, patheos.org.
Story of Larry Hanratty, sermonillustrations.com

Prayers of the People & the Lord’s Prayer

Like gentle rain from above that blesses us each day,
so are your gifts of life to us, Creator God.
In your love, you move our hearts from anxiety to an act of gratitude.
Like the sun that rises in the morning so is the steadfastness of your love that provides for us.
In your grace, you move us from trust in things we’ve made, to trust in your mercy and faithfulness. Like a surprise gift, you offer us possibilities and a chance to breathe again.
In your presence, you move us from fear to courage in your ways.  

Creator God, in your wisdom,
we give you thanks for the care that we can give and receive as your creatures.

We thank you for the land upon which we dwell, land that nourishes body, mind and soul.
We thank you for fresh water to drink and water that flows in rivers and lakes.
We thank you for the air which gives life to all.
We thank you for seeds and crops, plants and trees, for birds and animals.
As earth’s vegetation and creatures care for us, may we care for them in return.
We acknowledge the fragility of all life and pray for ourselves as your people.
Free us from harmful attitudes towards the land, crops, animals and human beings.
Free us from despair in times of calamities, famine, drought or flood.
Free us from wastefulness and greed in times of plenty.
May our lives reflect awareness of our bonds with the earth and with all of creation.

We pause at this time to remember those who need our presence and our care. As we centre our hope in you, O God, we ask for your blessings and love to heal their broken hearts and spirits as they go through challenging times of illness, death and isolation. We pray for healing and comfort to those who are injured in body, mind and spirit. May they find healing, comfort and full recovery knowing that we are praying for them in this time of need.

We continue to pray for safety and good health, wisdom and courage as we go through the challenges of this pandemic. We pray for ourselves. Listen to the longings of our hearts.

Faithful God, may your Spirit bless us with wisdom and help us to change.
To change ourselves and to change our world.
To know the need for it.
To deal with the challenges of it.
To feel the joy of service.
To undertake the journey knowing that you will journey with us. All these we ask in the name of Jesus Christ who offered this ancient prayer to his friends:

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.

Invitation to Offer

Even in difficult times we remember that God has done great things for us. We choose to live our lives in faithfulness, counting on the goodness of God in every way.  As a sign of our gratitude to God, we share our gifts of time, talents and treasures this morning, strengthening the ministry of this church. If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offering and donations, you can drop them in the mailbox 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

Creator God, we hear and we respond to your faithfulness.
May these gifts, not only of our time, talents and treasures, but of our very selves
be acceptable to you and help spread your justice and love on earth. Amen.

Sending Forth

Go now, and embrace God’s gift of mercies every morning.
Live each moment with love and justice in your heart
and recognize the presence of Christ in friend and stranger.
May God’s faithfulness dwell in you.
May Christ be your guiding light.
And may the Holy Spirit be your beginning and end 
and hold all your times as you journey in life. Amen.

Hymn:   “Great is Thy Faithfulness”  - Voices United #288    Denis, Ellen & Chris

1 Great is thy faithfulness, God our Creator,
there is no shadow of turning with thee;
thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
as thou has been thou forever wilt be.

Refrain:

Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed thy hand hath provided --
great is thy faithfulness, ever to me!

2 Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy and love. R

3 Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow --
wondrous the portion thy blessings provide.

Words © 1923 Chisholm, Music © 1923 Runyan, Hope Pub. Descant © 1995 Segger
Song # EXS0096SD Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music: Sicilienne – Faure arr. McLean 1997 (full song) Strings:Leslie Wade & Sarah Parker

Zoom Fellowship – 11 am

Sunday Worship Service - August 1, 2021

 BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

10th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

August 1, 2021

Worship Leader: Rev. Kim Vidal
Music: Abe TeGrotenhuis, Erin Berard & Choir/Band Members 

Summer Sermon Series: “VOICES OF LAMENT”
Theme: Lament as a Communal Prayer 

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: Pie Jesu – Webber           Abe : keyboard

© 1985 Andrew Lloyd Webber – the Really Useful Group

Acknowledgement of Territory      

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

Good day everyone! On behalf of BCUC, I welcome you to our worship service in the name of Jesus Christ on this 10th Sunday after Pentecost. I’m so glad that you can join us in our virtual worship service. We continue our sermon series on the book of Lamentations and today’s theme focuses on “lament as a communal prayer.” I encourage you to reflect on this theme as we work together for the healing of the world.

As we continue to be under pandemic restrictions, please be reminded that the work of the church carries on. 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 at bcuc.org to keep you informed and give you opportunities to respond.

Our sanctuary has re-opened for in-person worship service on Sunday at 10 am with a maximum number of 50 people. The Public Health recommends staying at home but if you wish to attend the service, please call the office to register until Friday at 11 am. For the safety of all attendees, the usual health protocols will be in place which include masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing and staying home if you feel unwell. Take note too that our worship service will still be offered via Youtube, by email and by telephone.

Friends, God calls us as living prayers to our hurting world. With our gift of earnest prayers let us come with hope as we worship together.

Lighting of the Christ Candle      Acolytes: Jan & Norm Pound

As we light this candle,
let us remember that light is a gift from God, a gift to be shared.
Jesus came into our midst as a light of the world,
and the Holy Spirit is present to illuminate our work and witness.
Let us gather this day mindful of the light and the presence of a loving God.  

Call to Gather & Opening Prayer     Nicole Beaudry & Gerald Okolowsky

(Eric Hebert-Daly, Pentecost 1 2019 Year C. Used with permission.)

We’ve gathered here, focused on God’s call, taking this time to listen.
As a community of faith, we take this time deliberately, lovingly,
to reflect, ponder, consider,
challenging ourselves rather than merely confirming what we already know,
open to the playful Spirit,
a spirit that manifests itself, shakes us up and awakens our soul.
We honour the Spirit by greeting it this day, because God beckons! 

Nous sommes rassemblés en ce lieu, attentifs à l’appel de Dieu;
dans l’instant présent, nous nous mettons à l’écoute.
Communauté de foi, nous dédions ce temps avec amour
pour réfléchir, méditer, contempler,
pour nous ouvrir à l’inédit plutôt que de ressasser le familier,
disponibles aux espiègleries de l’Esprit,
qui fait irruption dans nos vies, qui vient nous
brasser et réveiller nos âmes.
Nous honorons l’Esprit en nous disposant à l’accueillir,
en ce jour et pour toujours, car Dieu nous fait signe! 

Let us pray:
(Jamie Miller, Pentecost 1 2019 Year C. Used with permission.)

O Holy One, who is anchor, nurturing and guiding,
When natural disasters rock us to the core, send strength.
When there are mass casualties, due to human action or inaction, send peace.
When we hear these things referred to as “acts of God,” send truth and understanding.
When we resonate deeply with the struggles of others, embrace us.
When we feel that we are lost, send a light.
Let us hear your calling to be a witness for others.
Let us embrace your light of truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

O Dieu Saint, qui ancre, nourris et guide,
quand les catastrophes naturelles nous bouleversent,
donne-nous de la force.
Dans le grandes pertes causées par l'action ou à l'inaction humaine,
donne-nous la paix.
Lorsque nous entendons ces choses appelées « actes de Dieu »,
donne-nous vérité et compréhension.
Lorsque nous  comprenons vraiment les peines et les conflits des autres,
accueille-nous.
Lorsque nous nous sentons perdus,
donne-nous ta lumière.
Laisse-nous entendre ton appel à être un témoin pour les autres.
Nous accueillons ta lumière de vérité. Au nom de Jésus, Amen.

Hymn:   Come O Fount of Every Blessing - Voices United #559

1 Come, O Fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount I'm fixed upon it
mount of God's unfailing love.

2 Here I pause in my sojourning;
giving thanks for having come;
come to trust at every turning
God will guide me safely home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
came to rescue me from danger,
precious presence, precious blood.

3 O, to grace how great a debtor
daily I am drawn anew!
Let that grace now, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to you.
Prone to wander, I can feel it,
wander from the love I’ve known:
here's my heart, O take and seal it;
seal it for your very own. 

Words Robert Robinson, 1758, alt. Music: John Wyeth, 1813
Song #94974 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Storytime  Nicole Beaudry

MR HAPPY:   A STORY FOR YOUNG AND OLD

Adaptation of the story by Roger Handgreaves

It doesn’t matter if we’re young or old, or big or small, we can always help someone else - we can always do something for others. Sometimes, people feel sad and alone and miserable until someone brings them something to make them happy. And then they change!  Here is the story of  Mr Happy and how he helped someone laugh and become happy.

There is a country, far, far away called Happyland. As you might guess everybody who lives there is happy, all the time.  Wherever you go you see smiling faces all around.

Even the flowers seem to smile in Happyland. All the animals are happy as well. If you’ve never seen a mouse smile, or a cat, or a dog, or even a worm - go to Happyland!

This is a story about someone who lived there. His name was Mr Happy.  He was fat and round, and happy! He lived in a small cottage beside a lake , near the mountain.

One day while he was out walking through the tall trees, he came across something which was really quite extraordinary.  There in the trunk of a tall tree was a door. A small, narrow yellow door. “Hmmm I wonder who lives here” , thought Mr Happy and he turned the handle. The door wasn’t locked and it swung open. Just inside, was a small narrow winding staircase leading downward. Mr Happy squeezed his rather large body through the doorway and walked down the stairs which went round and round and down and around and down, all the way down to the bottom.

He looked around and saw another small narrow door; this one was red.  He knocked at the door. “Who’s there?” said a voice. A sad, squeaky, sort of a voice “Who’s there?”

Mr Happy pushed the door open slowly, and there, sitting on a small stool was somebody who looked exactly like him, except that he didn’t look happy at all. In fact, he looked downright miserable.

“Hello, I’m Mr Happy!” -

 “Oh, are you indeed,” sniffed the person who looked like Mr Happy.

“Well, my name is Mr Miserable, and I’m the most miserable person in the world.”

“Why are you so miserable?” asked Mr Happy.  

“Because I am” replied Mr Miserable.

“How would you like to be happy like me?” asked My Happy.

“I’d give anything to be happy”, but I am so miserable I don’t think I could ever be happy” said Mr Miserable.

My Happy made up his mind quickly. “Follow me” he said

“Where to?” 

“Don’t argue,” said Mr Happy, and he went out through the small, narrow, red door.

Mr Miserable hesitated, and then he followed. Up and up the winding staircase, they went.

Up and up and round and around until they came out into the wood.

“Follow me”, said Mr Happy, and they both set off through the wood back to Mr Happy’s cottage.

Mr Miserable stayed at the cottage for quite some time. And during that time, the most remarkable thing happened. Because he was living in Happyland, Mr Miserable ever so slowly stopped being miserable and started to be happy. His mouth stopped turning down at the corners. And ever so slowly it started to turn up at the corners. And eventually, Mr Miserable did something that he’d never done in his whole life.  He smiled!  And then he chuckled, which turned into a giggle, which became a laugh. And Mr Happy was so surprised that he started to laugh as well.  And both of them laughed, and laughed. They laughed until their sides hurt and their eyes watered. They laughed and laughed and laughed. They went outside and still they laughed. And because thy were laughing so much everybody who saw them started laughing as well. Even the birds in the trees started to laugh.

And that’s really the end of the story except to say that : if you ever feel as miserable as Mr Miserable used to, you know exactly what to do, don’t you? Just turn your mouth up at the corners.  Go on! Try it!

Children’s Hymn:  Over My Head MV#88

Refrain (English)
Over my head,
I hear music in the air.                     (3x)
There must be a God somewhere.

Refrain (French)
Au-d’ssus de moi,
c’est d’la musique que j’entends.     (3x)
Il y a un Dieu quelque part.

When the storms of life are ragin’
I hear music in the air.                         (3x)
There must be a God somewhere.

When the winds of strife are blowin’
I hear music in the air.                         (3x)
There must be a God somewhere.

When the Spirit lives within me,
I hear music in the air.                         (3x)
There must be a God somewhere.

Words and Music: African-American spiritual  French translate © 2006 Denise Soulodie
arrangement © 2006 Stephen Lee – Professional Music Services    Song# 30114796
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination         Reader: Mary Schmieder

God of all ages, let your words speak to our heart. Let the truth we learn from these words encourage us to be resilient. Let your wisdom inspire us to be a witness for your justice. Let your presence fill us with joy. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Reading from the Hebrew Scripture: Lamentations 5: 15-22 (NRSV)

A Plea for God to Return

15 The joy of our hearts has ceased; 
our dancing has been turned to mourning. 

16 The crown has fallen from our head; 
woe to us, for we have sinned! 

17 Because of this our hearts are sick, 
because of these things our eyes have grown dim: 

18 because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate; 
jackals prowl over it. 

19 But you, O Lord, reign forever; 
your throne endures to all generations. 

20 Why have you forgotten us completely? 
Why have you forsaken us these many days? 

21 Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored; 
renew our days as of old— 

22 unless you have utterly rejected us, 
and are angry with us beyond measure.

May God’s wisdom give us understanding as we ponder on this prayer of lament. Thanks be to God!

Sermon:  “God Had Left the Building!?”

I say to God, my rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I walk about mournfully
because the enemy oppresses me?”
As with a deadly wound in my body,
my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me continually,
“Where is your God?” (Ps. 42:9–10 NRSV)

Disasters abound in this day and age. Media has them covered and the list is lengthy: With shocking images of collapsed buildings and debris, deadly flooding in Western Europe including Germany and Belgium due to torrential rainfall, led to dozens of deaths and hundreds of people missing. In Cuba, spurred by a severe economic crisis and hunger, protesters erupted in a wave of public rallies calling the leaders for reforms with many as 700 people missing, detained or murdered. State of emergency was issued in the provinces of British Columbia and Manitoba due to devastating wildfires that may cause millions of dollars in fire suppression costs as well as human deaths due to exposure to wildfire smoke if climate change and fire causes are not resolved.
          What about the personal tragedies that some of us experience? When suffering strikes, how do we respond? When losing a loved one, or when a family member is diagnosed with cancer, or when a pandemic sweep through the world, we’re often unsure how to respond. Some people offer unhelpful clichés in an attempt to offer comfort. Others say the wrong words while some just back away by not saying anything at all. The first attempt wounds the afflicted, while the second one leaves the afflicted isolated and alone. Let’s be honest here. Most of us are not good at dealing with tragedy. Oftentimes we cry in prayer, “where are you God?”
          In her book, Glorious Weakness: Discovering God in All We Lack, American author Alia Joy shares a true story of how Christians approach the spiritual practice of lamenting. She writes: “In the summer of 2012, I knelt over the frail shell of a child, my son, strapped to all manner of medical monitoring equipment. His body failing, his frame thinning, the medical staff at the Children’s Hospital was at a loss. They had no answers, no direction. He was an anomaly, they said, and they’d need to regroup after making him as comfortable as possible. Though the medical community struggled to sort it all out, my faith community seemed to have every answer. God would provide, one said, because God would respond to my great faith. God was setting up a miracle, another said. God works all things together for good, I was reminded. Platitude, platitude, platitude. I smiled through all of them, even nodded. Silently I wondered, did all those words amount to anything, well-meaning though they were? Hunched over my son, all those platitudes haunting, my phone rang.
          I looked at the screen, read the name. It was a pastor from a more reformed church in my hometown, and as I answered the phone, I wondered what platitude I might hear. There was a purpose in my son’s suffering? Everything has a Kingdom purpose? After an exchange of greetings, I clenched my jaw. Stiffened. Braced myself. Through the phone, I heard only three words: “I’m so sorry.” There was a pause, and he told me to holler if I needed anything. He said he’d be praying, and that was that. It was a moment of selfless solidarity, a moment in which this man of the cloth didn’t force-feed me anemic answers or sell me some fix-all version of a bright-and-shiny gospel. Instead, he did the work of Jesus Christ himself; he entered into my suffering.”
          In the past 3 Sundays, we’ve learned that the book of Lamentations is a response to the greatest ancient tragedy in Israel’s history—the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE.  Israel’s life with God was overturned. In addition to the massacre and destruction, the people also suffered from political and religious trauma. The temple was destroyed along with its priests and prophets and their religious festivals ended. Today, we hear the Community Voice as it responds to the suffering and destruction of the people. Chapter 5 was written in alphabetic form which means that the 22 verses correspond to the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Seen this way, Chapter 5 employs a different literary device from the first 4 chapters that employ acronym style. Both authors, Robert Williamson Jr. and his mentor, Kathleen O’Connor explain that the alphabetic pattern “may be a way of expressing the totality of the destruction – everything has been destroyed from A to Z- there is nothing left. It expresses an overwhelming sense of unbound grief.” Chapter 5 moved out from a more structured literary form to a more disorganized way of offering a conclusion. I felt that the chaotic form speaks of the poet’s way of saying, this tragic experience has not been resolved. There are more storms to come or in plain language, wait for the next episode!
          Speaking in the language of “we”, according to Williamson, “the community voice represents the voice of the people in Jerusalem.” There are 5 different voices in Lamentations – all 5 voices with different theologies, viewpoints and reactions to the tragedy. We’ve heard the voices of the Funeral Singer and the Daughter Zion in our previous sermons. Next Sunday, we will conclude the series by listening to the voice of the Strong Man in Chapter 3. I intentionally placed Chapter 3 as our finale to give us a more hopeful and positive feeling about the book. The hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness was based on Chapter 3. Save the best for last! Another voice in Chapter 4 called The Scoffer presents his negative views but we are not going to listen to his depressing voice in the series. We have enough to swallow at the moment.
          Some of us might assume that the Community Voice in Chapter 5 will give us a wonderful wrap up of the book – to decide how to handle the devastation they have experienced- but I’m sorry to disappoint you. This will not happen at all. The Community Voice refuses to take sides. It acknowledges the Daughter Zion’s lament but also listens to the cries of the Strong Man, The Scoffer and the Funeral Singer. It refuses to embrace one position while silencing the other voices. There’s one significant good news in Chapter 5 according to Williamson and O’Connor. The Community Voice chooses to preserve the community – with all the community’s diversity, opposing views, and different arguments – rather than force a theological conformity. Some verses in chapter 5 echoes the Daughter Zion’s petitions calling on God to look, to take notice. Other verses emphasize the Strong Man’s favourite word “disgrace” as well as the Funeral Singer’s appraisal of Jerusalem’s situation. It describes the physical violence the people experienced as well as the disruption of livelihood and families and the religious festivals that connect the people with God. It highlights the reward-punishment theology professed by all voices. By listening and giving credit to the different voices, Chapter 5 holds the community together. It offers a communal prayer of lament, a sense of space where everyone is welcome rather than choosing one stance that forces the other voices or other tribes or other religions or other groups to be left out. Everyone is welcome in the table of grace. Sounds like a normal family or a congregation or a community to me. Don’t you think? The lectionary group last Tuesday agrees that Chapter 5 embraces inclusivity and diversity. I like this observation. This is what I truly hope for in a pluralistic world where we live. Where people of different colours, beliefs, status and backgrounds can live together in harmony - where everyone is heard and no one is left out.
          And where is God in these tragic situations? Since God was not portrayed as being present in all 5 chapters of the book, one can only conclude that God’s silence is deafening and heartbreaking. Or that God had left the building! But, did God really leave? If God had left, why would the community turn toward God in a prayer of lament? Why would the community call on God to rescue them? Listen again to these verses: “But you, O Lord, reign forever; your throne endures to all generations. Why have you forgotten us completely? Why have you forsaken us these many days? Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored; renew our days as of old -unless you have utterly rejected us, and are angry with us beyond measure.”   
          There are two possible ways how we can interpret these verses.  The first one gives us a positive conclusion.  These verses reiterate the belief in God’s faithfulness to the people despite God’s silence or God’s long delay in responding. While in this prayer of lament, the poet expresses that God could have forgotten them, the people still expect, still hope for God to remember again. To go back to where they were before – to their covenantal relationship where both parties enjoyed a harmonious relationship as God and God’s people. The second interpretation is rather the opposite of the first one. This time, God who sits continually on the throne is doing nothing.  That perhaps God had totally forgotten the people and that God will not come to their rescue because God has become too angry with them.  Two meanings – two interpretations – two theologies – two choices – and yet, they are both part of the community voice. Just like us.
          As a community of faith, as individuals with unique lived experience, I encourage you to move outside the box and to listen to each other in mutual respect and love. We take inspiration from the words of Robert Williamson Jr. “The Community Voice holds all people together in prayer during a time of devastation. It doesn’t demand conformity. It doesn’t silence those calling for reconciliation and forgiveness. Nor does it correct those who shake their fists in angry protest. It recognizes that no single theology, no single perspective on suffering, can hold the pain of this traumatized community.” So did God leave the building? My answer is an overwhelming No! What’s yours? Amen.

Sources:
BCUC Lectionary Group
Kathleen O’Connor, Lamentations & the Tears of the World.
Robert Williamson Jr., The Forgotten Books of the Bible.
Alia Joy, Glorious Weakness: Discovering God in All We Lack.

Prayers of the People & the Lord’s Prayer

Let us gather our hearts in prayer:

God, author of our lives, create for us a life that opens a path to new visions and vistas of compassion, understanding and knowledge.  Make us a sanctuary of a just society through our acts and deeds. Continue to challenge us, to push us, to prod us to walk the talk. Broaden our thinking with new ideas. Enrich us with your spirit. Make us a community who embraces diversity and inclusion with mutual love and respect.

We pray that you would guide us on our journeys through this land of such abundance. Help us not to be seduced into thinking that material resources can ever make us happy or content. Help us as we see our neighbours’ success not to feel inadequate, deprived, or greedy. Help us rather to find our strength, our comfort, and our satisfaction in knowing whose we are and to make our lives living prayers. Provide us an inner serenity which exterior things can never bring.

God of grace and compassion we are always mindful of our tenuous hold on life and health and safe keeping. With those thoughts in mind we ask for your healing presence to those affected by ongoing health issues, for those recovering from illness, for those who are awaiting medical results or those needing comfort care. We pray for all health workers and caregivers attending to their needs. We continue to pray for those who are grieving. May healing love be with them in this time of sorrow. May we comfort those who have suffered deep losses in their lives and those who are troubled and distressed.

We also pray for those celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and happy occasions. We pray for Ida Blackwell as she celebrates her 106th birthday next week. We pray for peace in our neighbourhood and wider communities. We pray for this church family, for its vitality and its mission to put love in action. Empower us to be the body of Christ in the world. Be with us as we meet and share the joys and concerns of this congregation. For the leaders in all sectors of the society, may they lead with wisdom and foresight to act with love and true concern for the well-being of the people they are meant to serve.

God of harmony and peace, we pray for our world where your reign of love is still calling each one for transformation; where people live in terror and death; where people suffer under the pangs of economic upheaval – where unemployment rises in its toll and people live in despair; where people ravaged by calamities and natural disasters, particularly those who are affected by the ongoing wildfires in BC and Manitoba, and those who seek daily survival. And we pray for ourselves that we may be sustained by the hope you have offered to us. May we walk courageously as people, not only of faith, but of hope. May we share your hope with the world in which we live.
God of life, God of love, God of all that we have and all that we are, we give you thanks.

Let us unite in this ancient prayer offered by Jesus to his friends:        

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.

Invitation to Offer

Even in difficult times we remember that God has done great things for us. We choose to live our lives in hope, counting on the goodness of God in every way.  As a sign of our trust in God, we share our gifts of time, talents and treasures this morning, strengthening the ministry of this church. If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offering and donations, you can drop them in the mailbox 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

We give you thanks, God of all ages, for your presence that cares for us.
Receive these gifts as symbols of our love to you as we continue to work for your
reign on earth. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Sending Forth

You have opened your hearts to God’s presence
in this time and in this place.
As you welcome another week,
may the lessons that you’ve learned today give life to you,
to others and to all creation.
Let God, in holy mystery, embrace you with goodness and love.
Live with hearts wide open in every place and time,
life calls you to be.
Go in peace. Amen.

Hymn:   The Day You Gave Us, God, Is Ended - Voices United #437           BCUC trio

1 The day you gave us, God, is ended,
the sun is sinking in the west;
to you our morning hymns ascended,
your praise shall sanctify our rest.

2 We thank you that your church unsleeping,
while earth rolls onward into lights,
through all the world a watch is keeping,
and rests not now by day or night. 

3 As o’er each continent and island,
the dawn leads on another day,
the voice of prayer is never silent,
nor dies the strain of praise away. 

4 The sun that bids us rest is waking
your church beneath the western sky,
and hour by hour fresh lips are making
your wondrous doings heard on high. 

5 So be it, God! Your throne shall never,
like earth’s proud empires, pass away;
your rule remains and grows forever
until there dawns that glorious day.

Words 1870 John Ellerton, Music 1874 Clement Cotterill Scholefield
Song #92375 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music: Let Us Love in Peace – (from the Beautiful Game)          Abe : keyboards

© 2000 Andrew Lloyd Webber - the Really Useful Group, arr. © 2017 Phillip Keveren

Zoom Fellowship – 11 am

Sunday Worship Service - July 18, 2021

 BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

8th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

July 18, 2021

Worship Leader: Rev. Kim Vidal
Music: Abe & Susan TeGrotenhuis, Erin Berard/CGS & Choir 

Summer Sermon Series: “VOICES OF LAMENT”
Theme: “Comfort Zones” 

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: Royal Fireworks – Siciliana : Handel                     Abe-harpsichord

Welcome & Centering for Worship

Good day everyone! Welcome to our worship service in the name of Jesus Christ on this 8th Sunday after Pentecost. I’m glad that you can join us in our virtual worship service. We continue our summer sermon series on the book of Lamentations and today’s big word is “comfort.”  I encourage you to reflect this word with me with the hope that we can be God’s presence in comforting others.

As we continue to be under pandemic restrictions, please be reminded that the work of the church carries on. 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 at bcuc.org to keep you informed and give you opportunities to respond.

We are now re-opening our sanctuary for in-person worship service at 10 am with a maximum number of 50 people. The Public Health recommends staying at home but if you wish to attend the service, please call the office to register until Friday at 11 am. For the safety of all attendees, the usual health protocols will be in place which include masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing and staying home if you feel unwell. Take note too that our worship service will still be offered via Youtube, by email and by telephone.

Friends, God calls us to be individuals and a community that offer comfort to others. I now invite you to open your hearts and minds as we worship together.

Lighting of the Christ Candle       Acolytes: Ellen & Bob Boynton

It is within the hidden mysteries of life we discover vulnerability.
Within the dancing shadows cast by a flickering candle flame
we discover the promise of comfort and of new possibilities.
We light this Christ candle reminding us that God’s comforting presence is near. 

Call to Gather & Prayer of Approach            Rev. Dr. Karen Boivin

(Richard Bott, Gathering-ACE 2021-2021, Year B Used with permission.)

Who is it that does the most wonderful things?
Do you not know?
Who is it that looks upon the smallest of creatures?
Have you not heard?
Who is it that gives guidance to rulers, great and small?
Have you not been told from the very beginning?
Who is it that renews our strength?
Who is it that causes us to soar like eagles?
Who is it that carries us through our lives?
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
Have you not been told from the very beginning?
It is our God who does all these wonderful things!
Then come!
Let us come and worship God!

Let us pray:
(Diana Hannaford-Wilcox, Gathering-ACE 2020-2021, Year B. Used with permission.)

Sit beside me, God, My Friend, and share in a moment:
sing and share our heart song,
hymns that tell of our deepest sorrows
and songs that remind us to laugh and dance,
melodies and harmonies that move our hearts.
Sit beside me, God, My Friend, and listen:
your word shared to remind us of your presence,
stories to help us understand what we need to do.
Sit beside me, God, My Friend, and reflect:
connecting the past with our future,
reminding us of faith, hope and love.
Sit beside me, God, My Friend, and pray:
so many hearts full of need, pain, loss and grief,
So many thankful moments of the amazing comfort
that only you can provide.
Sit with all of us, God, Our Friend,
as we celebrate your holy presence. Amen.

Hymn: In the Bulb, there is A Flower - Voices United #703 – BCUC choir

1.In the bulb there is a flower; in the seed, an apple tree;
in cocoons, a hidden promise: butterflies will soon be free!
In the cold and snow of winter there's a spring that waits to be,
unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

2.There's a song in every silence, seeking word and melody;
there's a dawn in every darkness bringing hope to you and me.
From the past will come the future; what it holds, a mystery,
unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see. 

3.In our end is our beginning; in our time, infinity;
in our doubt there is believing; in our life, eternity.
In our death, a resurrection; at the last, a victory,
unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

Words and Music © 1986 Natalie Sleeth
Song # 52456 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Storytime Rev. Dr. Karen Boivin

Hello! I hope you are doing well today. (Karen is carrying a bar with a pail at both ends on her shoulders) As you can see I am a bit weighed down. For centuries people around the world have used this method to carry heavy loads such as water from a well to their home or gravel from a pit to a construction site. Usually the bar is a long thick stick of wood, often carved out to be more comfortable at the neck. That kind of pole is called a yoke.

Yokes are often also put on oxen and attached to carts to help them pull a heavy load. Why do you think someone would use a yoke to carry water rather than just carry the pails in their hands? Your hands would get very sore, wouldn’t they, will all the weight going through that little wire rather than be spread by the bar across the shoulders. Sometimes in the Bible they use the word yoke to talk about how we can feel weighed down, not by heavy things on a bar, but by our thoughts, feelings or the events around us. There is talk of being yoked in today’s Lamentation reading.

(A card with each of the bolded words are put into the buckets during this portion)

Have you ever seen someone so sad that they are walking with their head down and their shoulders slumped as if they have a yoke around their neck and are carrying something heavy? Sometimes a person get so angry that they can’t let it go and it seems their anger is a heavy weight they carry around It’s also hard to let go of the hurt feelings and the mean things that have been said to cause them. And it’s hard not to keep thinking of something we have done wrong. Other times it is the things going on around us that make us feel weighed down. Maybe we just feel like there is too much going on to deal with, or we are worried about how they will turn out.

Jesus said, “Come to me all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens.” Whooohoo! (starts to take yoke off neck and then puts it back) But wait … he goes on to say “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me… My yoke is easy and my burden is light. So it appears Jesus teachings will act like the yoke helping us to bear hard things. He teaches us about forgiveness of others and ourselves to help us with our anger and hurt and concern about things we have done wrong. He’ll help us trust that things will come out all right and that God always with us and loves us.

It makes sense that the yoke and the weight doesn’t disappear with Jesus. He calls us to share love with as many people as we can and that means more chance of some upsets sometimes. But those are also easier to bear because with a bigger community around us we also enjoy more friends, more joy, and more fun and that makes any burdens seem easy to handle.

Thank you, Jesus, for showing us how to embrace life. Even with its troubles. Teach us your lessons of love, trust and forgiveness. Amen.

Hymn:  Kumbaya (Traditional)         CGS/Bell Canto – Director & Flute: Erin Berard

Kumbaya, my Lord, kumbaya. (3X)
O Lord, kumbaya. 

Someone’s (crying, hurting, praying) Lord, kumbaya. (3X)
O Lord, kumbaya. 

Words & Music: Traditional     
Song Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved.

Prayer for Illumination      Reader: Angela Starchuk

(Sheryl Mcleod, Gathering- Pentecost 1 Year C. Used with permission.)

God of wisdom,
as we receive these words,
may we discover your urgings,
may they stir our thoughts,
may we be empowered to grow,
and may we act in ways that reveal who you are
to all who would notice. Amen. 

Reading from the Hebrew Scripture: Lamentations 1: 12-22 (NRSV)

Daughter Zion Pleads for God to See

12 Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?
    Look and see
if there is any sorrow like my sorrow,    

which was brought upon me,
which God inflicted
    on the day of God’s fierce anger.

13 From on high God sent fire;
    it went deep into my bones;
God spread a net for my feet;
   and turned me back;
God has left me stunned,
    faint all day long.

14 My transgressions were bound into a yoke;
    by his hand they were fastened together;
they weigh on my neck,
    sapping my strength;
God handed me over
    to those whom I cannot withstand.

15 God has rejected
    all my warriors in the midst of me;
and proclaimed a time against me
    to crush my young men;
God has trodden as in a wine press
    the virgin daughter Judah.

16 For these things I weep;
    my eyes flow with tears;
for a comforter is far from me,
    one to revive my courage;
my children are desolate,
    for the enemy has prevailed.

17 Zion stretches out her hands,
    but there is no one to comfort her;
God has commanded against Jacob
    that his neighbors should become his foes;
Jerusalem has become
    a filthy thing among them.

18 God is in the right,
    for I have rebelled against God’s word;
but hear, all you peoples,
    and behold my suffering;
my young women and young men
    have gone into captivity.

19 I called to my lovers
    but they deceived me;
my priests and elders
    perished in the city
while seeking food
    to revive their strength.

20 See, O God, how distressed I am;
    my stomach churns, my heart is wrung within me,
    because I have been very rebellious.
In the street the sword bereaves;
    in the house it is like death.

21 They heard how I was groaning,
    with no one to comfort me.
All my enemies heard of my trouble;
    they are glad that you have done it.
Bring on the day you have announced,
    and let them be as I am.

22 Let all their evil doing come before you;
    and deal with them
as you have dealt with me
    because of all my transgressions;
for my groans are many
    and my heart is faint.

May God’s wisdom give us understanding as we ponder on this difficult passage. Thanks be to God!

Sermon:  “No One to Comfort Me?!”

The Spirit listened as I uttered my mind.
The Spirit said not a word as I pleaded and pined
And then the Spirit spoke in the language of conviction
Saying, "Comfort isn't comfort in the absence of affliction." (bible.org)

A few weeks ago, I led a celebration of life service for a woman who struggled with lots of challenges in her life. Her son who was so close to her was devastated by her death. I couldn’t give him a hug nor a pat on his back, but only words of comfort. After I offered a prayer with the family, the son turned to me and said, “Thank you for your kind words. She’s safe now. No more pain for her.” This is not the first time I’ve been around grieving people and heard them repeat something similar – safe words in trying to make sense of their loss or to find comfort in the midst of death. I’ve heard people say things like, “I’m glad she’s now in heaven with God’s angels looking after her”, and “Death was the only way she could finally find any peace from her pain,” and, “I guess God just needed her more there than we do here.” And, of course we often say and hear, “She’s now in God’s hands. She’s now in a better place.” How often we need words of comfort when we needed them! We look for the right words to find peace in a storm of sadness and clarity in moments of confusion. But some of these words comes from the usual way of dealing with grief instead of coming from a solid understanding of human condition. The words might sound nice, but they are only partly true or perhaps not absolutely true.

In his 1993 book, Wishful Thinking: A Seeker's ABC, Frederick Buechner writes: "Don't start looking in the Bible for the answers it gives.  Start by listening for the questions it asks." The very first word in the book of Lamentations is the Hebrew word, “eykhah” meaning “How,” and it is meant to be read both as a question and as a shocking statement.  This is a word of woe and disbelief. In English, we might express it this way: “Oh no!” or “How in the world did that happen?”  Or, if I we hear someone say, “What!? How!?” I know that something is terribly wrong.  That is the intention of this word.

Today’s text in the book of Lamentations is a continuation of our reading from last Sunday which emphasizes the eykhah – the question how did this happen to the city of Jerusalem? If we have listened to the Funeral Singer as the first voice of lament, today, we hear the cry of anguish, a cry of lament from the city of Jerusalem personified as a woman named as Daughter Zion. In this overwhelming, stark and depressing passage, we see Daughter Zion wanting someone to acknowledge her pain with compassion. She’s not looking for someone who will remind her of her situation, instead, she’s looking for someone to take seriously the situation she was in. She claimed that her transgressions, her sinfulness was huge like a heavy yoke put by God on her neck. She’s naming the cause of her suffering as acts of God’s anger in violent images and depictions: “God sent fire and it went deep into my bones; God spread a net for my feet; and turned me back; God has left me stunned, faint all day long.”  In earlier verses in chapter 1, Daughter Zion asked God twice to look at her situation but with no response from God. Then for the 3rd time, she calls on passersby to listen to her. Kathleen O’ Connor writes: “When God does not respond to Zion’s demand for God to see her suffering, she turns to passersby. Passersby is a conventional term in Hebrew poetry for witnesses of suffering and devastation who often mock the sufferer and do not intervene.” That’s how downcast she had become. She expresses her emotions through endless weeping and tears. She bereaves her children’s death and the nation’s destruction.

Susan Young in our study last Tuesday put her feet in Daughter Zion’s shoes and said: “If I were daughter Zion, these are the questions I need to ask: Do I deserve all these suffering? Is this fair? Where is God’s justice?” Like a protesting child, Susan said, Daughter Zion expresses her deepest anguish to God: “Didn’t we have a wonderful relationship in the past? Don’t you love me anymore? Where are you when I needed you the most?” Peggy Aitchison also added that the lament and situation of Daughter Zion reminded Peggy of the “worm theology” – the belief system that human beings are lowly creatures with very low self-worth because of sinfulness and that no one can forgive their sins except through the grace and compassion of God. Seen this way, what could be worse than being Daughter Zion? She was pleading, begging on her knees and desperately in need of comfort. C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity, that “Comfort is the one thing you cannot get by looking for it. If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end. If you look for comfort, you will not get either comfort or truth — only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin with and, in the end, despair.” To comfort literally means “to soothe, to console, or to reassure with compassion.” The Hebrew verb nachamu translated as “to offer comfort” means, “to cause to breathe again.” In other words, Daughter Zion is not just pleading to God to see and be present in her dire situation but she wants God to let her breathe again.

If Job lamented of his innocent personal misfortunes, Daughter Zion voiced out her grievances as a fallen nation because of guilt and sins.  That makes Lamentations challenging in some ways because I’m sure there were people in Jerusalem who tried to be faithful and who prayed for repentance.  But they too were affected directly and significantly by the city’s destruction.  Lamentations shows us that sometimes innocent and righteous people are still affected by the consequences of national sins.  The book reminds us that sin is more than just an individual issue.  Sin is also systemic and communal.

So, where do you go for comfort? What do you do to ease your pain? We’ve all been there before. Like Daughter Zion, we have moments when we need comfort and sometimes no one comes to our rescue. The reality is - when people suffer and need comfort but receives none, they often begin to feel a deep sense of isolation and abandonment, and then resorts to other things that may harm them instead of comfort them. We want someone to console us, love us, heal us, and take us home. Imagine the darkest places in your life; the fear, the anger, the pain, the hurt, the illness - wondering when, or whether, it will end. You carry guilt and regret like a worn-out suitcase wherever you go. The days are filled with “should haves” and the nights with “if only.” Over and over again, you see your life replayed to the point that you can see no future - only moments of abandonment, of alienation, of wilderness.

What does comfort look like for you? Jan Pound said that comfort is very much part of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. We need comfort to function fully as human beings.  Comfort reminds me of a story of a little girl who came home from a neighbour's house where her best friend had died. "Why did you go?" questioned her father. "To comfort her mother," said the child. "What did you do to comfort her?" "I climbed into her lap and cried with her." Is there any good news about text? 

Susan Young offered some important points. She said “because we are humans not God, we need to offer comfort in ways that are humanely possible.” As Jesus taught us to comfort the needy and the downtrodden, we are challenged to offer comfort in many ways that we can, through sincere words and acts of love. These words and acts of love need to be heard and felt by those who face death and life-threatening illnesses; those who suffer because of broken relationships; those who lost their jobs, those who face issues of economic poverty, homelessness, or those who experience great financial loss. These words and actions must address those who lost everything as a result of an unjust government, or the greed and corruption of political leaders. They need to be heard and felt by children and teenagers who were intimidated, bullied, rejected by their peers, those who have no friends, those who are abandoned by family. The victims of abuse badly need comfort as well. Women and children who suffer behind closed doors, because of physical, sexual and emotional abuse!  You need to hear these words of comfort if you carry the heavy burden of self-blame or guilt. If you are pressed down by stress, hopelessness, sadness, loneliness and heartache, you need to be comforted.

Offering comfort needs courage. We cannot fully take people’s pain away, we cannot stop those tears from flowing, nor fully mend their broken hearts. But we can comfort them. We can make them strong. We can make them breathe again. Not with “empty words” or false assumptions that everything is going to be ok, but with listening hearts and helping hands, and a non-anxious presence to make them strong. How is God calling you to participate in this uncomfortable but essential work of offering comfort?

Since the funeral service a few weeks ago, I’ve been asking myself, what are those things that offer profound truth when we offer comfort in the midst of grief and anguish? I think there is one thing that we need to reflect on:  that is - to trust God’s presence in us and through others who offer comfort. When the son of the dead woman said to me, “She’s safe now. No more pain for her,” in essence he was saying, “I am trusting God through you to offer comfort in my pain and grief.” Once more, before I left the funeral home, I offered the grieving son an invitation – “I am just an email or a phone call away. Please reach out if you need to talk.” Life is not without pain, without sorrow, or without rain. But comfort awaits those who trust in God’s presence through us.  May we believe this.  May we become courageous voices of comfort here and now. Amen.

Sources: BCUC Lectionary Group, Bruce Epperley, patheos.org, Michael K. Marsh, interrupting the silence.com, Tim Suttle, patheos.com., Nancy Guthrie -  author of Even Better Than Eden: Nine Ways the Bible’s Story Changes Everything about Your Story. Kathleen O’Connor, Lamentations & the Tears of the World. Robert Williamson Jr., The Forgotten Books of the Bible.

Prayers of the People & the Lord’s Prayer

Let us pray.

God who calls us from our comfortable lives, we come to you this day for your personal touch; the knowledge that we are loved and that we belong, that we are a part of a community that longs to love and care for each other. Help us feel your comforting presence as you call us to offer comfort to others. May your blessings for us continue to inspire us to work for the good of others and of the world where we live. We ask that you continue to bless us to acts of selfless love and continue to inspire our hearts to acts of healing.

We remember all those celebrating joyful occasions and milestones in their lives – anniversaries and birthdays, vaccinations and recovery from illness. We also remember those with illness or a sudden threat to their health, or those recovering from treatment or those who are in hospitals seeking healing. We continue to pray for those who are hurting because of broken relationships or grief or loneliness. In the light of God’s love for us, may we seek God to inspire us, to find a way to pick up the pieces of our lives and carry on. In the spark of God’s Spirit in us, may we be embraced where new life can begin and old ways transformed.

Wise God, inspire us to seek out justice for those who find far too little of it in this world that we have created...a world that too frequently values money over children; a world that values power over people; a world whose preferential treatment bends heavily toward the wealthiest among us, rather than towards those in need.

We pray for our loved ones and for ourselves, for the energy you give us, for the gifts of time, talents and treasures, empowering us to be stewards of faith. In our desire to live authentic discipleship, we now pause in silence, asking you to listen to our longings and reveal to us those things we have done and those we have left undone that are not acceptable in your sight…

God who calls us blessed, may we be filled with your goodness so that we may be your comforter and touch the world with kindness and grace. This we ask in Jesus’ name, who taught us to pray.. Our Father... Amen.

Let us unite in this ancient prayer offered by Jesus to his friends:        

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.

Invitation to Offer

Let us offer our gifts of time, talents and treasures so that the ministry of this church will be a growing, vibrant witness to God’s healing love. If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offering and donations, you can drop them in the mailbox 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

(Gord Dunbar, Gathering-L/E 2021 Year B. Used with permission.)

Take what we offer and bless it, O God, for your mission of love.
In a world of conflict and pandemic, may these gifts and we, ourselves,
become agents of change and transformation, in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Sending Forth

(Wendy MacLean, Gathering-L/E 2021 Year B. Used with permission.)

In a world that is closed in and distanced, be a sign of comfort and love.
Let your faith lead you into a life that blesses the world.
Dare to trust that God’s comforting goodness is not at a distance, but in each breath.
Go now, knowing that God goes before you and calls you to come.
Beside you is Christ, our teacher, our healer, or friend.
Surrounding you like light, like breath is the Spirit.
Go in peace and serve God, today and each day. Amen.

Hymn:   God of the Bible (Fresh As the Morning)  - More Voices #28           Abe & Susan

1.    God of the Bible, God in the Gospel,
hope seen in Jesus, hope yet to come,
you are our center, daylight or darkness, freedom or prison, you are our home.

Refrain         (2X)

Fresh as the morning,
sure as the sunrise,
God always faithful,
you do not change.

2.    God in our struggles, God in our hunger, suffering with us, taking our part,
still you empow’r us, mothering Spirit, feeding, sustaining, from your own heart. R

3.    Those without status, those who are nothing, you have made royal, gifted with rights, chosen as partners, midwives of justice, birthing new systems, lighting new lights. R

4.    Not by your finger, not by your anger will our world order change in a day,
but by your people, fearless and faithful, small paper lanterns, lighting the way. R

5.    Hope we must carry, shining and certain through all our turmoil, terror and loss, bonding us gladly one to the other, ‘til our world changes facing the Cross. R

Words © 1996 Shirley Erena Murray Hope Pub, Music © 2001 Tony Alonso GIA
Song #02882 & 02880 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music: Royal Fireworks – Allegro : Handel             Abe-organ

Zoom Fellowship – 11 am

Sunday Worship Service - July 11, 2021

 BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

7th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

July 11, 2021

Worship Leader: Rev. Kim Vidal
Music: Abe TeGrotenhuis, Erin Berard & Choir/Band Members 
Summer Sermon Series: “VOICES OF LAMENT”
Theme: “Pay Attention to Grief & the Grieving” 

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: Royal Fireworks – Overture : Handel (first part)          Abe - organ

Welcome & Centering for Worship

Good morning! On behalf of Bells Corners United Church, I welcome and greet you in the name of Jesus Christ on this 7th Sunday after Pentecost. I’m glad that you can join us in our virtual worship service. Today we begin our summer sermon series on the book of Lamentations. I know that some of us don’t want to read this book because it allows us to look at grief, suffering and pain. However, if you treat this book as part of our human condition and remind ourselves that God is still present – still doing things in the world, you might find this book hopeful. I encourage you to reflect with me in the next few Sundays and learn about this almost forgotten book in the Bible.

As we continue to be under pandemic restrictions, please be reminded that the work of the church carries on. 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 at bcuc.org to keep you informed and give you opportunities to respond.

We are now re-opening our sanctuary for in-person worship service at 10 am with a maximum number of 50 people. The Public Health strongly recommends staying at home but if you wish to attend the service, please call the office to register until Friday at 11 am. For the safety of all attendees, the usual health protocols will be in place which include masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing and staying home if you feel unwell. Take note too that our worship service will still be offered via Youtube, by email and by telephone.

Friends, the voice of a loving God calls us to be a caring community encouraging us to look, to notice, to pay attention to grief and those who are grieving. Let us come together in worship knowing that God is with us and we are not alone.

Lighting of the Christ Candle       Acolytes:  David Stafford & Barbara Bole

We light this candle as a symbol of the light of Christ which gives us hope and life.
This light cannot be held back by distance nor time, not even grief nor fear.
This light shines in each one of us, no matter who or where we are.
May the flame of this candle remind us of our commitment as followers of Jesus Christ, a light to the world.

Call to Gather[1] & Prayer of Approach[2]         Nicole Beaudry

Every morning, God calls you to be,
and when you rise and as you become,
God gives a promise:
As I live and as you live, I will never abandon you.
And each day, we may respond:
As you live and as I live, I will go with you.
And each day, we may say to one another:
As God lives and as I live, let us worship and serve together. 

Let us pray:

Holy and mysterious God,
We come to you with many questions
and seeking answers for our world right now:
“Why me?”
“Why now?”
“How long?”
“What next?”
We are worried, we are afraid…for ourselves,
for our families, for our friends, and for our hurting and dividing world.

Help us to truly feel your presence and your promise of hope –
in a flash of colour as we go for a walk
and notice a roughly painted stone on the side path
with a child’s handwriting that says:
“Be safe.”
“Stay strong!”
“Give peace a chance.”
“You are not alone.”
A simple reminder of your grace, loving God,
for this day and every day. Amen. 

Hymn: This is God’s Wondrous World – Voices United #296          BCUC choir

1 This is God's wondrous world, 
and to my listening ears 
all nature sings, and round me rings 
the music of the spheres. 
This is God's wondrous world; 
I rest me in the thought 
of rocks and trees, of skies and seas,
God's hand the wonders wrought.

2 This is God's wondrous world: 
the birds their carols raise,
the morning light, the lily white,
declare their Maker's praise.
This is God's wondrous world:
God shines in all that's fair;
in the rustling grass or mountain pass,
God's voice speaks everywhere.

3 This is God's wondrous world:
O let me ne'er forget
that though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the Ruler yet.
This is God's wondrous world: 
why should my heart be sad? 
Let voices sing, let the heavens ring:
God reigns, let earth be glad.

Public Domain - Words; Maltbie D. Babcock, English melody; adapt. Franklin L. Sheppard, alt. 
Song # 97195,  Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214.

Storytime with Nicole Beaudry: “A Most Colourful Place”

Good day everyone! I was searching for a happy, bright, colourful story or a lesson that would be in contrast with, what I think are dreadful, sad, painful readings from the book of Lamentations that we will be reading for the next few weeks. And I decided to tell you about a “Most Colourful Place”.

Smack in the middle of the Gulf of St-Laurence, like in the middle of the ocean, there is a group of 8 islands plus many more tiny ones, that is part of the province of Quebec, called Les Iles de la Madeleine. The only way to get to Magdalen’s Islands is to take a five-hour ferry from P.E.I or go by plane. Life is very quiet and laid-back on the Islands for the 12,000 people who live there.

Fishing was the main occupation and now tourism brings in visitors and provides many jobs for the locals. In the past, before the tourists came, the residents of the Islands were isolated for 8-9 months of the year and they were lonely and downcast like the weather. They could not travel outside the islands or have visitors. They thought: How can we make our lives sunnier, happier, gayer? Yes! We’ll write songs and we’ll sing and dance, we’ll celebrate with family and friends, and…. we’ll give our houses happy, joyful looks. All over the islands, people began painting their houses in different bright colours. So it began with one, and another one, and then more. People shared their paint, helped each other. Nothing was too flashy or wild. And pretty soon, the whole place was like a colourful, happy quilt.

When you get off the huge ferry-boat, after you’ve seen big reddish limestone cliffs by the ocean, the beaches and sand dunes and rolling hills, the most striking thing you see are the houses. Indeed….who would think of having a lavender or bubble-gum pink house? or bright sunshine yellow? or turquoise, or fire-red or lime green? Tourists come to visit the island and buy the fish from the smoke houses, enjoy the beaches and the sand dunes and the sea and the countryside, and the quiet, and also the colourful houses. I spent a week there. I tried to take a photo of every house I saw, and I had plans to make a mosaïc, but never did.

Time to go back to the Islands!

I invite you to draw your own “Most Colourful Place”.
On a large paper or cardboard, using crayons, paint, or markers;
In the driveway, on the sidewalk or the patio, using chalks;
Draw hills and roads; add many houses of all sizes;
“Paint” them in bright colours;
Keep adding houses if you wish; and trees and flowers, and animals;
Add colour to the hills and the sky.
Finally: give your “Most Colourful Place” a name.
If you wish, you could write about your “place” and share it. 

Hymn: “Lord, Listen to your Children Praying” VU#400 – BCUC choir

Lord, Listen to your children praying.
Lord, send your Spirit in this place.
Lord, listen to your children praying.
Send us love, send power, send us grace. 

Words and Music: Ken Medema          © 1971 Hope Publishing Song # 00384
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination*            Reader: Chris Brown

(*Karen Boivin, Gathering-Pentecost 1 2019, Year C. Used with permission.)

It is a challenge, Holy God, to make sense of scripture on our own. So, we give thanks for this opportunity to share it with each other in the company of your Holy Spirit. Help us to receive it both as an individual address and as a message to us as a community of faith. Make us open to receiving it, and brave and committed in the living of it. Amen.

Reading from the Hebrew Scripture: Lamentations 1: 1-11 (NRSV) The Deserted City

1 How lonely sits the city
    that once was full of people!
How like a widow she has become,
    she that was great among the nations!
She that was a princess among the provinces
    has become a vassal.

2 She weeps bitterly in the night,
    with tears on her cheeks;
among all her lovers she has no one to comfort her;
all her friends have dealt treacherously with her,
they have become her enemies.

3 Judah has gone into exile with suffering
    and hard servitude;
she lives now among the nations,
    and finds no resting place;
her pursuers have all overtaken her
    in the midst of her distress.

4 The roads to Zion mourn,
    for no one comes to the festivals;
all her gates are desolate,
    her priests groan;
her young girls grieve,
    and her lot is bitter.

5 Her foes have become the masters,
    her enemies prosper, because the Lord has made her suffer for the multitude of her transgressions; her children have gone away, captives before the foe.

6 From daughter Zion has departed all her majesty. Her princes have become like stags that find no pasture; they fled without strength before the pursuer.

7 Jerusalem remembers, in the days of her affliction and wandering,
all the precious things that were hers in days of old.
When her people fell into the hand of the foe, and there was no one to help her,
the foe looked on mocking over her downfall.

8 Jerusalem sinned grievously, so she has become a mockery; all who honored her despise her, for they have seen her nakedness; she herself groans, and turns her face away.

9 Her uncleanness was in her skirts; she took no thought of her future; her downfall was appalling, with none to comfort her.

“O Lord, look at my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed!”

10 Enemies have stretched out their hands over all her precious things; she has even seen the nations invade her sanctuary, those whom you forbade to enter your congregation.

11 All her people groan as they search for bread; they trade their treasures for food to revive their strength. Look, O Lord, and see how worthless I have become.

May God’s wisdom give us understanding as we ponder on this difficult passage. Thanks be to God!

Sermon:  “Look…Take Notice!”

Early in the morning of May 28, indigenous Haida artist, Tamara Bell and her 12-year old son rushed out from their home with one purpose in mind: to create a memorial for the 215 indigenous children found at Kamloops Residential School. After reading the news about the discovery of the remains of these missing Indigenous children, Tamara did not hesitate to do something about this horrific incident. If memorials were built to honour the dead and provide a safe space for healing, she would not remain silent to honour these children and lament for them.

Tamara and her son scurried from one store to the next buying children’s shoes: running shoes, boots, sneakers, moccasins, in different shapes and colours – representing the traditional and modern customs and values of the Indigenous communities who were distressed and shaken by the residential schools. By midday, Tamara was able to gather Indigenous women who helped her assemble the memorial of shoes, lovingly and tearfully placed on the steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery. Over the next few days the memorial grew to include candles, flowers, toys, clothing, and posters from visitors  and it went viral nationally and globally.

“As a people we need to heal”, lamented the artist. “We can’t just be suffering alone!” The memorial created by Tamara, her son and the Indigenous women is but one piece of the many symbolic examples of grief and of the grieving to make us aware – to urge us to listen – to look – to pay attention – to notice the cries of the Indigenous peoples for truth and reconciliation.

The big word in my sermon today and in the next few Sundays, as we reflect on the book of Lamentations, is the word lament.  A lament is just as the word describes – a passionate expression of grief or sorrow that comes with emotional outbursts of wailing, weeping, moaning or mourning. Generally, a lament is a prayer that cries out to God from the midst of desperate grief, pain, or any circumstance that seems out of control. It vocalizes the hurt to God with the conviction that God can and will bring relief. A lament is not just the venting of frustration, but it is a profound statement of faith in God from the midst of utter human hopelessness.

For some of us, the last thing we want to hear being preached on a Sunday morning is a lament. Some of us have enough grief and sorrow in our lives, and we come here to find words of comfort, a time to quiet our spirits, to find hope and consolation in the words and hymns that offer us God’s presence. We want a soothing ointment and a clean dressing for our wounds that will help us to go back into our homes, into our workplaces, into our little niches with a little extra cushion between us and our stressful lives. Even if we’re not experiencing a personal sorrow at this time, laments can be difficult for us to hear. They make us vulnerable and helpless and we do not want to revisit the pains and hurts that caused us sleepless nights and nervous breakdowns. So why, you may ask, are we even reading and reflecting on this seemingly depressing book in the Bible? Because the act of lamenting is a powerful act of discovering our true human selves. It expresses our desire for hope to cut through our sadness and despair individually and communally. It makes us name our dire situation and calls on God’s presence and others to journey with us in our darkest moments. It makes our hearts burst open for transformation. It is important to listen to the voices of lament in the book of Lamentations and give them space in the pulpit today.

In today’s reading, we see the speaker of the first chapter in Lamentations, known as the Funeral Singer on centre stage reciting a message of lament and grief for the Israelites. According to authors Robert Williamson Jr. and Kathleen O’Connor, the Funeral Singer “doesn’t describe himself as a survivor. Instead, he seems to be an outsider- like a reporter whose job it is to sing a funeral song about the devastation of the city. He comes from the outside to describe someone else’s pain. He’s not a survivor but an ally. Or—at least he could be an ally.” The Funeral Singer’s words were descriptions of the downfall of the city of Jerusalem personified as a woman called the Daughter Zion. She was described as a weeping widow with no one to comfort her. She was deserted and betrayed by friends and lovers and she weeps all alone. There is no rest for the weary city. The woman’s wailing is a deep anguished cry that will not be silenced. Her pain is simply too great to be ignored. Seen this way, however, I cannot but react to the derogatory, “put down” descriptions of the city as a woman which according to Jan Pound is another misogynistic source of women’s degradation.

Attributed to the prophet Jeremiah with authors unknown, the book of Lamentations offers imagery that testifies to the multiple traumas that the community faced under the realities of ancient colonization through war. It calls us to remember, confront, and testify to the devastating events that led to the grief in the first place. As a point of history, the book was written to lament over the string of misfortunes that had befallen the city of Jerusalem. As a point of history, in 586 before common era, King Nebuchadnezzar and his army invaded and ransacked the city of Jerusalem. These foreign invaders destroyed the city’s inhabitants, buildings, homes, animals and farms, and the hub of communal life, the Temple. The Funeral Singer looks at the city, in shambles, ruins and devastation beyond compare. The once prosperous economy quickly collapsed, the once abundant sources of food and water disappeared, the once festive daily rhythms of life stopped. The city became unsafe, as any aspect of order was replaced by chaos. A reading of this chapter is a hard and painful task as image after image of dread and grief swims into our minds.

Written within the backdrop of a reward-punishment theology of Deuteronomy, the belief that God rewards those who obey God’s commandments and punishes those who turn away from God, the Funeral Singer points fingers at the people. That was their own doing, why they were suffering and in pain. He confesses that all of the people have sinned: “Jerusalem sinned grievously, so she has become a mockery.” In their sin, according to the speaker, the people had become unclean and the nation had fallen terribly in the hands of a foreign invader. Their lives had become barren, painful and empty, brought on by the consequences of their sinfulness. In this moment of terrible destruction, it seemed that God is nowhere to be found. It seemed that God was absent in the story.

However else we may think of the unsettling theology of this book, I believe that it embodies a tradition that is not embarrassed to weep and to mourn; unafraid to approach and come before God to offer a heartfelt lament, to pray that God and others will take notice of the grief and its sources, and to walk with the grieving when life takes an ugly turn. I once read a quotation written by American author, Earl Grollman that says: "Grief is not a disorder, a disease or sign of weakness. It is an emotional, physical and spiritual necessity, the price you pay for love. The only cure for grief is to grieve."

It takes courage to lament. Jewish author and holocaust survivor Elie Weisel, author, activist, and holocaust survivor, once wrote that for a Jewish person, you can be with God, for God, disappointed with God, or even angry at God but the one thing a true Jew can never be is to be without God. Lament, like praise and thanksgiving can happen when you know that God is there even in those moments when one thinks that God is absent.

Today, we might say that this passage portrays utter depression in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic when hope is what we look for. Looking at the world around us, I think it might be reasonable to come to the same conclusion that the world is not a perfect place and we have every reason to grieve. There is the wrath of nature: there are hurricanes and tsunamis. There are wildfires and earthquakes and floods. There is war, famine and disease. And then there is the suffering brought on by human behaviour. There is corruption and greed, marginalization and oppression. There is fear and anxiety as our nation and the world seem to slip into economic recession. And what about our own personal lives? We struggle every day with difficulties and challenges. We struggle with illness, with depression, with grief and loss. We struggle with job insecurity, and the constant battle to make ends meet. We struggle with the loss of friendships and relationships and lovers and spouses. We struggle with addiction and isolation.

We too sometimes utter words of desperation to long for God and others to pay attention to our grief. Where is God? Why doesn’t God do something earthshaking? Why doesn’t God come to our rescue? We have all been in life situations that give rise to those kinds of questions that are turned into prayers of lament. The uncomfortable truth for us in an imperfect world that wants quick fixes is that God sometimes does not take us out of a situation, but I still believe that God weeps with us, sorrows with us and uses people and situations to reach out to us. To notice, to look and pay attention to our grief and sorrow. It might not be now or tomorrow – but somehow, when our heart continues to wait for that glimmer of hope to come, it will come. God is not done with us.

Since the discovery of the remains of the residential school children in Kamloops, the truth is slowly being unearthed, one after the other. Those shoes of little children will be a constant reminder that God is not done yet. There will be a day when truth and reconciliation will finally come. In the meantime, as we wait for that day, continue to take notice and to pay attention to the voices of lament and grief. Journey with the grieving. Continue to hope and to offer hope even when we think that it’s going nowhere. We are never alone. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Sources used:

• BCUC Lectionary Group

• Kathleen O’Connor, Lamentations & the Tears of the World.

• Robert Williamson Jr., The Forgotten Books of the Bible.

• News article – “In Their Shoes: Community Creates a Symbol of Mourning for Those Killed in Residential Schools”, thetyee.ca

A Prayer for the Grieving by Joyce Rupp & the Lord’s Prayer

"May your circle of understanding and caring persons be many and may you allow them to support and sustain you in your sadness.

"May you rest your heartache in the compassionate arms of God each day and find comfort from this Enduring Love.

"May you welcome the tears you shed as friends of your soul, gifting you with an opening to release your pain.

"May disappointment, anger, guilt, or any other hurts that cling to you be acknowledged and set free.

"May you trust the hidden part of you where your resilience resides and remember often the inner strength your spirit contains.

"May you find the balance you need between activity and quiet so you can be attentive to your grief.

"May you be gentle and compassionate with yourself by caring well for your body, mind, and spirit.

"May you believe in your ability to eventually heal from your loss, no matter how much loneliness or desolation you now experience.

"May you have the necessary energy to focus on the details of life that must be done, in spite of how you feel.

"May the day come when memories of your departed one bring you more comfort than sadness.

"May the empty hollow in you grow less wide and deep as you receive touches of consolation and assurances of peace.

"May you be healed from your grief and extend your compassion generously to others who hurt.

"May you recognize when it is time for you to let go and move on, doing so when your grief has faded and you are ready to allow the past to be at rest.

"May you trust that love is stronger than death and draw comfort from the bond that unites you with your loved."

Let us unite in this ancient prayer offered by Jesus to his friends:        

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.

Invitation to Offer

Let us offer our gifts of time, talents and treasures so that the ministry of this church will be a growing, vibrant witness to God’s healing love. If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offering and donations, you can drop them in the mailbox 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

Generous God, bless these gifts and bless the ministries they make possible. Encourage us to give of ourselves and our resources until we become joyful images of your love and service. Amen.

Sending Forth

(Wanda Winfield, Gathering – Pentecost 1 (Year B), 2018. Used with permission.)

May God of the unexpected surprise us this week,
with blessings where we thought
there were only burdens,
life where we saw only death.
Then may we be the ones who offer life,
surprising others with our presence, attention and response. Amen.

Hymn:  My Life Flows On – Voices United #716           BCUC Quartet

1 My life flows on in endless song,
above earth’s lamentation.
I hear the sweet, though far-off hymn
that hails a new creation.

Through all the tumult and the strife,
I hear that music ringing.
It finds an echo in my soul.
how can I keep from singing?

2 What though my joys and comforts die,
My Savior still is living.
What though the shadows gather round?
A new song Christ is giving.

No storm can shake my inmost calm
while to that Rock I’m clinging.
Since Love commands both heaven and earth,
how can I keep from singing?

3 When tyrants tremble sick with fear,
and hear their death knells ringing.
When friends rejoice both far and near,
how can I keep from singing?

In prison cell and dungeon vile,
our thoughts to them are winging:
When friends by shame are undefiled,
how can I keep from singing? 

4 I lift my eyes; the clouds grow thin,
I see the blue above it;
And day by day this pathway smooths,
since first I learned to love it.

The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
a fountain ever springing!
All things are mine since I am Christ’s
how can I keep from singing?

Words& Music: Robert S. Lowry, 1869
Public Domain,  Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music: Royal Fireworks – Bourrée : Handel            Abe - organ

Zoom Fellowship – 11 am

[1] Maggie Watts-Hammond, Gathering-Pentecost 1 2017, Year A. Used with permission.

[2] Mary Parsons, Gathering-Pentecost 1 2021, Year B. Used with permission.

Sunday Worship Service - July 4, 2021

 BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

July 4, 2021

6th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Worship Leader: Rev. Kim Vidal

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: Walls Mark Our Bound’ries    

1.Walls mark our bound’ries and keep us apart;
walls keep the world from our eyes and our heart.
Tables are round, making room for one more,
welcoming friends, we had not known before.

Refrain
So build us a table and tear down the wall!
Christ is our host.... There is room for us all! 

2.Walls make us sure who is in and who’s out;
walls keep us safe from all question and doubt,
but at a table in open exchange
new ties are formed as our lives rearrange.

Refrain

3.Once we were strangers, divided, alone.
hate and distrust built a wall stone by stone.
Now at a table the bread that we share
joins us to Christ in a circle of care. Refrain

Words © 1996 Ruth Duck  pilgrim press, Music © 1997 Jim Strathdee   desert flower music
Song #60045 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Acknowledgement of Territory

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

Good morning! On behalf of Bells Corners United Church, I welcome and greet you in the name of Jesus Christ on this 6th Sunday after Pentecost. I’m glad that you can join us in our virtual worship time of contemplation, prayers and reflection.

As we continue to be under pandemic restrictions, please be reminded that the work of the church carries on. 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 at bcuc.org to keep you informed and give you opportunities to respond.

Beginning next Sunday, on July 11th, we are re-opening our sanctuary for in-person worship service at 10 am with a maximum number of 50 people. The Public Health strongly recommends staying at home but if you wish to attend the service, please call the office to register until Friday at 11 am. For the safety of all attendees, the usual health protocols will be in place which include masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing and staying home if you feel unwell. Take note too that our worship service will still be offered via Youtube, by email and by telephone.

Friends, I now invite you to open your hearts to God’s healing love and justice as we gather in worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle[1]      Acolytes:  Wendy Morrell & Dan Lanoue

O warm and comforting flame,
sparkle, sparkle now!
Guide us into safe soul refuge.
Though shadows prevail, in mood or mind,
we follow the light in to the calm.
How we long for and look for this light,
and flickering, here it is:
Christ – the light of day – the bright
and comforting twinkling night light,
the infinite and lovely flame of serenity.
We welcome you, light of Christ!                                                                                                          

Call to Gather & Prayer of Approach[2]        Erin Berard

Come into this electronically connected space-
from couch or office, from comfy recliners
or favourite rocking chairs,
from kitchens or bedrooms. The healing Christ welcomes us all.
We come as we are – unshaven or well coifed,
dressed up or in jammies, eating brunch or brushing teeth.
Though separated by distance, we come as one.
Come to worship across the distance but united in faith.
We come to listen, to pray, to sing, and to rejoice!

Let us pray:

Loving God, as we worship together,
may you forge among us deeper relationships in creative ways,

may you journey with us as we learn to connect through technology,
may you breathe into our souls the hope of your good news,
may you teach us to thrive while staying home.
Show us that your might resides in our all, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hymn: Come Touch Our Hearts - More Voices #12 (verses 1-4)       BCUC choir

1.    Come touch our hearts that we may know compassion,
          from failing embers build a blazing fire;
          love strong enough to overturn injustice,
          to seek a world more gracious, come touch and bless our hearts. 

2.       Come touch our souls that we may know and love you,
          your quiet presence all our fears dispel;
          create a space for spirit to grow in us,
          let life and beauty fill us, come touch and bless our souls. 

3.       Come touch our minds and teach us how to reason,
          set free our thoughts to wonder and to dream;
          help us to open doors of understanding,
          to welcome truth and wisdom, come touch and bless our minds. 

4.       Come touch us in the moments we are fragile,
          and in our weakness your great strength reveal;
          that we may rise to follow and to serve,
          steady now our nerve, come touch and bless our wills.

Words Music © 2002 Gordon Light, arr © 2002 Andrew Donaldson  Common Cup Co.
Song # 118062  Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Time for the Young at Heart:   Learning a Song with Erin Berard

Jesus made friends and talked to a lot of people that the rules of his time said he shouldn't - women, tax collectors, kids who the disciples were trying to shoo away, and others that people considered outcasts.  Jesus healed people even on Sabbath, because he wanted to help and to show that love was more important than the rules. 
In today's Bible passage, Jesus noticed one person touching his robe out of all the people in the crowd around him and wanted to immediately find out who it was.  He let the woman who reached out to know that she was a daughter - a child of God, even with all the health challenges she was having.

The next hymn, MV186, mentions some of those stories, and has a great refrain thanking God for unconditional love for all of us.  I think it's new to us, so I'll introduce the refrain.                          

Song: Because Jesus Felt - More Voices #186 (verses 1, 2, 4)            Erin Berard

1.       Because Jesus felt a woman touch his coat,
and said, “Your faith has made you well,”
I know that God takes notice,
and knows my name, and loves us all:

Refrain
So thank you, thank you, God. Thank you, God!
Thank you, thank you, God. Thank you, God! 

2.       Because Jesus ate with people who’d gone wrong,
and said, “You are forgiven now,”
I know that God forgives me,
and hears my name, and loves us all: R 

4.       Because Jesus sat with children on his knee,
and said, “I’m glad to meet you all,”
I know God thinks I’m lovely,
and sings my name, and loves us all: R

Words © 1998 Brian Wren; Music © 1998 Daniel Charles Damon,
Song # 76603 & 76604  Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination        Reader: Jan Pound

Open our hearts to your Word this day, O God.
Open our minds to the mystery of your truth.
Help us live in such a way that others
may see your power shining in us. Amen.

The Gospel Reading: Mark 5: 25-34 (NRSV)  Jesus and the Hemorrhaging Woman

25 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. 26 She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” 29 Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 He looked all around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

May God’s wisdom give us understanding as we ponder on this Gospel story. Thanks be to God!

Sermon:  “Breaking Barriers”

If I just touch the hem of his garment, I will be healed! That's what she told herself, this nameless, unknown, isolated bleeding woman, driven by nothing but faith. We don’t know her history nor the place where she came from. She’s anonymous; another face in the crowd. What we do know is that she is physically sick, spiritually desperate, and socially in need of acceptance. She has been bleeding for 12 years. Before she met Jesus, no one has been able to help her – not any topnotch physician nor even the village’s shaman. She’s spent all she had: time, money, energy. She even sold her farm and her priceless jewelleries for all I know.  Some of us have been there like her, dealing with a prolonged illness or stubborn medical condition. She’s only gotten worse. Day after day, year after year - it’s always the same. No one wants to come close to her. She can’t even lie down on the same bed with her husband. Or worse, perhaps her husband had abandoned her. No one dared to touch her. She was deemed unclean – thanks to a Mosaic law that says: “If a woman has a discharge, and the discharge from her body is blood, she shall be set apart seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening.” (Leviticus 15: 19). For 12 years, this bleeding woman was a pariah to her community.  She could not enter the Temple, the heart and soul of her religious community.  She was isolated and alone, devoid of human touch from her loved ones and from those who knew her. She was left drained of life and warmth: tired and weak, frustrated and hopeless, angry and resentful, sorrowful and grieving, empty and searching. If you know what that is like, perhaps you know the hemorrhaging woman in today’s gospel. At one level, this is a story of an individual woman. At another level it is the human story - our own story.

If I just touch the hem of his garment, I will be healed!  That was her new philosophy – one that will change her life forever. She went through the overcrowded street to find Jesus that day and breaks down barriers that would hamper her from being healed. In a desperate act of social and religious disobedience, she pursues an encounter with Jesus.  She knew she should not be mingling with the crowds and was forbidden to touch any man, least of all Jesus. Her heart beats wildly and fast as she plans her actions carefully. She knows she is breaking the purity law. She is aware that she could not touch another human being, much more a male person other than her husband or children and yet here she is – crawling down the dusty ground. Who, in her desperate condition, wouldn’t gather up every bit of spare energy to find him? Just touching the hem of his garment will do it, she tells herself. She crouches low to the ground, and with every inch of her remaining strength, she stretches and makes contact with the hem of Jesus’ garment. As soon as she touches the hem, a burning sensation runs through her body like an electric shock. In that moment she was transfused with and by a power so strong that she could not explain what it was. It was as if a surge of energy was released. The connection was made and a relationship established. Life no longer discharged out of her but flowed into her. Whether we take this as superstition or a healing miracle, Mark tells us that the hemorrhage stopped and healing took place. 

What exactly is healing? How is being healed different from being cured? In her book, Absolute Truths, author Susan Howitch clarifies the difference between a cure and a healing. She said: “A cure signified the banishment of physical illness, but a healing could mean not just a physical cure, but a repairing and strengthening of the mind and spirit to improve the quality of life even when no physical cure was possible.” The Rev. Michael Lindvall tells of a story of his friend who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease when the man was still in his fifties. The friend and his wife prayed for healing. Twenty years later, the friend was in the last debilitating stages of the disease. Nevertheless, the friend told Rev. Lindvall that his prayers had been answered. The friend said in all sincerity, “I have been healed not of Parkinson’s disease, but I have been healed of my fear of Parkinson’s disease.”

Mark says that the hemorrhage stopped but the healing continued. “Who touched my clothes?” Jesus asked. Jesus knows that some energy or power was taken from his body and he wants to know who caused it. Theologian Bruce Epperley writes: “When the woman touches Jesus’ garment, the healing energy of the universe is released. A power flows from Jesus that heals her body cells as well as her soul. The power is so great that it unsettles Jesus, the healer, who looks all around for the recipient of his energy…” In that moment, Jesus breaks the barriers of his day. He reached out to a woman who was deemed ritually unclean by her community. Jesus was calling her out – to be made known…to come forward –and tell her story.  Jesus knew that she had spent twelve long years having other people impose their assumptions and prejudices on her. She was shamed into silence by her religion.  How the woman’s heart must have raced! She was caught of her disgrace. Now she will be ostracized again or worse, might be stoned to death for her crime. But she came out to the open, with trembling and fear as she pours out her sad story. Liz Curtis Higgs calls her a woman who stole a healing miracle! Stolen or freely given, Jesus would not allow her to remain invisible anymore.  

To her surprise, Jesus calls her “Daughter.” Jesus said: “Daughter, your faith has made
you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” Jesus reminded her that she is a child of God, deserving of love and grace, as any other human being, and blesses her on the way to wholeness and dignity. She has now gained a new identity- a daughter, a child of God, a member of the human community. She was free at last! Mark did not tell us if she had been cured completely of her disease but for sure, she was completely healed. Healed from her fear, her loneliness, her invisibility. She was made whole again!

This powerful story reminds me of Martin Buber’s “I-Thou” encounter rather than an “I-it” relationship. At one point, Buber writes: “I believe that the key to creating society that is nourishing, empowering and healing for everyone lies in how we relate to one another.” In the I-Thou encounter, Buber explains that we relate to each other as authentic beings, without judgment, qualification, or objectification. It is characterized by mutuality, directness, presence, empathy and respect. You become like the “other”. The I-it, on the other hand relates to the “other” as object – someone or something that we manipulate, use or abuse. I believe that Jesus is a practitioner of the “I-Thou” relationship and teaches us to emulate the same.  It is through seeing the other as us that we are able to break down any barriers that deter the other of healing.

The truth of the matter is this: there is enormous brokenness, pain, and suffering in our world today, in our communities, in our families, and in our individual lives. We crave healing and wholeness. We need reconciliation and restoration. On July 1st, we have commemorated  Canada Day but for me and perhaps many of us, this year was different and it was difficult to remember this annual historic day. In light of the tragic discovery of unmarked graves of now more than 1000 indigenous children in former Residential Schools in British Columbia & Saskatchewan; add to that the recent killing of a Muslim family in London, Ontario; the unending plight of the black and Asian communities, the LGBTQS and other marginalized sectors in the community, and the ongoing battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, we are hemorrhaging from grief, fear, uncertainty, isolation and loneliness. We are bleeding from divisiveness, indifference, apathy, racism and a host of personal and social inequities that needs attention and healing. Unless we are fully transformed – unless we become advocates of the “I-Thou” encounter, unless we seek God’s grace and treat others as our own mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, daughters, sons – unless we break down barriers that divide and kill, unless we reach out and touch even just the hem of power that is life-giving, the bleeding will continue. The bleeding will not stop.

So what must we do as individuals and as a congregation to stop the bleeding? What barriers must we break in order for others to be set free – to be healed and become whole again? Jesus taught us one important mandate that we should not ignore: “Love your neighbour as you love yourself.” If it doesn’t look like love, it is not life-giving. So, what looks like love?  Debie Thomas has this to offer: “Love looks like… the one whose heart melts at the cry of a desperate father.  The one who visits the sick child and takes her limp hand in his.  The one who risks defilement to touch the bloody and the broken.  The one who insists on the whole truth, however falteringly told.  The one who listens for as long as it takes.  The one who brings life to dead places.  The one who restores hope.  The one who turns mourning into dancing.  The one who renames the outcast, “Daughter,” and bids her go in peace.” So go, my friends, and heal the bleeding, hurting world with love. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Sources that helped me with my sermon:

Liz Curtis Higgs,  The Woman Who Touched Jesus,  todayschristianwoman.com.
Michael K. Marsh, No Longer Drained of Life, interruptingthesilence.com
Alisa Bair, Lady Liberty and The Hemorrhaging Woman, Alisabair.net.
Michael Lindvall, Feasting on the Word – Year B, Volume 3: Pentecost and Season After Pentecost 1 (Propers 3-16).
Debie Thomas,“When Daughters Go in Peace”, journeywithjesus.net
Bruce Epperley, patheos.org. 

Prayers of the People & the Lord’s Prayer

Let us gather our hearts in this prayer:

God of time and seasons, we give you thanks for painting our summer with vibrant colours, warmth and rain. Your abundant love screams from all creation – plants and trees, animals and humans, the vastness of the skies, lakes and rivers teeming with marine life. Your joy fizzles in every moment where love is shown. Your presence moves our hands, our heart and our feet to offer justice and kindness and we become healers and truth-tellers.

Jesus, our brother, friend and empowerer, we come through prayer to pay attention to your teachings – how you included everyone in your circle of love. We recognize the holy in you, in your radical hospitality which breaks down barriers and transforms minds and hearts and lives. We are in awe at your good news of justice and how you have opened yourself to an aching, hurting, struggling world. Empower and implore us to model our loving on yours. And in doing so, may we become barrier-breaking people so that your gifts of light, love and life will flow through each and every member of the human family and the whole of creation.

Spirit of Life, we pray for those celebrating happy news – the birth of a baby, the celebration of birthdays and anniversaries, those who are moving to a new home, those who have completed their vaccinations and those enjoying the gifts of summer. We also pray for healing and wholeness for those who are in need, for those seeking treatments in hospitals and in homes. We lift those who are grieving the loss of loved ones and those who continue to bleed because of fear, anxiety, loneliness or isolation.  We continue to pray for the indigenous communities as they grieve the loss of many children who died in residential schools and in their continuing struggles to seek truth and reconciliation. Empower us to journey with them as well as the marginalized communities. In silence we pray for all of those that we name hearts…

Through the teachings of Jesus and the Holy Spirit’s leading, and in grateful thanks of God’s grace we offer you these ancient words in prayer as Jesus taught us:

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.

Invitation to Offer

Jesus felt tender compassion for the suffering people he met and taught us to do the same. This day, you and I are called to respond to Jesus’ example to offer healing, love and compassion as the need arises. Let us offer our gifts of time, talents and treasures so that the ministry of this church will be a growing, vibrant witness to God’s healing love. If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offering and donations, you can drop them in the mailbox 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

Gracious God, we offer the work of our hands and our hearts, our time and talents, our commitment with joy and generous spirits. Bless these gifts to heal our community and the world of its pain. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Sending Forth

(Inspired by a Blessing of Diversity written by Clare McBeath and Tim Presswood, Xavier. Edu)

May God the Creator who created a world of diversity and vibrancy,
go with us as we embrace life in all its fullness.
May Jesus the Christ who teaches us to care for strangers and foreigners,
go with us as we try to be good neighbours in our communities.
May the Spirit of diversity who breaks down our barriers and celebrates community,
go with us as we find the courage to create a place of welcome for all.
Today and in the days to come. Amen.

Hymn:   Though Ancient Walls  - Voices United #691   - BCUC Choir

1      Though ancient walls may still stand proud and racial strife be fact,
though boundaries may be lines of hate, proclaim God's saving act!

Refrain:

Walls that divide are broken down;
Christ is our unity!
Chains that enslave are thrown aside;
Christ is our liberty!  

2      When vested power stands firm entrenched and breaks another's back,
when waste and want live side by side,
it's Gospel that we lack. R

3      The truth we seek in varied scheme,
the life that we pursue,
unites us in a common quest
for self and world made new. R

4      The church divided seeks that grace,
that newness we proclaim;
a unity of serving love
that lives praise to God's name! R 

5      This broken world seeks lasting health  and vital unity.
God's people by God's Word renewed,
cast off all slavery! R

Words © 1974 John Farquharson; Music © 1974 arr. 1995 Ron Klusmeier
Song # 80510 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music: America the Beautiful (or O Mother Dear, Jerusalem!)

Zoom Fellowship – 11 am

[1] Jani Francis, Gathering, Pentecost 1 2021 (Year B). Used with permission.

[2] Gord Dunbar, Gathering, Pentecost 1 2021 (Year B). Used with permission.

Sunday Worship Service - June 27, 2021

 BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

June 27, 2021

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: The Rose - Amanda McBroom    Abe-electric piano

It's the heart, afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance
It's the dream, afraid of waking
That never takes the chance
It's the one who won't be taken
Who cannot seem to give
And the soul, afraid of dying
That never learns to live 

…

Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snows
Lies the seed that with the sun's love
In the spring becomes the rose

Lyrics © Warner-tamerlane Publishing Corp., Third Story Music, Inc.

Welcome & Centering for Worship          Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Good morning! On behalf of Bells Corners United Church, I welcome you to this service of worship from wherever you are. We are really pleased that you have chosen to join us this week!

As we continue to be on stay-at-home order, please be reminded that the work of the church carries on. Please take time to keep in touch with each other through prayers, phone calls, emails or via Zoom. Also, please remember look at the many announcements on our website to keep you informed and give you opportunities to respond.

Friends, I now invite you to open your hearts to God’s generous gifts of love and life abundant as we gather in worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle       Acolyte:  Liam Murray Eaton

As we light this candle, we light a symbol of the presence of Jesus with us individually and as a community of faith.

As we light this candle, we acknowledge it as guiding us to Jesus’ vision of the kingdom of God, the kingdom of God that is our call and the framework for our discipleship.[1]                   

Sung Response: Spirit of the Living God  -  Voices United #376 – Quartet with flute: Erin

Spirit of the Living God, Fall afresh on us.
Spirit of the Living God, Fall afresh on us.
Break us, melt us, mold us, fill us.
Spirit of the Living God, Fall afresh on us. 

Words & Music © 1926 v.1 Daniel Iverson, arr. © 1987 Darryl Nixon.
Song # FBC-A003716 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved.

Call to Gather & Prayer of Approach           Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Our God of abundance, infinite in grace, surrounds us with blessings, but never overwhelms us with them.

There is enough, always enough, of what we need.

But it is hidden, tucked beneath the surface, waiting for us to release it, if we will act with generosity and grace.

So, we gather to learn anew our calling as co-creators with God, whom now we worship.[2]

Let us pray:

Loving God,
The summer beckons, but we are still too busy.
Our minds and our calendars are overflowing with “to-dos.”
Calm our souls and still our hearts that we may be present with you, and in you this day.
Show us how to breathe deeply of your love.
Instruct us how to listen for the whispers of your guidance.
Enliven us to the stirring of your Spirit within.
Equip us to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, we pray.
Amen.[3]

Hymn: This is the Day More Voices #122      BCUC music team

1 This is the day that God has made; we will rejoice and be glad! 2x
Singing hallelu, singing hallelu, singing hallelu!
We will rejoice and be glad! 2x  

2 Voici le jour que Dieu a fait; nous le vivrons dans la joie. 2x
Chantant Al-le-lu! (3x); nous le vivrons dans la joie.
Chantant Al-le-lu! (3x); nous le vivrons dans la joie. 

Repeat verse 1

Words and music © 2003 Bruce Harding      www.evensong.ca  French © 2005 David Fines
Song# 117875 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved.

Storytime:    Anna’s Garden - Karen Boivin

     Anna was a long time member of her church. She was a widow living on the farm where she and her husband had brought up their family. Now in her senior years she was having trouble walking and felt more secure staying close to home, so she hadn’t been out to church services for quite a while.

    She looked forward to her weekly visit from Tim, a friend and member of the church pastoral care team.  She always made something special for their tea time together. During one visit she mentioned to Tim how disappointing it was not to feel well enough to tend what had always been her very impressive kitchen garden. Oh well she said, “I can’t eat all those vegetables myself anyway.  And I certainly don’t have the energy to make them last longer by preserving them.”  That didn’t sound too convincing. On his way home Tim couldn’t stop thinking about how disappointed she sounded. 

    The next time Tim visited Anna, he had a proposition. Would she be willing to let church families tend her kitchen garden for her?  Of course she could take all the produce she wanted from it, but maybe the rest could be donated to the town food bank?  Anna was intrigued but unsure. The garden was a lot of work.

      “Tell me more,” she said.  Eventually they came up with a plan that made Anna excited to offer up her garden.

      Driving home Tim secretly worried however that he might not be able to find the volunteers to make the plan work. However when it was time for the ground of the garden to be prepared a caravan of church families arrived at Anna’s farm.  Anna had been like a grandma or a favourite aunt to many of the younger church members and they had missed seeing her.   Under her direction, children and their parents and other church members set to pulling out old stalks from the year before and grass that had already begun to encroach from the edges. The soil was turned over and clumps broken up.  There was a real party atmosphere on the farm with everyone working hard, laughing together and enjoying the ice cold lemonade and chocolate chip cookies Anna had ready for them. 

     The next week another parade of cars made it up her driveway with church friends and family ready to start the planting. Children and adults followed Anna’s directions careful about where, how many and how deep to plant the seeds. They had a real feeling of accomplishment when they were done and looked forward to seeing what was going to come up.  

      It had been a little harder for Tim to fill up the weeding roster but eventually he had a family name on the list for each week. Many of the seed planters had signed up excited to see what came of their hard work. An unexpected bonus of this project was the number of visitors that now came to Anna’s farm. She got to know the families in her congregation better and had a lot more excuses to bake! And they too were blessed by her wonderful stories and knowledge. And each week when Tim came by for his visit he also harvested whatever was ready; offering it first to Anna and taking the rest to the foodbank who were very excited to receive this fresh produce. 

    There was one role in the garden however that Anna had insisted she wanted to do and was perfectly capable of doing. She wanted to do the watering. Early morning watering had always been her favourite part of the tending. “Fantastic,” said Tim.

     One act of generosity often leads to another; actually more than another; one leads to two leads to four and on and on! Tim’s visiting Anna and looking for a solution to Anna’s disappointment over her garden led Anna to happily offer her garden, her watering and hospitality to the project; the congregation members then offered their time, labour and friendship for it to unfold; and Tim took the weekly deliveries of fresh vegetables to the foodbank for their patrons to enjoy. And because of all this ….everyone had a happier summer!

Hymn: Small Things Count – Voices United #361   Erin, Lowes & Bram

1.    Small things count, so Jesus said:
Cups of water, crumbs of bread,
Small things done because we’re kind
Count as big things in God’s mind. 

2.    Small things make the big things grow:
Grains of yeast inside the dough,
Puffs that fill a big balloon,
Notes that make a happy tune. 

3.    Every hair that’s on our head,
Every sparrow, Jesus said,
God takes care of, counts, and knows,
God loves us from top to toes! 

4.    Small things count, so Jesus said:
Cups of water, crumbs of bread,
Small things done because we’re kind
Count as big things in God’s mind.

Words © 1990 Shirley Erena Murray, Music © 1992 Jillian Bray
Song# 75850 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved.

Prayer for Illumination[4]        Reader: Will Wightman

Gracious God, take the words I will speak and bless them.
Take the listening we will bring to the Word
and empower our reflection with action. Amen.

The Epistle Reading:  2 Corinthians 8:7-15

7 Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.

8 I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. 10 And in this matter I am giving my advice: it is appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something— 11 now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means. 12 For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has—not according to what one does not have. 13 I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between 14 your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. 15 As it is written,

“The one who had much did not have too much,
    and the one who had little did not have too little.”

Herein is wisdom. Thanks be to God.

Sermon: “From the Fear of Scarcity to the Joy of Generosity”

When Neil and I sold our big family home, just two years ago, we got a huge lesson in what it means to have too much stuff! We were downsizing to a house less than half the size of the one we had brought our kids up in, and from a large rural property with many outbuildings to a small suburban lot with a tiny garden shed. We gave away furniture and treasures, we passed on lawn equipment and tractors to our kids, we sold a few things, and we filled a dumpster – twice!

Although we were at first a bit reluctant to let go of things that “still had some good in them”, once we settled into our new home, we found that we didn’t miss those things at all – and that we still have too much “stuff”. So, now we find ourselves downsizing once more – and there is still a lot to get rid of. It’s a little easier this time, but it amazes me that there is still so much of it!

One of my favourite things to do these days is to haunt the “Buy Nothing” site in our area. People post things that they no longer want or need, and others snap them up. Sometimes, people post that they are looking for something and others realize they have just that item lurking in the dark corner of a cupboard somewhere. It’s not so much “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure” as being able to fill a need for someone else out of your own abundance. We have been able to gift others with things as big as bedroom furniture and as small as a tiny bottle of essential oils for a toddler’s tummy troubles or a few tablespoons of an ingredient to finish a recipe, and everything in between… We have been the beneficiaries of this community generosity too – drywall and light fixtures when we were getting the basement finished, and packing boxes as we get ready to move again. It is a wonderful community building project. It’s an opportunity to recycle rather than send things to a landfill. It’s an opportunity to meet others and to share our abundance – along with making each of us aware of how blessed with abundance we are! 

I think you can see how, in the midst of this, I was drawn to this reading from another one of Paul’s letters to the people of Corinth. He is asking them to be generous. It’s not a command but a request. Sounds a bit like a stewardship campaign, doesn’t it? He is, after all, asking for money to support another community of Christians – and that, in turn, reminded me of our Advent and Lenten Appeals to support worthy causes locally and globally… and I wondered, why does it feel easier to be generous on my “Buy Nothing” site than it is to write a cheque or increase our PAR contributions? How is it different?

As I was pondering this, I came across a wonderful article written by Walter Brueggemann from 1999, entitled “The Liturgy of Abundance, The Myth of Scarcity”. In it, he talks about how we, in North America have invested our lives in consumerism and our love affair with “more”. This isn’t a new revelation, of course. We know we live in a consumer society where status and success are often judged by the size of your house or the kind of car you drive, or the clothes you wear. What was new for me in Brueggemann’s article was that there is precedence for this attitude in the Bible, right back to the Hebrew Scriptures in the book of Genesis. The Bible starts out with a liturgy of abundance, according to Brueggemann:

“Genesis I is a song of praise for God's generosity. It tells how well the world is ordered. It keeps saying, ‘It is good, it is good, it is good, it is very good.’ It declares that God blesses -- that is, endows with vitality -- the plants and the animals and the fish and the birds and humankind. And it pictures the creator as saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply.’ In an orgy of fruitfulness, everything in its kind is to multiply the overflowing goodness that pours from God's creator spirit.”

The fruitfulness of the world, says Brueggemann, is guaranteed, and evidence of this is present throughout the book of Genesis – until the 47th chapter. Then Pharoah dreams there will be a famine – so he organizes control and monopoly over the food supply. He is so worried that there isn’t enough, he wants to get it all. Sound familiar? It reminds me of the crazy toilet paper hoarding that happened at the beginning of this pandemic. We can laugh at that because it seems absurd, but I think we can find many serious examples of that kind of hoarding behaviour in society today – in the hoarding of natural resources, wealth, and power that goes on all the time in the name of business and growth and success.

Pharoah’s actions are based on fear and this myth of scarcity. In his attempt to control the food supply, he becomes ruthless. When the crops fail, the peasants turn to Pharoah, through Joseph, for help. In return for food, they first give up their land, then their cattle, and finally their freedom. Even then, Pharoah is so worried about them being too numerous that he orders Hebrew baby boys to be killed, and, when that fails, he tells Moses to take them all away – and the Exodus begins.

By this time, that fear of scarcity is engrained, even in the Israelites. Remember the grumbling that happened on that journey? “We should have stayed in Egypt. At least we had food to eat there!” Once again, God’s gift of abundance comes through in the form of manna – enough for everyone… you can’t trade it for anything… it spoils if you try to hoard it… but there is always enough. No one has too much, no one has too little or goes hungry. There is enough for everyone.

The stories in our scriptures go on and on, and Brueggemann says that these stories warn us, again and again, that possessing land, property, and wealth makes people covetous. We see evidence of this all through history – wars fought over land, colonizers destroying cultures to gain power and control of property and resources – and it continues today with mining companies razing villages and killing those who fight back in third world countries, in big corporations clear- cutting ancient forests and stripping the vegetation for profit or to make way for their own enterprises.

Creation was designed to provide abundance for all. We read that in our scripture. We sing about it in our hymns… Another quote from Brueggemann:

“Whether we are liberal or conservative Christians, we must confess that the central problem of our lives is that we are torn apart by the conflict between our attraction to the good news of God's abundance and the power of our belief in scarcity -- a belief that makes us greedy, mean and unneighborly. We spend our lives trying to sort out that ambiguity.”

Jesus knew this about us humans… in Matthew, we hear him say, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Letting go of our possessions is hard – and seems to get harder as our possessions increase.

I am reminded of a funny story Neil tells of a time when he was working for a large public corporation (I won’t say which one, it doesn’t really matter). He was working at his desk when his pen ran dry and so he went to the stationery stock room and asked for a pen. The woman at the desk said, “I can’t give you one. I just have one left and someone might need it.” I guess it didn’t dawn on her that someone who needed it was standing in front of her. She was afraid to let the last one go.

She was afraid to be without a safe stash… we are all afraid of scarcity and so we hang on tight to what we have and we do our best to make that safe stash grow. We spend our lives worrying about not having enough. Jesus tried to tell us that we were worrying about the wrong thing and missing the point.

Again, in Matthew 6, he tells his followers:

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?

I don’t think Jesus is telling us to just stop working and expect that everything we need will drop into our laps. Birds work hard to find the seeds or insects they need to eat. They work hard to build their nests and raise their young. The ecosystem is designed for their needs to be met – until we humans intervene anyway. I think Jesus is saying that we are so afraid of scarcity that we are missing the incredible abundance that is built right into creation… that this fear keeps us from seeing that there is plenty for all.

He tells the story of the wealthy land owner who has a particularly good season and builds bigger and bigger barns to store his grain but dies that very night. Wealth and possessions can’t buy us life.

I don’t think these scriptures are telling us to give everything away and hope for some divine benevolence. I think the message is to relax and stop worrying about scarcity. It’s that fear that is skewing the balance so that a small number of people hold all the resources while so many live without… so that the natural world is stripped of its ability to sustain life.

Be generous, says Paul to the Corinthians. Help other communities grow and thrive just like you are doing.

When I think of the kind of generosity that Jesus taught, I think of the joy that comes with the kind of giving that happens in our “Buy Nothing” group. There is no bartering, no expectation of paying anyone back or getting the best deal. It is all about sharing our abundance with others to meet a need or just to put a smile on another person’s face. Many posts begin with, “I loved this when my babies were small and it’s time to pass it on to another new mom”… or “My rhubarb is producing more than I can use, anybody want some?”… I find myself wishing I had three or four of something I am offering so I could give them to everyone who needed them – and I know I’m not the only one. This isn’t charity – it doesn’t just flow one way. It’s the generosity of sharing your abundance no matter how big or small it may seem. It’s a sharing among people who care about each other, whether they are long-time neighbours or people they have never met. It’s good for everybody involved, and it’s good stewardship of the environment. It’s loving your neighbour being lived out in a community.

You don’t have to be wealthy to be generous. As Paul tells the Corinthians, “I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you.” It’s about finding that balance between abundance and need.

We are blessed with many very generous people in our congregation here at BCUC – and I’m not just talking about what goes in the collection plate. During this time of pandemic, many hearts have been warmed by people offering to pick up groceries for shut-ins, sharing baking with friends and neighbours, making phone calls and sending emails to each other – all ways of making sure our love for our neighbour doesn’t stop just because we can’t be together physically. Imagine a world where this kind of care and generosity spread further, even globally.

Creation was designed to provide abundance for all. Do we have the faith to believe that is true? Can we put aside our fear of scarcity and find ways to restore that balance? I worry that, if we don’t, we will continue to destroy that very creation we were tasked to protect.

Sallie McFague who passed away not too long ago, was a theologian who taught at the Vancouver School of Theology, here in Canada. She believed that we are called, not just as Christians, but as part of humanity, to work toward restoring that balance. Her book, “Life Abundant”, gives a powerful message about the urgency of doing so - and I recommend it to you. She knows that it will take a huge shift in our thinking before this can happen – a shift that is very similar to Brueggemann’s shift from the myth of scarcity to the liturgy of abundance. Without that shift in thinking and understanding, the kind of generosity that Jesus taught and Paul asks from the Corinthians can never truly take place. We have a lot of work to do before we get there – but it is urgent work.

We cannot make that shift happen overnight on a global scale, but we can start by applying that shift to our own attitudes and actions.

If you could put aside your fear of scarcity, and trust that there is enough for all, what do you have in abundance that you could share? Is it something tangible like money or clothing or food? Or is it something intangible like time or expertise, joy or comfort, or perhaps a voice that can speak up to injustice?

The story of manna in the book of Exodus talks about a time when “The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.” We can see in our reading today that it was a lesson Paul felt the people of Corinth still needed to hear when he was writing his letters, and it is a lesson our world still needs to hear today.

May it be so. Amen.

Prayers of the People & the Lord’s Prayer      Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Extravagant God,
We thank you for this amazing Creation that you have designed,
For the intricate web of life that works to ensure abundant life for all living things.
Help us learn to be stewards of this world so that your plan to provide for all will flourish.
Help us remember to trust your divine plan and let go of the fear of scarcity. 

This day, in the spirit of generous love, we offer our petitions for those who are hurting,
That they be blessed with your healing grace and our healing acts of love. 

We pray for all who live in fear…
We pray for all whose lives are touched by violence…
We pray for all who live in want for the necessities of life…
We pray for all who suffer from illness or injury…
We pray for those who feel forgotten and ostracized by society…
We pray for those who mourn…
We pray for all who struggle with the isolation this pandemic brings… 

Help us to be your hands and feet in this hurting world, that we open our hearts and hands to give generously so that others can live in abundance and love.

All this we ask in the name of Jesus, our example and our guide,
And in this ancient prayer he taught his followers:

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. 

Invitation to Offer              Rev. Lorrie Lowes

As we have been loved, so may we love others.

As we have been fed, so may we feed others.
As we have received from God’s hand blessings beyond measure, may we also generously share with one another and with God’s world. Let us present our offerings.[5]

If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offering and donations, you can drop them in the mailbox by the kitchen door of the church, mail them to BCUC, or send in your support through e-transfer. Thank you for your continued love and support to Bells Corners United Church.

Offertory Prayer

Ever-giving God, you lavish us with great abundance. Grace, comfort, and eternal life are priceless gifts. Empower us to herald that truth in word and action. May these offerings be only a small part of our commitment to your way of extravagant sharing. Bless all they represent, as you sanctify us in your love. Amen.[6]

Sending Forth              Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Go out in Jesus’ name with ready hands to bring God’s kingdom into this world.
Go out to bring love and justice into a world of hurt and pain, knowing that God is with us always. Amen.[7]

Hymn: “Go Make a Diff’rence” - More Voices #209   Music Team

Refrain:  Go make a diff’rence. We can make diff’rence.
Go make a diff’rence in the world. (2x) 

1.    We are the salt of the earth, called to let the people see,
the love of God for you and me.
We are the light of the world, not to be hidden but be seen.
Go make a diff’rence in the world. 

2.  We are the hands of Christ reaching out to those in need,
The face of God for all to see.
We are the spirit of hope; we are the voice of peace.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.  

3.    So let your love shine on, let it shine for all to see.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.
And the spirit of Christ will be with us as we go.
Go make a diff’rence in the world! 

Words and Music © 1997 Steve Angrisano and Tom Tomaszek                  spiritandsong.com
Song # 82988 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music: O Canada (only 4 days away (and it’s independence day next Sunday))

Zoom Fellowship – 11 am

[1] Bill Perry, Gathering Pentecost 1 2018, p32. Used with permission.

[2] Rod Sykes, Gathering Pentecost 1 2018, p34. Used with permission.

[3] Gord Dunbar, Gathering Pentecost 1 2016, p33-34. Used with permission.

[4] David Sparks, Gathering, Pentecost 1 2018, p43. Used with permission.

[5] Karen MacNeill, Gathering Pentecost 1 2021, p51. Used with permission.

[6] Laura Turnbull, Gathering Pentecost 1 2021, p52. Used with permission.

[7] Fern Gibbard, Gathering Pentecost 1 2020, p47. Used with permission.

Sunday Worship Service - June 20, 2021

 BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

INDIGENOUS DAY OF PRAYER

June 20, 2021

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: Without Seeing You – David Haas              recorders: Erin Berard

This haunting piece was written as a Communion song for the funeral of the composer’s brother-in-law, who died after a long struggle with AIDS. The composer felt a strong sense of not being able to ‘see’ his friend after his death. It is a positive statement of the strength of connection that can be found with God and with others, even in the absence of physical presence.

Refrain:

Without seeing you we love you.
Without touching you we embrace.
Without knowing you we follow.
Without seeing you we believe.

Words and Music © 1993 David Haas, GIA publications
Song #00189   Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Acknowledgement of Territory         Rev. Lorrie Lowes

We gather to worship, to celebrate, and to lament!

We honour the Algonquin and Anishnaabe peoples of this unceded territory and their long stewardship of this land.

We rejoice that God calls us to be distinct yet united.

We praise God with joy and thanksgiving, and seek God’s wisdom for right relationship.[1]

Welcome & Centering for Worship           Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Good morning! On behalf of Bells Corners United Church, I welcome you to this service of worship from wherever you are and I wish a “Happy Fathers’ Day” to all of the dads and loving father figures in our lives.

Today is set aside in the United Church of Canada as the Indigenous Day of Prayer. In light of the discoveries over the past two weeks and the wounds these discoveries have reopened, I invite you into a time of deep reflection and renewed commitment to the goal of reconciliation.  I want to offer my gratitude to all those who have contributed to this morning’s worship and give special thanks to Esther and Marlon Stewart for their gifts of knowledge, music, and ceremony that they so generously share with us each year. As they embark on their journey home to British Columbia, we wish them well and want them to know how much they will be missed in this congregation. It is our hope that the bonds formed in their time as members of this faith family will continue to grow, even as they move so far away.

As we continue to be on stay-at-home order, please be reminded that the work of the church carries on. Please take time to keep in touch with each other through prayers, phone calls, emails or via Zoom. Also, please remember look at the many announcements on our website to keep you informed and give you opportunities to respond.

Friends, I now invite you to open your hearts to God’s healing love and justice as we gather in worship.

Nisga’a Peace Song      Esther & Marlon Stewart  (& lighting 4 candles)

Lighting of the Christ Candle          Acolyte:  Mandy Crow

We gather to share in God’s dream of abundant life for all.

We gather to give and receive gifts of deep emotion, deep wisdom, and deep love.

With gratitude, we gather as a community to praise God, to seek transformation, and to celebrate the power of the Spirit who is always moving.

We light this candle to remind us that we are not alone as we do the work toward God’s dream.

Sung Response: Spirit of the Living God  -  Voices United #376 – Quartet with flute: Erin

Spirit of the Living God, Fall afresh on us.
Spirit of the Living God, Fall afresh on us.
Break us, melt us, mold us, fill us.
Spirit of the Living God, Fall afresh on us.

Words & Music © 1926 v.1 Daniel Iverson, arr. © 1987 Darryl Nixon.
Song # FBC-A003716 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved.

Call to Gather & Prayer of Approach         Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Creator God, Great Spirit, we pray our thanks for the opportunity to gather in this sacred space. Here we are most aware of the gift of wind and the four directions from which it comes.

Here we are most aware of the gift of sun and the four directions on which it shines.

Here we are most aware of the gift of humanity: and the four directions in which we exist.

Here we are most aware of the gift of Creation and the four directions which support our living, breathing, and being.

This day we pray thanksgiving for the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people of Canada and we commit ourselves to be people of reconciliation in the tradition of our beloved Jesus. We pray in his name. Amen.[2]

Hymn: Spirit, Open My Heart  - More Voices #79 - BCUC trio with violin: Leslie

Refrain

Spirit, open my heart
to the joy and pain of living.
As you love may I love,
in receiving and in giving,
Spirit, open my heart. 

1.       God, replace my stony heart
          with a heart that’s kind and tender.
          All my coldness and fear
          to your grace I now surrender. R 

2.       Write your love upon my heart
          as my law, my goal, my story.
          In each thought, word, and deed,
          may my living bring you glory. R 

3.       May I weep with those who weep,
          share the joy of sister, brother.
          In the welcome of Christ,
          may we welcome one another. R 

Words © 1996 Ruth Duck, arr. © 1997 Arthur Clyde  The Pilgrim Press.
Song #20093 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved.

Storytime          Rev. Lorrie

Hymn:  Lord Prepare Me to Be a Sanctuary  -  More Voices #18 – Erin & friends

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary,
pure and holy tried and true; with thanksgiving,
I’ll be a living sanctuary for you. 

Words & Music ©  John W. Thompson and Randy Scruggs, 1982  Kruger Organisation Inc
Song #119603 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination[3]           Reader: Raven Miller

Gracious God, take the words I will speak and bless them.
Take the listening we will bring to the Word
and empower our reflection with action. Amen.

The Epistle Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 NRSV      The Gift of Love

13 If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Herein is wisdom. Thanks be to God.

Sermon: “Reconciliation Begins With Love”

If you are one of the people who reads ahead to see what the Sunday service is going to be about, you may have noticed that I originally chose a different reading for today. Both readings are part of the same letter Paul wrote to the Corinthians. The one I first chose talked about reconciliation and, at first read, it seemed like a good message for this Indigenous Day of Prayer. However, the more I read it, the more I realized that it has been interpreted very differently by others than by me. In fact, I can see where it may well have been used to justify the atrocious way in which the indigenous peoples of this continent were treated. So, I decided instead to offer this reminder from Paul about love. You see, the first reading opens the door to feelings of superiority – the idea that our faith is the only true faith and all others are not just different, but wrong and even dangerous… that as “ambassadors of Christ” we are called to save others by converting them or save the world by destroying them. When I think of being an ambassador for Christ, I think about spreading his messages of love and inclusion. I hope that was what Paul had in mind… but he sure didn’t spell that out in this letter. And so, I turned to 1Corinthians 13 with its familiar message about love.

This is a reading that we usually hear at weddings, but I can tell you that romantic love was not what Paul had in mind when he wrote that letter to the squabbling people of Corinth. And I think it’s a part of that letter that must have been passed over in the early days of this country as irrelevant to colonialism. In my mind, as a follower of Jesus, that makes no sense. In my understanding, the lessons he taught, the way he acted, the way he treated others, was all based on that foundation – the foundation of love.

I can tell you that the past couple of weeks has been incredibly emotional for me. I can’t say that I was shocked or surprised by the discovery of children’s remains in an unmarked site in Kamloops. We were told that they were there – not just these 215, but literally thousands of others who simply disappeared from the Residential Schools without a trace. We were told in the Truth and Reconciliation process and its report. We were told by survivors of those schools. We heard the stories and then we buried those children again -under mounds of paper this time. We buried them, perhaps because some truth is too difficult to face.

I have been reminded by some people that I shouldn’t judge because, until forensic testing is complete, we don’t know how each of these children died… and perhaps that is true if we want to know the exact cause of death of each individual, but what do we hope to find? Are we looking for a way to deny that there was any wrongdoing? Are we looking for a way to ease our collective conscience and say, “See, it wasn’t anybody’s fault! The Canadian government who came up with the plan for the Indian Residential School system and the churches who put that plan into practice aren’t to blame!”? Really? Is that what we hope to find when the firsthand stories of survivors tell us of barbaric physical abuse, and of neglect for the basic needs of these young children. Is that what we hope to find when government documents show reports from doctors who witnessed the rampant spread of tuberculosis throughout the schools and pleaded for changes in the standards of health care, nutrition and cleanliness that could have halted the spread and helped some of these children back to health – and when documents show that the government decided it was not going to act on those recommendations, even to the point of firing the doctors who made them? Do we really hope to find that more than 4000 children died of natural causes in these institutions that our forebears created?

Or do we just find it all too painful to deal with?

Earlier this month, I accompanied Esther and Marlon to a vigil on Parliament Hill. Esther was having a very difficult time dealing with the emotions brought up by the discovery of children’s bodies in unmarked graves. They both felt they needed to respond in some way. They went to Parliament Hill to drum and sing, and in hope of finding others there to share their grief. We got a short email the next morning from Esther telling us that they were going again:

“Just thought I would share. If you can’t make it understandable. Please say prayers for all those hurting today!” 

I saw this as a cry for support from a friend and as a cry for support from a church she loves, even though this is a church that was part of the horror. It was a call for recognition of the pain she and all indigenous people were feeling. It was a call for love. As her friend, her minister, a face of the church… I wanted to answer that call. At her urging, I took my drum. I wore my collar… can I admit to you that both of these things felt a bit risky to me? Was it really right for me to drum in this indigenous ceremony as a non-indigenous person? By wearing that collar, was I putting myself out as a target for people who are angry with the church?

The three of us walked a few blocks from a parking lot to Parliament Hill – Esther and Marlon in their regalia, me in my ministerial black, all three of us carrying frame drums. One man we passed asked Marlon, “Are you going to protest?” Marlon quietly answered, “No, we are going to mourn.”

We were greeted on the Hill by a young indigenous woman who had met Esther and Marlon the day before. She was thankful to see them arrive and excited to tell them that there was even media present. She was feeling proud to have organized something like this, to be making a contribution to the people of her culture.

The Centennial Flame was surrounded by children’s shoes – all sizes… running shoes, dress shoes, winter boots, moccasins… There were bouquets of flowers tucked among the shoes, many of them orange.

A small crowd had gathered in a circle around the flame – indigenous folks, tourists, business people, even a few politicians and the Speaker of the House at one point. There were seniors and young people, adults and families with children and babies. There were media folks with cameras and microphones too, but they faded into the background as the ceremony began… It wasn’t a carefully choreographed event. No podium had been set up. There wasn’t a program. It was simply a pouring out of grief and love.

The young woman who had greeted us began with a few words of welcome and then offered a smudge to the people present… and to the empty shoes. Marlon and Esther led the drumming and singing, encouraging others to join if they could or if they felt moved to do so. A Peace Song… A song of Welcome… the drums and the haunting sound of the conch shell offered the rhythm – a heartbeat and a cry.

They offered a dance from their tradition and, just before she began dancing, Esther spontaneously told the group gathered that she wasn’t dancing for her own sorrow, but for the children who never got the chance to dance. She divided the crowd into four sections and taught them the dance for each of the four clans of her people… and they danced. They followed Esther around the circle – Eagles, Wolves, Killer Whales, and Frogs. People of all ages, cultures, and backgrounds danced together as one tribe – for the children who never returned home.

I learned a lot on that sunny Tuesday morning.

I would have understood loud protests. I would have understood bursts of anger. I would even have understood harsh words aimed at those of us who were there as “outsiders” – white folk, politicians, media, and a minister from a guilty church… but what I saw was mourning, respect, inclusion. I saw thanksgiving for little souls set free. I saw sacred ceremony. I saw the kind of love Paul wrote about in action.

One of the most powerful learnings in my training for ministry happened on a day when our class was joined by a class of theology students from the Sandy Saulteaux Spiritual Centre – a school that trains indigenous ministers in the United and Anglican churches. When they arrived in our circle, before we began our day, the “Keeper of the Bundle” from Sandy Saulteaux moved to the centre of the space and opened a suitcase. One by one she took items from that case – first a blanket that she spread carefully on the ground and then several objects – a feather, a bowl, a shell, and more. She held and explained the significance of each piece before she laid it on the blanket, where it came from, who had given it, why it was significant… It became a part of our worship centre for the day. It was beautiful…  but the biggest learning for me happened at the end of the day when the Keeper of the Bundle entered the circle once again to put each item back in the suitcase – carefully and with words of thanks for each piece.

I found it very moving, but more than that, I came to understand that there was much more to this than sharing sacred objects and setting up a display for reflection.

The bundle held the story of this group, this class of students and their school. It held their history, moments of pride, moments of struggle, moments of sharing, moments of joy and moments of sorrow. It held all their memories and all their hopes for the future. It told us their unique story. Each piece represented an intimate glimpse into the life of this class and it was all laid bare for us to see.

And, I think the most important part of that process for me was the careful repacking at the end of the day with just as much care, attention, and storytelling as it was given in the unpacking.

I thought about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and all of the listening circles that happened across the country. I thought about how difficult it must have been for people to share their innermost thoughts, their painful memories. How raw and exposed they must have felt to lay it all out there for the world to see. Did you know that there were always elders available at these sessions for support to anyone who needed it? Now I think I better understand their role. They were there to help people repack their bundles so that they could face the world again. They were there to help them keep it all safe.

In creating relationship – deep and honest relationship – we take the risk of telling our stories, of putting it all out there for the other to see. It is a sign of trust to open ourselves to another person. And if that relationship is good, we help each other pack those stories – and ourselves - up again safely.

The news of the discovery of 215 children’s remains in an unmarked grave have laid open the wound of the Indian Residential School System for our indigenous brothers and sisters who mourn and for all of us who share their grief and bear the shame of being part of a society built on the principles that gave rise to that system in the first place, a society that continues to favour those of us in the dominant “western” culture and marginalize our indigenous brothers and sisters.

During the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings, our indigenous brothers and sisters bravely opened their bundles for us. They told us their painful stories. We heard from Residential School Survivors and those who continue to be affected by their parents’ and grandparents’ experiences of that system. We even took a pretty raw and honest look at the legislation that put those institutions in place and opened the records that were available to us – a tentative peek into the bundles that we inherited. We asked for forgiveness. We made a list of actions that need to be taken… and we went home.

In some ways, to me it seems like we hastily shoved our individual bundles – the shock and the grief - back into their packages and hurried out the door without looking to see if our brothers and sisters needed help packing theirs, without trusting them to help us put our own back together. We revealed the pain and the hope but then we hid it all away from sight before anyone could deal with it. We left our indigenous family to deal with theirs on their own - again. We didn’t take enough time to grieve together, to hope together, to really take a step on the path of reconciliation… together. We didn’t take the time to give thanks for each piece, to recognize its value, and to pack it away carefully… not to hide it but to keep it safe and secure… until we needed to unpack it again.

We can’t change history. We can’t pretend it didn’t happen, no matter how much we wish it away. We’ve heard the stories now.

On that Tuesday morning two weeks ago, on Parliament Hill, I learned the beauty of looking at hard truth through a lens of love.

I heard it in these words:

“We aren’t going to protest; we are going to mourn.”

“We are dancing for the children who never got the chance to dance.”

“We want you to join us in the dance.”

I experienced it in the trust implicit in an invitation to “Come with us – wear your collar and bring your drum,” a recognition of our common grief and common hope for relationship, for reconciliation.

I believe Paul understood this. He knew that words were nothing more than a noisy gong if they weren’t accompanied by love -

“Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.  It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things,” says Paul to the divided people of Corinth.

He wasn’t talking about romantic love; he was talking about the kind of love that was shown on a bright Tuesday morning in a diverse group gathered in a sacred circle around hundreds of tiny, empty shoes.

Prayers of the People & the Lord’s Prayer      Rev. Lorrie Lowes & Esther Stewart

Grandparent God, look at our brokenness—
we know that in all creation
only the human family has strayed from the Sacred Way.
We know that we are the ones who are divided
and we are the ones who must come back together
to walk in the Sacred Way. 

As we reflect on the history of the relationship
between the church and Aboriginal peoples,
we pray for openness.

In our learning and in our growing, may there be healing. 

As we open ourselves to the stories
of Aboriginal peoples hurt and wounded
by residential school and other experiences,
we pray for compassionate listening.

In the telling and in the hearing, may there be healing.

As we feel the pain of individuals and communities
and recognize our impoverishment of spirit
through our failure to honour the gifts of different cultures,
we pray for a hunger for new ways
of walking the earth together.

In our recognition of the need for forgiveness and for change, may there be healing.

As we work together to embody
the spirit of reconciliation and healing,
we pray for expectant anticipation that our life together
in the church will be enriched and deepened.

In the giving and in the receiving, may there be healing. 

As we move forward as the people of God,
lifting up and supporting our sisters and brothers
of all tribes and races, we pray for God’s richest blessings.

In the honouring and in the sharing, may there be healing. 

Grandparent, Sacred One,
teach us love, compassion, and honour
that we may heal the earth and heal each other.  [4]

all this we ask in the name of Jesus who taught us to draw the circle wide, and in the words he taught his followers:

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.

Invitation to Offer              Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Our offering today, and every day, is an act of love. We give from what we have and as we are able; but always, we give in hope and faith and love.

If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offering and donations, you can drop them in the mailbox by the kitchen door of the church, mail them to BCUC, or send in your support through e-transfer. Thank you for your continued love and support to Bells Corners United Church.

Offertory Prayer

The world is very much with us this day: places of peace and places of conflict.

Receive these gifts from our hands and hearts, so that the world may be changed through them, by the power of your Spirit working in them and working in us. Amen.[5]

Sending Forth             Rev. Lorrie Lowes

And now, may the blessing of God be ours as we leave.

Move from here a reconciled and reconciling people with assurance that Creator God, Great Spirit accompanies you this day and every day. Amen.

Hymn:  “Hey Ney Yana” - More Voices #217

Refrain:
Hey ney yana,
hey ney yana,
hey ney yana,
hey ya hey yo,
hey ya hey yo. 

1. I walk in beauty, yes I do, yes I do,
I talk in beauty, yes I do, yes I do,
I sing of beauty, hey ya hey yo,
hey ya hey yo. (Refrain) 

2. I leave in beauty, yes I do, yes I do,
I sleep in beauty, yes I do, yes I do,
I dream of beauty, hey ya hey yo,
hey ya hey yo. (Refrain) 

Words & Music: Brook Medicine Eagle, as taught by Leonard Eagle Cloud Howell
Song # VT836 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music: If a Tree Falls

Songwriters: Bruce Cockburn

If a Tree Falls lyrics © Rotten Kiddies Music Llc, Bro N Sis Music Inc., Bro N Sis Music, Inc.

Zoom Fellowship – 11 am

[1] Laura Turnbull, Gathering Pentecost 1 2021, p37. Used with permissions.

[2] Carolyn Wilson Wynne, The Covenant of Reconciliation: Worship Service for the Indigenous Day of Prayer 2020

[3] David Sparks, Gathering, Pentecost 1 2018 (Year B). Used with permission.

[4] Celebrate God’s Presence, p530-531. Used with permission.

[5] Kate Crawford. Gathering Pentecost 1 2019, p49. Used with permission.

Sunday Worship Service - June 13, 2021

 BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

CAMPING & CHRISTIAN EDUCATION SUNDAY

Theme: “Friends Forever in God’s Love”

June 13, 2021

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

CLANG CLANG CLANG “Good morning campers! Rise and Shine you sleepy heads!”
“Time to get out there and do our morning exercises!”
“I wanna see ya touch the ground and reach for the sky!”

Morning Stretches Music: Like A Rock - More Voices #92     Music Team & CGS

Like a rock, like a rock, God is under our feet.
Like the starry night sky, God is over our head.
Like the sun on the horizon, God is ever before.
Like the river runs to ocean, our home is in God evermore.

Words © 1998 Keri Wehlander, Music © 1999 Linnea Good  Borealis Music www.LinneaGood.com
Song#97534 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved.

Welcome & Greeting            Rev. Kim Vidal

Good morning! Welcome to our Camping Sunday in the name of Jesus Christ, as we celebrate the ministry of Christian Education at BCUC! Camping is one of the largest youth and children’s programs in the United Church that develops confidence and leadership skills among our young ones. For those of you who are avid campers, we know that camping builds up friendships in many forms and fosters relationships with one another, with creation, and with God. I invite you to participate in today’s service as a time to reflect and renew our enthusiasm in the rich traditions that nourish us, as well as in new and exciting ways that inspire and encourage us. Today’s service is a re-enactment of a one-day camping filled with songs, activities and moments of reflection. So, RISE, SHINE and join in the fun!

Please join me as we recite together this ancient Sanskit poem attributed to the Hindu poet Kalidasa as we enter this time of gathering:

Listen to the Salutation of the Dawn:

Look to this day!
For it is life, the very life of life,
In its brief course
Lie all the verities and realities of your existence:

The bliss of growth,
The glory of action,
The splendor of beauty,
For yesterday is but a dream
And tomorrow only a vision,
But today well lived makes every yesterday
a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore, to this day!
Such is the salutation of the dawn.

Lighting the Christ Candle        Acolytes:  Wightman family

As we light this candle, we are reminded of the flame in each of us;
a fire of passion to be shared with the world.
Through Jesus, the physical reminder of God on Earth,
we feel the power and love inside ourselves.
With this invitation we are welcome; safe and ready to shine.

© 2016 The United Church of Canada/L’Église Unie du Canada. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution
Non-commercial No Derivatives (by-nc-nd) Licence.

Hymn:  This Little Light of Mine (Traditional)    soloist: Sheryll Highstead

This little light if mine, I’m gonna let it shine (3X)
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. 

Hide it under a bushel, no! I’m gonna let it shine (3X)
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. 

Everywhere I go, I’m gonna let it shine (3X)
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

This little light if mine, I’m gonna let it shine (3X)
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

Traditional Spiritual
Song #84048 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Gathering Circle:[1]           Noah & Nicholas

One:   Shhh, did you notice that?
Two:  People are talking, whispering, laughing…
One:   That too, but more…
Two:  There’s the hum of electricity, the speakers, instruments ready to break out into song.
One:   That too, but more… a vibration.
Two:  Hey, do you feel that?
One:   I feel a bit chilly, I feel thirsty…
Two:  That too, but more…
One:   I feel a bit nervous in front of all these people…
Two:  That too, but more… a presence!
Both:  God is here!
One:   That’s it! God is here!
Two:  That’s it! God, the vibration, presence, in us, through us, around us, God is here!
Both: Let’s celebrate!

Gathering: More Voices #26 Your Love is Amazing               BCUC music team

1.       Your love is amazing, steady and unchanging,
          your love is a mountain, firm beneath my feet.
          Your love is a myst’ry, how you gently lift me.
          When I am surrounded your love carries me.

Refrain
          Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
          Your love makes me sing. (2X)         

2.       Your love is surprising, I can feel it rising,
          all the joy that’s growing deep inside of me.
Ev’ry time I see you all your goodness shines through.
I can feel this God song rising up in me. Refrain 

3.       Repeat verse 1 and refrain
Hallelujah!

Words and Music; Brenton Brown and Brian Doerksen       © 2000 Vineyard songs
Song #5b057fdf9f6f6  Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Sharing a Camp Memory      Raven Miller

Gathering: I’ve Got the Joy         BCUC Music Team

1.       I've got the joy (joy), joy (joy), joy (joy)! (3x)

Refrain
Down in my heart (clap, clap)
Down in my heart (clap, clap)
Down in my heart to stay,
Down in my heart to        repeat
stay.          

2.       I've got the love… (3x)

Refrain

3.       I've got the light… (3x)

Refrain

4.       I've got the joy! (3x)

Words traditional, Arranged and Music; Amy Grant
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Let’s Do Craft with Erin:

Welcome, come on in! Welcome to the craft room!

Today we’re going to make a stick friend! Or maybe if you want a fine-motor challenge, you’ll want to try making a tiny worry doll!

While you’re at camp your stick friend might be a friend to talk to if you’re feeling homesick. It’s something to take back home with you to remind you of your camp family! The most important thing you’re going to need is your stick! So, if you have brought you’re stick found on the ground, that’s great, or you may find something inside your craft space like craft sticks, or if you want to make something very small, toothpicks. The other thing you’re going to need is things to wrap around the stick.

As you can see from my example, I’ve used yarn and lace. You might have fabric pieces, pipe cleaners or felt… anything you have around that you could use to decorate by wrapping around the sticks. Permanent markers, googly eyes, and glue might be other helpful tools to have around.

So, I’ll show you how I made my stick person; I’ve got another one here to make a friend. What I’ve done is used a marker to drawn on a face and I’ve used a pipe cleaner to make some arms. I think this time I’ll start with some fabric. So I’ve got some fabric strips here and I’ll start by wrapping it around the stick. I’m not gluing it on - I’m going to keep it simple and just wrap the fabric around to hold it in place.

I think I want a little bit more. I’ll just keep wrapping, covering over where the last piece ended to hold it in place. Now I’ll change it up and grab some yarn, and use that. Again, I’m not glueing it, I’m just going to wrap it over the place where the fabric ended and just keep wrapping down the stick. I might want to add some legs with another pipe cleaner or just leave it. I can just cut the yarn and wrap it around itself and tie a knot; no need for glue.

Alright, I think now I want to add a hat. I’ve got a little piece of felt here that I can put on top and a little loop of thread to put around and tighten it up. Ta-da! A nice partner for my first stick buddy!

If you want to make something very small, what I’ve done here is used toothpicks broken up into smaller pieces. Put 2 of them together for the legs, and a third in the middle for the body and I would start wrapping in the middle, using something like embroidery floss. Wrap around to attach the body and the leg pieces, then perhaps changing colours, and you go up to wrap around the sticks for the arms. So that is what I did. Then you can add hair or other details with little pieces of floss that I glued on.

I can’t wait to see what you’ve made! I hope you’ll share them with all of us at church so we can enjoy your cool creations!

Song:  Shout for God - Voices United #246

1
Shout for God (Shout for God!)
Make a happy sound!
(Make a happy sound!)
Clap for God! (Clap for God!)
God is all around! (God is all around!)

2
Hush for God! (Hush for God!)
Let the quiet sing. (Let the quiet sing.)
Wait for God. (Wait for God.)
Deepest feelings bring.
(Deepest feelings bring.)

3
Sing for God! (Sing for God!)
Sing a pleasant song.
(Sing a pleasant song.)
Work for God. (Work for God.)
Good replaces wrong.
(Good replaces wrong.)

4
Praise our God! (Praise our God!)
Care for all God’s friends!
(Care for all God’s friends!)
Love our God! (Love our God!)
God’s love never ends!
(God’s love never ends!)

Words © 1984 Walter Farquharson,  Music © 1985 Ron Klusmeier,  Hope Publishing Co.
Song #80462 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved.

Nature Walk / Turkey Hunt with Abe

Slap your knees like you’re marching and repeat after me:

We’re goin’ on a turkey hunt (We’re goin’ on a turkey hunt)
We’re gonna catch a big one (We’re gonna catch a big one)
I’m not afraid (I’m not afraid)
I’ve got my camera (and binoculars) … 

Hymn:  “I’m Gonna Shout, Shout” – More Voices #183

I’m gonna shout, shout, shout out my love for Jesus, for Jesus!
I’m gonna shout, shout, shout out my love for God’s most holy child!
For whatever I might do today, at home, at school, at work, at play,
I’ve got Jesus’ love deep down inside of me! 

I’m gonna raise, raise, raise up my hands for Jesus, for Jesus!
I’m gonna raise, raise, raise up my hands for God’s most holy child!
For whatever I might do today, at home, at school, at work, at play,
I’ve got Jesus’ love deep down inside of me! 

I’m gonna dance, dance, dance all around for Jesus, for Jesus!
I’m gonna dance, dance, dance all around for God’s most holy child!
For whatever I might do today, at home, at school, at work, at play,
I’ve got Jesus’ love deep down inside of me!

Words & Music © 1998 Bruce Harding        www.evensong.ca
Song # 121969 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved 

Writing Camping Prayers       Kim

I am so glad we’re having this Camping Sunday! You see, I love camping and I have many camping memories growing up as a child and as a teenager. Camping is a great way to re-connect with each other through a shared experience. Sharing the same tent, or a Recreational Vehicle, or a cabin has a way of uniting and strengthening friendships and family bonds.

Having activities together like hiking, eating, biking, orienteering, exploring nature, worshipping together or campfire events make camping so much fun and a relaxing activity. Camping helps us to get away from the stresses of work, school, and technology and to focus on relationships and connections and our faith as well.

One of the things I really love about camping is the spiritual component that takes place before mealtimes, at the beginning of the day and before bedtime. I’m sure you must have heard of this famous line: “A family that prays together, stays forever!” or “Friends that pray together remain connected forever!” Camping for sure, glues us together like a family. We become siblings and bosom friends.

Do you remember those songs or prayers that we sing or rap before we eat together?
I remember singing Johnny Appleseed or the Superman Grace or what about the famous God is Great and God is good “repeat after me” grace with some “we will rock you” tapping and clapping? It goes like this and I’d like you to repeat after me:

“God is great… God is good…
And we thank God…for this food…

By God’s grace…must all be fed…
Give us God…our daily bread… Ah-men…” 

Today, we will write our own version of this grace.
I wrote mine and here’s what I came up with:  

God is awesome, God is fun.
And we thank God for hotdogs and buns.
By God’s love, must all be nourished.
Thank you God for our food to eat. Amen.

Here’s what I’d like you to do. Write your own version of this prayer by simply filling in the blanks.  Don’t worry if your words don’t rhyme. The important thing is - you have put together your thoughts and what you’d like to pray for. Remember to have fun!

Try writing it yourself!

God is ______, God is _______.
And we thank God for _______.
By God’s _____ must all be ______.
_______ God _________. Amen. 

The other prayer that is close to my heart is the famous Psalm 23rd. In my camping days as a youth in the Philippines, we always close the day by reciting Psalm 23rd followed by the singing of “taps”. This Psalm talks about God as our Shepherd. I’ll read to you this Psalm taken from the NRSV of the Bible. Join me in reciting it if you wish:

Praying Psalm 23 – The Lord Is My Shepherd (NRSV)

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2  He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
3  he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—
they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
my whole life long.

Now I challenge you to write your own version of this Psalm. I know it might be a bit difficult for some of you but if you do this activity as a family, or with someone you might be surprised how you can come up with a beautiful version of this timeless Psalm.

A few nights ago, I wrote my own version of this Psalm and this will be our closing prayer.
Let us pray:

Kim’s Version of Psalm 23:

God is my Wise Teacher;
all my learnings will be met.
God gives me knowledge and wisdom,
and encourages me to act out my faith,
that heals and transforms the world.
God journeys with me in search for truth.
Sometimes I fail and stumble and walk through difficult challenges,
but I will not be discouraged, for I know a better tomorrow will come.
God’s resilience will be my inspiration. God’s faithfulness, my strength.
God will not give up on me, even in my moments of doubting and searching.
God’s Spirit empowers me – I am richly blessed beyond measure.
Intelligence, perception, insight, and understanding
shall follow me each day of my life.
And I will find enlightenment with my Wise Teacher forever. Amen.

Lighting the Campfire:

Fire’s burning, fire’s burning!
Draw nearer, draw nearer!
In the gloaming, in the gloaming,
Come sing and be merry.

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Hymn: It Only Takes a Spark (Pass it On) - Voices United #289

1.      It only takes a spark to get a fire going,
and soon all those around
can warm up in its glowing:
That’s how it is with God’s love,
once you’ve experienced it:
you spread God’s love to everyone,
you want to pass it on.

2.      What a wondrous time is spring
When all the trees are budding,
The birds begin to sing,
The flowers start their blooming;
That’s how it is with God’s love,
Once you’ve experienced it:
You want to sing,
It’s fresh like spring,
You want to pass it on.

3.    I wish for you, my friend,
this happiness that I’ve found
on God you can depend,
it matters not where you’re bound;
I’ll shout it from the mountain top;
I want my world to know:
The Lord of love has come to me,
I want to pass it on.

Words & Music © 1969 Kurt Kaiser  Song # lca-2013-03, 
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Learning Songs with Erin: Jesus Loves Me Rock

Jesus loves me this I know
for the Bible tells me so,
little ones to him belong
in his love they will grow strong.

Singing
Na na na na na na na na na Whoo!
Na na na na na na na na na (2X) 

Sing about his love,
His love is what we sing about
Sing about his love,
His love is what we sing. (repeat)

Singing
Na na na na na na na na na Whoo!
Na na na na na na na na na (2X) 

Yes, Jesus loves me (clap, clap)
       (2X)
Yes, Jesus loves me,
the Bible tells me so

Jesus loves me when I'm good,
when I do the things I should.
Jesus loves me when I'm bad,
even though it makes him sad.

Singing
Na na na na na na na na na Whoo!
Na na na na na na na na na (2X) 

Sing about his love,
His love is what we sing about
Sing about his love,
His love is what we sing. (repeat)

Singing
Na na na na na na na na na Whoo!
Na na na na na na na na na (2X) 

Yes, Jesus loves me (clap, clap)
           (2X)
Yes, Jesus loves me,
the Bible tells me so

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Love Round

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and
all your soul, and all your mind, and
love all humankind as you would love yourself

Love…… The Lord your God….. With all your Heart…..
And all your soul and mind and love all humankind.

We’ve got Christian lives to live, We’ve got Jesus love to give,
We’re got nothing to hide because in God we abide.
Love.

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Storytime with Lorrie

As a child, I loved going to camp and I really liked the evening tradition of campfire with its songs and skits and stories. It was a special time with friends, old and new, a sort of celebration of all the great things we had done together during the day. I wish we could all be together today to do something like that, but since that’s not possible, we’ll do our best to recreate that experience virtually today.

This is the day we would traditionally celebrate the end of our regular Sunday School and Youth programs for the summer. It’s a time to thank all of the people who helped out and we’d celebrate our successes. Most of all we’d celebrate all of the kids in our church family. We want you to know how important you are to all of us. I hope you know just how much life you add to the life of our church – the learning and the work we do in our mission to make the world a better place. You are our inspiration, and our hope for the future. You may think your voices are small, but you carry more weight than you know.

Let me tell you a story. Imagine that we are sitting around a campfire. This is a traditional tale from the book “One Hundred Wisdom Stories From Around the World” by Margaret Silf, and it’s called “How Much Does a Snowflake Weigh?”

It was deep winter and the snow was falling steadily upon the hillside.

A tiny mouse crept out of its hole for a little break in its long winter sleep. Drowsily, the little mouse looked around and twitched its whiskers, and would have gone back to sleep inside its hole, had not a tiny voice echoed from somewhere out there in the white winter world: “Hello, little mouse. Can’t you sleep?”

The mouse looked around and caught sight of a tiny bird sitting shivering on a bare branch just overhead. “Hello Jenny Wren,” said the mouse, pleased to find some company on this bleak day. “I just came up for a bit of air before I go back to sleep for the rest of the winter.”

But it was so good to find company that, for a while, the mouse and the wren sat there together, huddled beneath the lowest branches of a pine tree, watching the snow falling and enjoying a little congenial conversation.

“So, how much do you think a snowflake weighs?” the mouse asked the wren suddenly.

“A snowflake weighs almost nothing,” the wren replied. “A snowflake is so insignificant, it carries almost no weight at all. How could you possibly weigh a snowflake?”

“Oh, I disagree,” said the mouse. “In fact, I can tell you that last winter, around this time, I woke up from my winter dreaming and came out here for a breath of fresh air, and because I had no companions and nothing better to do, I sat here, counting the snowflakes as they fell. I watched them settling on these branches and covering the pine needles with a blanket of whiteness. I got as far as two million, four hundred and ninety-two thousand, three hundred and fifty-nine. And then – when the very next snowflake fell and settled on the branch – the branch dropped right down to the ground and all the snow slid off it! So, you see, just that one last snowflake weighed enough to make the branch sink down and all the snow slide off. So a snowflake does weigh something. It does make a difference!”

The wren, who was only a tiny little bird herself and didn’t think she had much influence on the great big world around her, pondered for a long time over the mouse’s story. “Perhaps,” she thought to herself, “it really is true that just one little voice can make a difference.”

Let’s finish with a little prayer:
Thank you, God, For my voice, no matter how small it may seem,

And thank you for the people in my church family who know that
I have important things to say. Amen.

Roll Over the Ocean

1. It's me, it's me, it's me who builds community (3x)
It's me who builds community (clap, clap, clap)

2.  It's you...   3.  It's love...  4.  It's Christ...

Chorus
Roll over the ocean, roll over the sea,
Roll over the ocean in the deep blue sea (Hey!)
Roll over the ocean, roll over the sea,
Go and do your part and build community.

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Sung Lord’s Prayer:  Erin leading

Our Father,  (Our Father)
Who art in heaven,  (Who art in heaven),
Hallowed be thy name,   (Hallowed be thy name),
Thy kin-dom come,  (Thy kin-dom come),
Thy will be done,  (Thy will be done),
On Earth as it is in heaven, (On Earth as it is in heaven).
Give us this day our daily bread,   (Give us this day our daily bread),
And forgive us all our trespasses, (And forgive us all our trespasses),
As we forgive those who trespass against us, (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, (For thine is the kin-dom),
The power and the glory, (The power and the glory),
Forever and ever, (Forever and ever),
Ah-ah-men, (Ah-ah-men)
Ah-Ah-men

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Offering Invitation              Lorrie

Jesus said, “Bring the little children to me.” We know that he understood the importance of nurturing them as they grow, and we are all called to offer that same love and support to the children and youth of the world today. One small way we do this is to offer our gifts of time, talent, and resources so that the ministry of this church can help to build the kind of community that makes this possible. If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offerings and donations, you can drop them in the mail slot by the kitchen door of the church, mail them to BCUC, or donate by e-transfer. As always, we thank you for your continued love and support to the work of Bells Corners United Church.

Offertory Prayer

Creator God, On this day we celebrate the children and youth in our church family;

We celebrate all those who love them, nurture them, and help them grow as your people in the world. Bless our offerings of time, talents and treasures that they may be used to ensure that all of your children, young and old feel the joy, support, and love they need to enjoy life to the fullest. In the name of the one who reminds us of the important role of children in our faith journey, we pray. Amen.

Sending Forth    Kim             Susumcamp.org – Worship Ideas for Sunday Camping Service

Now may God, who brought you here,
tune up your ears for hearing,
open your eyes for seeing,
clear your sinuses for smelling,
cleanse your palate for tasting,
and open your mind for imagining.
The living God calls you to live “radically different”
each day of your lives. Amen!

Taps

Day is done, gone the sun
From the lakes, from the hills, from the sky
All is well, safely rest God is nigh.

Departing Music: Praise the Mother, Praise the Father Too     

Praise the Mother praise the Father too
Praise the Lord of all and the source of you
Praise the River ever flowing through
To the ocean of who we are.
repeat 

Hey ma-ma hey-ya,
um-bay, um-bay    (4X)

Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved 

“Alright guys, Lights out, time to go to sleep!”

 Zoom Fellowship – 11 am

[1] Jen Fletcher-Power, All in the Same Boat Camping Sunday, UCC Website.

Sunday Worship Service - June 6, 2021

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

2nd SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

June 6, 2021

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: My Love Colours Outside the Lines – More Voices #138   BCUC band

(also requested by Barb & David)

1 My love colours outside the lines,
exploring paths that few could ever find;
and takes me into places  
where I’ve never been before,
and opens doors to worlds outside the lines. 

2 My Lord colours outside the lines,
turns wounds to blessings, water into wine;
and takes me into places
where I’ve never been before
and opens doors to worlds outside the lines.

Bridge:  We’ll never walk on water
if we’re not prepared to drown, body and soul need a soaking from time to time.
And we’ll never move the grave-stones
if we’re not prepared to die, and realize
there are worlds outside the lines. 

3, 4 My soul longs to colour outside the lines,
tear back the curtains, sun, come in and shine;
I want to walk beyond the boundaries
where I’ve never been before, throw open doors
to worlds outside the lines.   Bridge

Words and Music © 1995 Gordon Light; arr. © Andrew Donaldson           Common Cup Company
Song #119027 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved 

Acknowledgement of 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 morning! On behalf of Bells Corners United Church, I welcome and greet you in the name of Jesus Christ on this second Sunday after Pentecost. I’m glad that you can join us in our virtual worship time of contemplation, prayers and reflection.

As we continue to be on stay-at-home order, please be reminded that the work of the church carries on. 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 to keep you informed and give you opportunities to respond.

Friends, I now invite you to open your hearts to God’s healing love and justice as we gather in worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle     Acolytes:  Bob & Ellen Boynton

The light is all around us –
a sign of the season for us as God’s people.

The flame of this Christ candle reminds us
of the beauty and presence of the light
that paints the sky, bathes the land
and brightens our path.
Thanks be to the Creator for fire and sun,
for flame and symbol, for the light of Christ.

Peter Chynoweth, Gathering, Pentecost 1 2021 (Year B). Used with permission 

Sung Response: Spirit of the Living God  -  Voices United #376 – Quartet with flute: Erin

Spirit of the Living God, Fall afresh on us.
Spirit of the Living God, Fall afresh on us.
Break us, melt us, mold us, fill us.
Spirit of the Living God, Fall afresh on us. 

Words & Music © 1926 v.1 Daniel Iverson, arr. © 1987 Darryl Nixon.
Song # FBC-A003716 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved.

Call to Gather & Prayer of Approach           Rev. Lorrie Lowes

If you are carrying the stresses and strains of living in a complex world,
if you feel at times like God has abandoned you,
find the heartbeat of God in our gathering within divine mystery.
If you are puzzled by the choices of your neighbours
or family members make, if you are wondering
how to make your own choices with so many options,
come and discover the voice of Christ
speaking to our hearts of wholeness. 

Come to commune with God within us, God beyond us,
And God among us, reaching into restorative relationship
With the Holy One in prayer:
Powerful Spirit, who breathes us into freedom
And insight, guide us on the Way of Jesus that we find zeal
for faithfulness; enflame our trust in you
that we become proclaimers of good news;
and strengthen us for the challenge of your call
and the price for loving. Amen.

Gord Dunbar, Gathering, Pentecost 1 2021 (Year B). Used with permission 

Hymn: It’s A Song of Praise to the Maker - More Voices #30 -  BCUC choir

1.       It’s a song of praise to the Maker,
the thrush sings high in the tree.
It’s a song of praise to the Maker,
The gray whale sings in the sea,

Refrain

And by the Spirit you and I
can join our voice to the holy cry
and sing, sing, sing to the Maker too. 

2.       It’s a call of life to the Giver
when waves and waterfalls roar.
It’s a call of life to the Giver
when high tides break on the shore R 

3.       It’s a hymn of love to the Lover;
the bumblebees hum along.
It’s a hymn of love to the Lover,
the summer breeze joins the song R

4.       It’s the chorus of all creation;
it’s sung by all living things.
It’s the chorus of all creation;
a song the universe sings R

Words © 1992 Ruth Duck GIA Pub, Music © 1992 Ron Klusmeier  Hope Pub
Song # 88477 & 30221,  Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved 

Storytime                   Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Good Morning.

Can you imagine someone coming to your house and taking you away from your family? Can you imagine you just having to go with them even though your parents cried, and you had to leave everything behind? Can you imagine being taken to a school hours and hours away from your home and left there with hundreds of other kids, with teachers who didn’t speak your language or even dress like you? How would you feel? Scared, sad, angry, upset? I’m sure I would. It’s hard to imagine that anything like this could really happen, especially in a country like Canada, but it did.

I usually like to start my Time for the Young at Heart with something cheery and upbeat, but this week the news of the terrible discovery on the grounds of the Kamloops Indian Residential School has made me very sad. Back in history, beginning when Canada was a young country, First Nations Children were sent to Residential Schools. They were far away from home so the children had to sleep there. These schools were created by the Canadian Government and the Christian churches in Canada to make those children more like the European settlers. The children were taught English culture and the English language. They were not allowed to speak their native language or wear their own clothes. Brothers and sisters were not allowed to speak to each other. The teachers wanted the kids to forget all about their homes and culture so that they would be less like their own families and more like them. Because the schools were so far from their homes, the children didn’t get to see their parents often and when they did, they had trouble talking to them because their parents didn’t speak English and the children had lost much of their own language. The schools were crowded and the children weren’t taken care of in the way a loving family would. A Residential School was not a happy place to be. These schools caused a lot of problems for our First Nations people that are still being felt today.

All the residential schools are closed now and we know that they were a terrible idea. The schools are closed but the problems they caused have not gone away. There is a lot of work that needs to be done to repair the damage and to heal the relationship between the First Nations people and rest of Canadian society.

The news this week has made people very sad. So many children who were sent to Residential schools never got to go home again. Until this mass grave was found, their families held on to the hope that they were alive and safe somewhere. Now that hope is gone and they are grieving.

Just a couple of weeks ago I talked to you about how important a loving family is for all of us. Even when children – or people of any age – need to be separated from their families for some reason, we know that they still need people around them who love them and care for them in the way a family should. We talk about our congregation as a family and we talk about loving all people as God’s family. Right now, members of our family are hurting and we are all being called to show them love and care.

It's hard to know sometimes what to do to show that love. I think in the case of the indigenous people, the best thing we can do now is to listen to their stories and to learn more about their experience and their culture. We have a lot to learn from them about loving all of God’s creation. Jesus may not have met them when he was teaching so long ago, but they understand his message of love for your neighbour. It is a central part of their culture and their spirituality. They clearly understand that your neighbour includes all living things and the earth itself.

Our church, the United Church of Canada, was the first to apologize to the First Nations people about the way they were treated and for the terrible experience of the Residential Schools, and we can be proud of that. But saying, “We’re sorry” is just the beginning of the journey to making things better. It doesn’t make the hurt go away. We need to show that we don’t want something like this to ever happen again. Our next steps are to listen and to learn. We need to be ready to show our love for each other in real ways, not just in words.

For me, the hardest thing to understand about all of what happened, is the fact that people thought it was okay to treat children in such a cruel way. I can’t imagine how anyone thought this was a good idea as a way to give them a better life. It makes no sense to me at all.

Where I see the most hope today is in your faces – the faces of all children who are growing up here in Canada. When I was a child, I never heard about Residential Schools, even though they were still open. But we have all heard the stories now and we all have the opportunity to do a better job of being friends - and family – to those around us, even if they seem to be different from us. Every child, every person, deserves to feel loved and special. It is what God wants for the world. I promise to work hard at this and I hope you will too. I hope that you keep reminding us all that everyone deserves the kind of love that Jesus taught.

Let’s finish with a prayer:

Creator God, We pray for the children who were in the Indian Residential Schools and we pray for their families and everyone who loved them. Help us be the loving family that will help to heal the deep hurts that are being felt today. Amen

Hymn:   Teach Me, God, to Wonder - Voices United #299 – BCUC music team

1. Teach me, God, to wonder,
teach me, God, to see;
let your world of beauty capture me.

Refrain:
Praise to you be gi-ven,
love for you you be lived,
life be celebrated, joy you give. 

2. Let me, God, be open, Let me loving be;
Let your world of people speak to me. R 

3.Let me, God, be ready, let me be awake,
in your world of loving my place take. R 

4. Teach me, God, to know you,
hear you when you speak,
see you in my neighbour when we meet. R.

Words © 1973 Walter Farquharson, Music © 1974 Ron Klusmeier Arr. 1987 Gerald Hobbs
Song # 80492 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination[1]            Reader: Marion Dugas

Gracious God, take the words I will speak and bless them.
Take the listening we will bring to the Word
and empower our reflection with action. Amen.

The Gospel Reading: Mark 3:1-6 (Common English Bible)

Jesus Heals a Man with a Withered Hand

1 Jesus returned to the synagogue. A man with a withered hand was there. 
2 Wanting to bring charges against Jesus, they were watching Jesus closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. 
3 He said to the man with the withered hand, “Step up where people can see you.” 
4 Then he said to them, “Is it legal on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they said nothing.
5 Looking around at them with anger, deeply grieved at their unyielding hearts, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he did, and his hand was made healthy. 
6 At that, the Pharisees got together with the supporters of Herod to plan how to destroy Jesus.

May God’s wisdom give us understanding as we ponder on this Gospel story.
Thanks be to God!

Sermon:      “Stretch Out Your Hand”       Rev. Kim Vidal

It was Sabbath day. And for a devout Jewish man like Jesus, Sabbath is a day he would never miss. On this particular Sabbath, the Pharisees were watching Jesus to see whether he would break a Sabbath law. A man with a withered hand was there. We don’t know for sure if he was a regular member of the synagogue or perhaps he was invited by the Pharisees to trap Jesus. But the man caught Jesus’ attention. This nameless man has been suffering with a withered hand for so many years. Mark didn’t tell us if the man’s condition was a result from severe arthritis or rheumatism. Or perhaps he had hand atrophy - a condition that causes the muscles of the hand to deteriorate and wither away. When the hand is immobile for an extended period of time, the muscles begin to lose power and size. Can you imagine what life would be like if your hand was immobile and crippled? Your hand is wasted – you can’t do a lot of things – be it gardening, playing your favourite sport or playing a musical instrument - no writing or computer games, no baking or cooking, you get the picture - life could get pretty limited, boring and so unpleasant if that's all we had of the world.

When Jesus saw him – this man with a withered hand was probably in the back corner. He doesn’t want to be noticed and kept covering his withered, crippled hand like a big bad secret that he had kept for so many years. But Jesus called the man to come forward. You can feel the tension in the room when everyone gazed at the man and waited for Jesus to do his next act. Jesus raised some questions directed to his onlookers –to those who apply strict religious observance of the Sabbath: “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save life or to kill?” But no response came from any of the religious men. They were silent. There is nothing more dreadful when looking at someone’s misery and remaining silent. Silence speaks very loudly when it comes to the pains of a hurting human being.

The man perhaps was surprised too. I wonder if it made him very nervous. I wonder if he truly wanted to be noticed or felt very uncomfortable to be seen. He was used to being invisible. He was after all, a man with a physical disability. When the people in his village saw him coming down the street, they didn't say, "Here comes Joseph or Thomas." They said, "Here comes that man with a withered hand." That's how he was known — not by his name nor his family history nor what he does for a living. He was known by labels: the crippled man, the handicapped man, the one whose hand looks different from us, the "man with a withered hand." But in that moment of encounter, he could not even understand the healing that was coming to him in the person of Jesus, the healer.

In front of the scrutinizers, Jesus did something that I'm sure no one had done to him for a long, long time - something that violated the religious custom of the day. Jesus healed the man on a Sabbath day. Jesus asked the man to stretch his hand and the man’s withered hand was restored to health! His hand was freed from its physical state of bondage. In the first century world where Jesus and the man lived, having any physical deformity was a curse – a result of being sinful. The man’s condition was viewed as God’s punishment for something he or his parents had done. Just like the blind Bartimaeus or the bent-over woman or the hemorrhaging woman. He was deemed to be not only physically withered but spiritual as well. I can easily imagine myself as a spiritual cripple if I had suffered physical deformities like he had. In essence, he had lost not only his dignity and self-worth but his humanity as well. He suffered a condition of spiritual emptiness. If people thought about him at all, it was probably with scorn, seeing him as cursed. If this story was made into a movie, you might think that the climax had come unfolding into a happy ending when the man’s withered hand was restored to health. But to our surprise, a twist in the story was about to unfold. Jesus’ compassion and act of love for this man with a withered hand provoked anger and outburst from the religious leaders of the synagogue. Mark writes: “The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the supporters of Herod to plan how to destroy or kill Jesus”

It was the inappropriate timing of Jesus’ healing that ignited the religious leaders’ anger. Afraid to confront Jesus directly, they were enraged that Jesus had violated the fourth commandment by "working" on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:9 and Deuteronomy 5:12–15). I’d like to imagine that in that moment of anger, the leader of the Pharisees stood up and addressed the assembly: 'Folks, we are here to worship God, to offer praise and prayers and to read and listen to God's words. We are not here to do works of healing. This is Sabbath – a day of rest. Couldn't Jesus have waited just one day to do his healing business when the Sabbath would be over? And for you, man with a withered hand and those of you who are here, come and be healed on those other days not on the Sabbath." In today’s context, this story makes no sense. We offer healing or any other help as the need arises. But let me explain here that we do an injustice to the Pharisees if we write them off completely as bad people. You see, they were good people—it was their duty to preserve and protect those things that were sacred for them— laws, rituals, traditions, culture — that mediated faith for them. Don’t we do exactly the same thing when we hold fast to our favourite worship practices, our cherished spiritual disciplines, and our beloved traditions? I like what Debie Thomas has to say about this: “The Pharisees were not wrong to uphold the Sabbath. They were absolutely right. But rightness is not love. Rightness is not compassion. Rightness will never get us to Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath. Only compassion will do that.”

Jesus challenges the Pharisaic law. Jesus explodes at their human callousness and their hypocrisy. I understood this reaction of Jesus as vouching that human compassion, healing, and wholeness are far more important than religious rightness and rituals. In the first few verses prior to this story, Mark wrote about Jesus presenting his arguments about the meaning of Sabbath. Jesus said to his listeners:

“Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry

and in need of food? He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.” Then Jesus continued with this aphorism, “The Sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the Sabbath.” For Jesus, compassion and love would not wait one more day to heal a human being in need. This man, says Jesus, is a beloved child of God. He is part of humanity and blessing for the whole world. He is not the man with a withered hand. He belongs to God’s human family. He shall not be put aside, ignored and labelled to keep him in his place. He will be restored to wholeness.

I imagine, more than anything else, the thrill, the joy felt by the man after being healed of his withered hand. And I imagine that he run back to his family and friends, or whatever village, or perhaps whatever community, he belongs and celebrated his healing experience. He felt free. He felt his hand like a new part of his body.  He was made human once more. Can you imagine how the man felt at that moment? No more numbness of fingers and weakness of muscles. No more having to hide his hand from people. No more ostracism and rejection from the community. He was made whole again!

Dan Clendenin writes: “When religious rituals like Sabbath-keeping and fasting — or our Bible studies, sermons, church attendance, and retreats — are divorced from human health and wholeness, whenever a believer "turns away from others, your own flesh and blood" (Is. 58:7), then our religion has gone very bad indeed. Conversely, when you care for your neighbor like you would care for your own self, you have fulfilled the deepest purposes of all religious rituals.”[2] . If we are called to follow Jesus and to love the way Jesus loved, it's clear then that this story gives us a model of what it means to be the living church - the Body of Christ - not just on Sundays but every single day of our lives.

Mark says that Jesus was deeply grieved at the callousness of the religious leaders. Jesus lamented their unyielding hearts. What is our response as the body of Christ when we encounter the man with the withered hand? Must we yield our hearts to respond? Should we wait a day or two to show our compassion and love? Or should we act here and now as Jesus did that Sabbath morning? I’m sure most of us had the occasion to encounter the man with a withered hand. And there are so many of him in our community or even in our congregation that sometimes we easily ignore. Let me describe him:

- He could be a patient suffering from Covid-19. He is there, in the hospital’s ICU, fighting for his life and longing for to be healed.
- He could be the new immigrant wanting to learn how to speak English so he could earn a living to feed his family. He is there, in our cities and our neighborhoods, longing for people to recognize him.
- He could be a young teenager suffering from identity crisis and being bullied at school for being different. He is there, alone in the night, longing for acceptance from his loved ones and peers.
- He could be a woman suffering from depression and mental illness, stigmatized by the lack of support from the community. She is waiting for us to journey with her in her condition.

At some point in our lives, we too, were like him - withered and shriveled and wasted over by loneliness, or grief, or depression or illness.

The indigenous community was crippled and withered not on their own doing but because of colonialism and racial apathy. The residential schools that were run by the Christian churches and supported by the government, stripped the indigenous peoples, particularly children, of their culture, their language, their spirituality, and uprooted them from their land, families and homes. This past week was very difficult for many of us as we listened and learned with shock and grief about the 215 remains of indigenous children found in the grounds of Kamloops Residential School. This news starkly portrayed the deeply ingrained atrocities inflicted by the Residential Schools upon the indigenous peoples. God is deeply grieved in our unyielding hearts. We need to be more vigilant and do something about this issue. We must act now and listen to their stories and work for truth and reconciliation.

Today, compassionate healing love calls us over. God is calling us to a work of completing and bringing together that which has been started by Jesus. This is our calling – to call forth those who are hurting and in pain – to find a way to listen to their stories and learn their names. But we do not stop there. Concrete action is needed. We do whatever it takes to offer healing, life and wholeness.

Jesus taught us that the most important thing is not the correct enactment of a ritual or religious law, but the spontaneous answer to the cry of human need, any time and any place. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Prayers of the People & the Lord’s Prayer         Rev. Kim Vidal

Let us gather our hearts in prayer.

Here in this moment and place, O God, we come to you. We are yours in the silence of our being. We are filled with new awareness of your great love and compassion. Prayerfully, we come to hear your word and celebrate the Gospel which makes us new beings. Like the powerful story of compassionate healing shown by Jesus, empower us to become compassionate healers to friends and strangers alike.

God of tender care, we pray with those who are praying. We join the spoken and silent prayers that come to you from our community in Bells Corners and the nearby communities; from our homes and street corners; from places of sorrow and joy; from war zones and prison cells, from hospital rooms and festive tables, from voices throughout the world. With bowed heads or heads held high, standing boldly, sitting or kneeling quietly, we pray to you in earnest gratitude. We ask for your guidance and rest in your comfort.

God of justice, we pray for those who are crying for help; for those of us whose bodies and spirits need healing from you. We pray for women and men who seek love and support from others; for children who sleep in hunger; for all who are imprisoned by walls or worries, for all those who are hopeless because they feel rejected or in the midst of grieving. For those whose bodies and spirits are withered because of illness or injustice.

Today, we pray for all who are grieving the death of the 215 indigenous children whose remains were discovered in Kamloops Residential School. We remember the indigenous communities especially the residential school survivors in their struggles to share their stories. Nudge us to listen and to act. Remind us that the heartbreaking impact of the residential schools put upon the indigenous communities resulted to genocide, family dysfunction, cultural uprootedness, chronic and infectious diseases, mental illnesses, substance abuse and suicidal behaviours, particularly among the young people. Let me offer this blessing of peace written by Jan Richardson to our indigenous brothers and sisters in their continuing struggle for truth and reconciliation: I cannot claim/ to still the storm/ that has seized you, cannot calm/ the waves that wash through your soul, that break against your fierce and aching heart. But I will wade into these waters/ will stand with you in this storm, will say peace to you / in the waves, peace to you / in the winds, peace to you / in every moment that finds you still within the storm.

For your steadfast love and goodness to us, we give you thanks O God, our Refuge. Hear this our common prayer and those of our hearts which we offer. These we pray in the name of Jesus Christ who taught us this ancient prayer we now recite together:

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.

Invitation to Offer               Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Jesus felt tender compassion for the suffering people he met and taught us to do the same. This day, you and I are called to respond to Jesus’ example to offer healing, love and compassion as the need arises. Let us offer our gifts of time, talents and treasures so that the ministry of this church will be a growing, vibrant witness to God’s healing love. If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offering and donations, you can drop them in the mailbox 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

Gracious God, we offer the work of our hands and our hearts, our time and talents, our commitment with joy and generous spirits. Bless these gifts to heal our community and the world of its pain. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Sending Forth Rev. Kim Vidal  

Bob Root, Gathering, Pentecost 1 2018 Year B. Used with permission
And now, in the care of our healing God, we go,
thankful for a love that knows neither beginning nor ending;
grateful for a hope that gives us courage to live day by day.

May we go out with joy, sure of our place in the good heart of God.
May we go out to be a blessing to a world so in need of God’s care
that only we can give. Amen.

Hymn:  Like A Healing Stream - More Voices #144 – Erin Berard

1.Like a healing stream in a barren desert,
Spirit water bringing life to dusty earth,
God is trickling through our lives
as in a dream unfolding,
promising revival and rebirth
like a healing stream.

2.Like a gentle rain on a thirsty garden,
Spirit water come to nourish tiny seed,
God is bubbling through the soil
to coax a new creation
yearning for an end to want and need
like a gentle rain. 

3.Like a river strong with a restless current,
Spirit water rushing on to distant shore,
God is carving out a channel
in a new direction,
calling for an end to hate and war
like a river strong. 

4.Like a mighty sea reaching far horizons,
Spirit water with a love both deep and wide,
God is working in our hearts
to shape a new tomorrow:
God will always challenge and provide!
Like a mighty sea… like a river strong…
like a gentle rain… like a healing stream.

Words and Music © 2003 Bruce Harding
Song #118517 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music: Without Seeing You, We Love You – David Haas              soloist & recorders: Erin Berard

Paraphrase of 1 Peter 1: 8       This haunting piece was written as a Communion song for the funeral of the composer’s brother-in-law, who died after a long struggle with AIDS. The composer felt a strong sense of not being able to ‘see’ his friend after his death. It is a positive statement of the strength of connection that can be found with God and with others, even in the absence of physical presence.

Refrain:

Without seeing you we love you.
Without touching you we embrace.
Without knowing you we follow.
Without seeing you we believe.

1.We return to you deep within,
Leave the past to the dust.
Turn to you with tears and fasting,
You are ready to forgive. (Refrain)

2.The sparrow will find a home
Near to you oh God.
How happy we who dwell with you,
For ever in your house. (Refrain)

3.For ever we sing to you
Of your goodness, O God;
Proclaiming to all the world
Of your faithfulness and love. (Refrain)

4.For you are our shepherd
There is nothing that we need.
In green pastures we will find our way,
In waters of peace. (Refrain)

Words and Music © 1993 David Haas, GIA publications
Song #00189   Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Zoom Fellowship – 11 am

[1] David Sparks, Gathering, Pentecost 1 2018 (Year B). Used with permission.

[2] Dan Clendenin, “He Put His Hands on Her”, http://www.journeywithjesus.net

Sunday Worship Service - May 30, 2021

 BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

TRINITY SUNDAY

May 30, 2021

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:   Arrival of the Queen of Sheba – Handel (abridged with organ this time)

Welcome & Centering for Worship       Rev. Kim Vidal

Good morning! On behalf of Bells Corners United Church, I welcome and greet you in the name of the Triune God: Creator, Christ and Comforter on this Trinity Sunday. Thank you for joining us in our virtual worship service today.

We are grateful for the Rev. Dr. Karen Boivin who will lead us in the time for the young at heart. Please make sure you have some pens and paper handy as you will need them during the story time.

As we continue to be on stay-at-home order, please be reminded that the work of the church carries on. 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 to keep you informed and give you opportunities to respond.

Friends, on this Trinity Sunday, may we feel the presence of the One-in-Three and the Three-in-One, known to us in many ways. May God as Wisdom, Light and Presence come into our hearts as we gather in worship.

Lighting of the Three Candles[1]     Acolytes:  Davidson Family

We light a candle in the name of God the Creator,
who lit the world and breathed the breath of life for us. (First candle is lit.)
We light a candle in the name of Jesus the Son,
who transformed the world with love and justice. (Second candle is lit.)
We light a candle in the name of the Holy Spirit,
who encompasses the world and blesses our souls with yearning. (Third candle is lit.)

We light three lights for the trinity of love:
God above us, God beside us, God beneath us:
The beginning, the end, the everlasting one. 

Sung Response: Spirit of the Living God  -  Voices United #376 – Quartet with flute: Erin

Spirit of the Living God, Fall afresh on us.
Spirit of the Living God, Fall afresh on us.
Break us, melt us, mold us, fill us.
Spirit of the Living God, Fall afresh on us.

Words & Music © 1926 v.1 Daniel Iverson, arr. © 1987 Darryl Nixon.
Song # FBC-A003716 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved.

Call to Gather[2]     Erin Berard

In the holy name of God:
Father, Mother, Creator, Life-Giver,
we gather in this place.
In the holy name of Jesus the Christ:
Son, Redeemer, Teacher, Friend,
we gather to praise!
In the name of the Holy Spirit:
Comforter, Sustainer, Daily Guide, Wisdom,
we gather to worship!
In the holy name of the One who is Three,
and the Three in One,
we gather to celebrate new life!

Opening Prayer[3]

This Happy Communion

Holiest Mystery,
Community of Love,
Creator, Christ, Spirit,
Three in One,
You in Christ,
Christ in us,
and everywhere, Spirit,
connecting, caressing, cajoling
us into the image of wholeness
tattooed on the heart and the soul
of every living thing.
We are not alone,
never isolated except in the imagination
of our wounded hearts.
Christ abides in us and we in Her,
and the joy of this is why we sing,
and why we pray,
and why we take our place in this happy communion.
Thank you for this banquet of love,
this feast of joy,
this miracle of common purpose. Amen.

Hymn: Spirit, Open My Heart  - More Voices #79 - BCUC trio with violin: Leslie

Refrain

Spirit, open my heart
to the joy and pain of living.

As you love may I love,
in receiving and in giving,

Spirit, open my heart.

1.       God, replace my stony heart
          with a heart that’s kind and tender.
          All my coldness and fear
          to your grace I now surrender. R 

2.       Write your love upon my heart
          as my law, my goal, my story.
          In each thought, word, and deed,
          may my living bring you glory. R 

3.       May I weep with those who weep,
          share the joy of sister, brother.
          In the welcome of Christ,
          may we welcome one another. R 

Words © 1996 Ruth Duck, arr. © 1997 Arthur Clyde  The Pilgrim Press.
Song #20093 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved.

Storytime               Rev. Dr. Karen Boivin

Welcome to our story time.  I hope you have your paper and pencil handy for later.

Last year the Trinity Sunday service had a Celtic Christianity theme, and I would like to talk a little more about that on this Trinity Sunday.

The Celts were made up of a number of different peoples in Europe who shared a similar language, nature religion and culture. When Christianity came to Ireland 400 years after Jesus lived and taught, the people living there were Celts.

The Celts had one especially beautiful art form called Celtic knots that they used to decorate many things. It does look like a knot made of rope or vines, doesn’t it?

When the Celts became Christian, they also decorated church buildings, stain glass windows, Bible pages and crosses with Celtic knots and Christians continue to do so today.

Christians decorate with Celtic knots in part because they can help us to think about God and our life with God. Let’s trace the path of the Celtic knot. Did you notice where the rope started and ended? That’s right! There isn’t an end or beginning, just one continuous line that goes round and round. God too has no beginning or end. God has been, and will always be, with us and so will God’s love for us.

Is the knot neat or messy? If you look in one area with lots of crossing lines it can look like a bit messy but when we look at the whole things, it’s very neat with a repeating pattern. Did you notice that the rope keeps going under and over, under and over itself?  Life too has its ups and downs. When there is trouble in our life, or we are worried about something, it can feel sometimes like our life is all mixed up and won’t straighten out. We may even feel like God has left us, like the rope disappearing underneath where we can’t see it. But the rope is still there, isn’t it? So, when we are having a hard time, the knot reminds us that God and God’s love is always with us and soon the troubled time will be behind us and we will be enjoying good times again where we feel joy and feel God’s presence with us.  The whole beautiful knot reminds us that God wants a beautiful abundant life for us.

There is one special knot used in Christianity to help talk about the Trinity called the Triquetra. It is a way to say that there is one God and yet we can experience God in different ways. There are three different shapes in the knot, but it is one rope making them.  

First loop:  It often feels like there aren’t enough words in the world to describe how wonderful God is.  Imagine how great God’s love must be to create this beautiful world and love all its creatures. We sometimes try to explain this with words like Creator, Father, or Mother. 

Second loop:  Other times God seems closer to being human.  We feel God within us as love and prayer, or between us and other people when they love or help us or together, we help others.  Then God reminds us of Jesus and all he taught so we call this way of encountering God sometimes as Son or Jesus Christ.  

Third loop:  Other times it feels like God is giving us encouragement to live well and do good, like a little push in the right direction and we say then that God is like a Holy Spirit. 

It’s time to draw a Trinity knot! It helps to first put a dot in the middle of our paper for the center of the knot and then three dots equally distant from it in a triangle for the points of the three loops. Now let us connect the dots trying to keep the same distance from the center dot each time we pass. Then following the same path again make a second line to make it look like a rope.  Lastly colour in the rope so that it looks like it is going under and over itself.

There are many free Celtic knot designs on the web that you can print and colour or copy. Or you might like to try designing your own. If you do any of these, we hope you will send a copy to the church. 

Will you join me in a prayer please, repeating the lines after me:

God, we are grateful for the many ways we experience you and your love.
And we thank you for the gift of art and how it helps us to draw closer to you. Amen.

Hymn:   Dance with the Spirit  - More Voices #156 – TeGrotenhuis family

Dance* with the Spirit early in the mornin’,
          dance* with the Spirit throughout the long day.
          Work and hope for the new life a-bornin’,
          listen to the Spirit to show you the way.

          *move , sing

Words & Music © 1995 Jim Strathdee
Song #60013 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved.

Prayer for Illumination          Reader: Ian Howes

Wise God within us, may these words move, challenge, inspire and deepen our understanding of who you are: Source of Life, Living Word, and Bond of Love. May we listen with an open mind and a heart ready to be transformed. Amen.

The Gospel Reading: John 3:1-17 (NRSV) Nicodemus Visits Jesus

3 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”  4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.7 Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ 8 The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

11 “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe; how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.  16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17 “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

May the Wisdom of God: Lover, Beloved and Love give us understanding as we ponder on this Gospel story. Thanks be to God!

Sermon: “To Be Born Again!”      Rev. Kim Vidal

A 4th century Christian presbyter and a brilliant theologian from Alexandria, Egypt named Arius couldn’t sleep one night. He was disturbed by a new doctrine put together by Bishop Hosius of Cordoba, Spain and his cohorts. The doctrine presents the nature of God the Father and God the Son as of one substance or of the same essence. This doctrine, which will be named later on as Trinitarianism was the answer of Emperor Constantine to the theological divisions confronting the newly recognized Christian Church particularly on the person, nature and role of Jesus the Christ. Arius was not in agreement that God the Father and God the Son are equal and of the same essence. So, he wrote a counterattack to the doctrine and made his dissension known to all the priests and church leaders in Alexandria.  Arius argued that "if the Father created the Son, he that was created had a beginning of existence: and from this, it is evident, that there was a time when the Son was no longer in existence. It therefore necessarily follows, that the Son is a finite being while the Father is infinite and eternal.” Therefore, according to Arius, the Father and the Son could not be of the same substance. Are you still with me?

In response to Arius’ position, the Council of Nicaea was formed in 325 CE presided by the emperor himself. The Nicene Creed, which professes that “Jesus, the Son, who was begotten not made, is being of one substance with the Father…” was adopted as the official statement of the Christian Faith. The creed was revised in 381 CE to include the third person in the Trinity- God, the Holy Ghost, also known as the Holy Spirit. Arius was pronounced as a heretic, burnt all of his writings and books except for 3 or 4 that survived. Arius and many of his adherents were exiled to Palestine for about 10 years. With the influential support from church leaders in Asia Minor and from Constantia, the sister of Emperor Constantine, Arius and his followers were allowed to return from exile and his readmission into the church after consenting to a compromise formula. But shortly before he was to be reconciled, however, Arius collapsed and died while walking through the streets of Constantinople.

I started my sermon with some historical notes on the doctrine of Trinity to give us some understanding as to when and how the doctrine existed that became very much part of our Christian teachings and beliefs. Like Arius, many followers of the Christian faith today, would likely argue that the doctrine of Trinity is no longer relevant and poses many theological and Christological issues that perhaps do not make sense to them. The church fathers who proposed this doctrine chose to designate the Trinitarian Formula as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. There is no doubt, however, that this designation is both hierarchical and patriarchal. And the major problem flowing out of this is that the Christian Church itself, following the culture of its day, also became obsessed with hierarchy and patriarchy – top down and male dominated. This approach has had profound and oftentimes devastating political, religious and social consequences especially for women. So, what do we do with this archaic doctrine that was passed on to us by the church fathers of the 4th century? Do we really need to embrace this particular doctrine of faith? Are we allowed to debate it, discuss it, wrestle with it, or even question its relevance? I believe that taking time to intentionally and thoughtfully re-examine the doctrine of Trinity is absolutely crucial to our understanding of the nature and character of God. And yes, we are certainly on the right track to discuss it, wrestle with it or even disagree with it.

In today’s Gospel story written about 300 years before the formulation of the Trinitarian doctrine, someone approached Jesus because he had some issues with his faith. His name was Nicodemus – a Pharisee, a ruler, a teacher. Nicodemus literally means “conqueror of the people” or “the people’s victory”. No wonder he rose to the ranks of being part of the Sanhedrin, the supreme council in Jesus’ time.  Nicodemus represents some of us in many ways. He was a leader, a rich guy, top of the religious class, well educated, powerful and privileged.  He was an interpreter of the Torah and the Jewish tradition. He had a significant level of control, both over his own life and the lives of other people. Nicodemus, however, had a weakness that John the gospel writer claimed. This conqueror of people was not that confident to go public with his interest in Jesus. He came one night, in the dark streets of Jerusalem to speak with Jesus, when no eyes can see nor ears can hear, so he can keep his faith secret, separated from the rest of his public life. It’s interesting to note how John contrasted the two men: Nicodemus as a teacher of the law met the Rabbi Jesus, a teacher come from God.

John borrowed a lot from Isaiah contrasting darkness with light. John’s concept of Jesus as light, break through the darkness and illuminates people with love, grace, and truth.  But darkness and light need each other, like faith and doubt, to be whole and to bring balance into one’s journey. Nicodemus came to Jesus with his assumptions and his proud knowledge of what he knew was the truth. “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus responds without being distracted by his praise or his compliments. Nicodemus was surprised at Jesus’ recommendation. “Nicodemus, you must be born again!” or in some translations “born from above.” Nicodemus’ jaw dropped. He could not believe what he heard. That he needed to start his life over - to undergo a “rebirthing process”. 

Nicodemus is our man. He asked questions on our behalf.  “How can an adult be born a second time? I can’t go back into my mother’s womb to be born again!” Nicodemus is unable to think beyond established norms.  Having already born from his mother’s womb, he wonders how is it possible for a person to have another birth.  He knows of "old birth" but not "this new birth." Nicodemus could function well in the kingdom of the Sanhedrin and of the Roman Empire, but God’s reign needed another kind of life orientation. Jesus’ response was direct to the point that sounds like this: “I’m introducing you to something that transcends your curiosity, your prejudices, your theology and your uninformed biases. You’ve come asking for a sign to validate what you already know. I want to turn your world upside down to where you will see reality as it really is. It is a world totally out of your control. You’ve got to be born again, anew from above, if you are to enter that new world.” Jesus here offers a whole new possibility- a radical reorientation of life.

It is ironic that a fundamental movement in Christianity has been built around Nicodemus’ defensive mis-hearing of Jesus in this passage. This movement had interpreted those two words, “born again” as a ritual of “receiving Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Saviour” that has very little to do with radical internal transformation and justice-oriented missiology. The “born again” brand of Christianity really does not require a change of name and identity.  Jesus offered being born again of water and spirit! Nicodemus had been born into the traditions of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law. He had been born into the concerns for holiness and ritual purity as the main tenets of his religious tradition. Now Jesus' language implied there was another way, a different possibility needed for the faithful. It was not about converting from one religion to another. Unless Nicodemus allows God to change his whole way of being in the world, he will not be able to perceive God at work. Jesus explains that by the living water and by the creative and wild Spirit, God gives people rebirth and become spiritual beings. This what I think Jesus told Nicodemus, "Check your heart Nicodemus. Is it God and what God stands for who’s in there – is it true love, compassion or justice consuming you or is it your own religious, political and social biases and affiliations that make you who you are? "Being born again is a breaking free of distorted beliefs to transformative grounding. It is a breaking free of restricted, prejudiced, judgmental life into a life-giving, welcoming, abundant life. As such, being born again is painful. Like physical birth it involves leaving behind the past and breaking open into God’s grace. Spiritual birth takes labour on our parts.

Towards the end of the text is where the allusion to the doctrine of Trinity shows up in this story. The Johannine Jesus refers to all three persons of the Trinity. God is the One who loves the world and who, unwilling to let it perish. God is incarnated through Jesus, the begotten Son, whose life on earth helped liberate, heal and restore the people in subversive ways. Like the breath of God in the creation story, the Spirit gives life. God’s Spirit blows wherever it wishes, yes even to those who do not perceive its presence.

I’m sure some of you are facing a Nicodemus moment.  Perhaps a job no longer makes sense, or you are moving into the difficult night of a divorce or living with a terminal illness or the loss of someone you love. Perhaps you are fed up with the depressing news about the world in this pandemic time. Perhaps you are feeling restless or uncertain; spiritually, or that your life path feels confusing, unclear, sometimes encased in fog. Perhaps you are experiencing a siege of negativity which brings with it, frustration, irritation and anxiety. Or you are going along and everything is great, but you are wondering what life is all about. Is this all there is? These are Nicodemus moments; those times when we might like a good late-night conversation; those times when we would be glad to hear answers to our questions.

So here is the Good News! The Triune God is a Holy mystery. A multi-faceted sacredness - creating, indwelling, sustaining, resisting, recreating, challenging, guiding, liberating, completing. Marcus Borg suggested that when we step away from a literalist understanding, ‘Trinity’ shows that God is not primarily a lawgiver and a judge but the compassionate one. And the religious life is not about requirements, but about relationship.” It encompasses God as a creative energy, present in Jesus - a just companion in our journey and alive in a community through the Spirit of mutual trust and friendship. When we acknowledge a Loving God, following the teachings of Jesus the Beloved, who promotes the Spirit of Love, imagine how the world will be like. A world where hatred and violence will be no more, where we are able to embrace the other as our sister or brother no matter what colour of the skin, no matter which status in life, no matter what creed one professes. Name and question the injustices of today and act upon them with a passionate heart. Embrace informed doctrines and theology that offer radical newness.  In honour of Nicodemus, let us participate in his and our own rebirth. Let's do our part in the process of breaking free from the old and entering into the new and abundant life the Triune God has in store for all of us. Let me close with a Trinity Blessing from Jan Richardson from her book, In the Sanctuary of Women:

May God, who comes to us
in the things of this world,
bless your eyes and be in your seeing.

May Christ, who looks upon you
with deepest love, bless your eyes
and widen your gaze.

May the Spirit, who perceives what is
and what may yet be,
bless your eyes and sharpen your vision.

May the Sacred Three bless your eyes
and cause you to see. Amen.

Sources:

• BCUC Lectionary Group

• Peter Woods, “Rebirthing the Powerless Rabbi”, thelisteninghermit.com.

• Alyce Mackenzie, “Nicodemus”, patheos.org

• Josh Blakely, “Not What We Know but What We’ve Been Given”, https://joshblakesley.me

• Judith Jones’ Commentary on John 3: 1-17, workingpreacher.org

Prayers of the People & the Lord’s Prayer            Rev. Kim Vidal

Let us join our hearts prayer.

Creator, Christ, Comforter, like Nicodemus at night, we come as needy people. Our hearts hunger for love. Our minds thirst for peace. Our dry spirits long to be watered by your grace. In times when uncertainties confront our comfortable lives, keep us mindful of your faithfulness. In times when we see hopelessness around us, fill us with your light so we can be witnesses of your love to the world.

Life-Giver, Friend, Sustainer, we long for the many ways of being a community of love, a community that embraces inclusion, compassion, justice, and truth. We yearn to work towards living in right relationships and in healing the world. Like in Jesus’ day, this longing and yearning can often be met with resistance, hostility and rejection, So we ask that you strengthen our faith and give us the gift of courage to face whatever challenge that may come our way. Help us to be resilient in difficult times.

Abba, Jesus, Spirit, we pray for homes that are nurturing and safe. We pray for families free of domestic violence and neglect, where all the children can grow without fear. Empower us to make your love a reality in every home we know. We pray for all who suffer, for the sick and the lonely, for those awaiting surgery and medical treatments, for those grieving the loss of a loved one, for those trapped in anxiety and fear, or those downtrodden by hopelessness and despair. We pray for those who walk beside us on our journey, whose lives are a blessing to us.

Justice-Seeker, Good Shepherd, Advocate, empower us to welcome people of every colour, ethnicity and creed. Encourage us to be advocates of the sacredness of human life that welcomes all. We pray for those who are living the reality of terror, violence, war, unrest, hunger, displacement and the continued challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Deliver us from fear, greed, and all evil things that keep us away from your love.

All these things we ask in the name of the Jesus Christ who holds us together in love and taught his disciples and friends this prayer:
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.

Invitation to Offer              Rev. Kim Vidal

The Triune God present in all of creation, holds each one of us in tender love and care. So we respond to all the blessings we have generously received from a loving Creator. Let us gather our gifts of time, talents and treasures and offer them to God in gratitude and praise.

If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offering and donations, you can drop them in the mailbox 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

We offer these gifts, O Triune God, as we spread your love through the wisdom of Jesus and the indwelling of the Spirit in our hearts. May they bring healing and hope to our congregation, our community and the world. Amen.

Sending Forth[4]                Rev. Kim Vidal

And now, touched by God’s Spirit, which makes us free,
held in God’s love, which gives us strength,
befriended by God’s Son, who breaks down walls,
let us live with hearts wide open
to all the adventure,
all the pain,
all the joy, of being God’s people,
in every place life calls us to be. Amen. 

Hymn:  Holy, Holy, Holy – Voices United #315   - BCUC Quartet with descant: Erin

1 Holy, holy, holy! Lord God almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;
holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

2 Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee;
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
which were, and art, and evermore shalt be.

3 Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
though the eye made blind by sin thy glory may not see,
only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
perfect in power, in love, and purity.

4 Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name in earth and sky and sea;
holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

Words Reginald Heber, 1820; Music: John Bacchus Dykes, 1861
Song Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music: Trumpet Tune – Purcell       organ

Zoom Fellowship – 11 am

[1] Inspired by Christpieces.files.wordpress.com

[2] Richard Bott, Gathering, Pentecost 1 2021 (Year B). Used with permission.

[3] Bruce Sanguin,  If Darwin Prayed.

[4] Bob Root, Gathering, Pentecost 1 – 2018 Year B.  Used with permission.

Sunday Worship Service - May 23, 2021

 BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

PENTECOST SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE

May 23, 2021

Theme: “Many Languages, One Spirit”

The video recording of this service can be found here.

Gathering Music: O A Song Must Rise - More Voices #142 – BCUC music team

Hymn Request by Barbara Bole & David Stafford

Refrain
Oh a song must rise for the spirit to descend
Oh a song must rise once again (again)
Singing out God’s praises and glory,
the faithful voices blend,
Oh a song must rise for the spirit to descend. 

1. From the mountains to the valleys,
from the desert to the sea,
a song must rise once again.
From the voices of our leaders,
the voice of you and me,
a song must rise for the spirit to descend. R 

2. From poverty and riches,
from the voice of young and old,
a song must rise once again. (again)
From the free and the imprisoned,
the timid and the bold,
a song must rise for the spirit to descend. R 

3. From ev’ry house of worship,
in ev’ry faith and tongue,
a song must rise once again.
From the villages and cities
a new song must be sung,
a song must rise for the spirit to descend. R

Words & Music © 1995 Paul Svenson, Arr © 2006 Bryn Nixon          dadsongbook.com
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Welcome & Centering for Worship– Rev. Kim Vidal

Good day everyone! Buenas dias! Bonne journee! Masantos ya agew!

On behalf of Bells Corners United Church, I welcome and greet you in the name of Jesus Christ as we celebrate Pentecost Sunday. On that very first Pentecost gathering, the gift of the Holy Spirit gave the followers of Jesus the ability to speak in a multitude of languages to proclaim God's love and power. Today, we will celebrate this gift of languages as we embrace our common ground as a human family under one Spirit!

As we continue to be on stay-at-home order, please be reminded that the work of the church carries on. 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 to keep you informed and give you opportunities to respond.

Friends, as we worship together,
May we feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, like those people gathered on that very first Pentecost gathering. May the winds of change and the tongues of flame rush into our hearts and empower our souls. Let us now centre ourselves in the presence of God as we gather in worship.

Lighting of Christ Candle  Nicole Beaudry & Gerald Okolowsky

Gerald:       
We light this Christ candle
as we invite the Holy Spirit to come to us.
Let this light burn in our hearts
as we experience Christ through the gathered community.
Come, Holy Spirit! Be with us today.
Fill our hearts with joy and confidence!

Nicole:        
Nous allumons cette bougie du Christ
en invitant l’Esprit Saint à venir à nous. 
Que cette lumière brûle dans nos cœurs
alors que nous rencontrons le Christ à travers la communauté rassemblée.
Viens, Esprit Saint! Sois avec nous maintenant.
Remplis nos cœurs de joie et de confiance! 

Sung Response: Holy, Holy, Holy (Santo, Santo, Santo) - Voices United #951 - TeGrots

Holy, holy, holy
My heart, my heart adores you
My heart is glad to say the words:
You are holy, God!

Santo, santo, santo,
Mi corazon te adora!
Mi Corazon te sabe decir
Santo eres Dios!

anonymous, Argentina

Call to Gather            Rev. Lorrie Lowes

People of God,
Peace be with you.
Salaam alaykum.
Namaste.
Shalom alaichem. 

Holy Spirit, Advocate, Friend, Wind and Flame:
You break down barriers of language, race, and culture,
and heal the divisions that separate us.    
Come, Spirit of Power, make us bold witnesses of your redeeming love.
Come, Reconciling Spirit and unite us all in the love of God.
Come, Creator Spirit and make us new creations in Jesus Christ.[1]
Come, let us gather to celebrate!

Pentecost Prayer with Movement[2]   Wendy Morrell & Dan Lanoue

Come, Holy Spirit! Bring your mighty power into our lives.
Rush through our spirits, inspiring us to witness to the great love of God.
Come, Moving Spirit! Burn light bright flames in our hearts.

Emblazon us with the confidence of faith that our lives will show your love.
Come, Embracing Spirit! Advocate, Friend, Wind and Flame
You break down barriers of language, race, and culture,
and heal the divisions that separate us.    

Come, Indwelling Spirit! Be with us today in our thoughts and our prayers.
Come, Wise Spirit! Be with us in our words and our deeds.

Come, Creator Spirit! and make us new creations in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Hymn:   Come, O Holy Spirit – More Voices #23 – BCUC music team

1 Come, O Holy Spirit, set the Church on fire;
strike it as the lightning hits a posing spire.
Burn away the structures and consume
the sham of our holy systems:
Come, in Jesus’ name!  

Refrain

          Come, come, come, in Jesus name!
          Take our hearts by storm.
          All the world lies open
          Pentecost is now!
          I said a -       Repeat refrain 

2 Blow away the cobwebs of our stubborn past.
Come, send flying from us myths unfit to last.
Wind of change, refresh us and disturb our calm;
teach us what true love is,
take our hearts by storm. R 

3 Free us from the babble of our Babel mind;
spark in us a language all can understand.
Lighten then our darkness,
Come and show us how, all the world lies open:
Pentecost is now! R

Words © 1972 Fred Kaan rev. 1998– Hope Publishing Co. Song # 18536
Music © 2000 Ron Klusmeier www.musiklus.com Song# 80560  French © 2006 David Fines
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Storytime        Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Have you ever been so excited about something that you just couldn’t hold it in? Have you ever had such an amazing experience that you had trouble explaining it to other people? Maybe you were so excited or so happy that you felt like you were going to burst!

Sometimes that excitement can happen to a whole group of people at the same time – like when your soccer team wins the cup, or when you are in the stands at a really exciting NHL playoff game at the Canadian Tire Centre. At times like this when everyone gets so excited that they can’t stay in their seats and they have to stand up and yell, it can get really noisy! You can’t even hear what the person next to you is saying but you can tell by their face and their jumping up and down just how they feel. Even the players on the ice seem to feel the excitement and skate faster. Everyone gets caught up in it all. It’s like the excitement rushes right through the building, making everyone jump and shout. And that’s the sort of game when we leave the arena saying, “Wow! That was amazing!” Sometimes the noise carries on even after the game ends and people are heading home – more cheering and honking of horns. If you try to tell someone about it the next day, you might say things like, “I thought I was going to explode with excitement!” or maybe “When he was charging down the ice with the puck, I felt like my heart was going to jump right out of my chest!”

Today is Pentecost Sunday and this is the day when we celebrate a time when the disciples and followers of Jesus were all together and they felt that same kind of excitement. It wasn’t because of a hockey game, of course, or any kind of sport. It happened when they were talking together about Jesus and the amazing things he did and the amazing ideas he had. They became fired up and ready to carry on sharing those amazing things in his name and change the world! They couldn’t wait to get started! When they describe what happened in the room where they gathered they said, “The Spirit blew through the room like a mighty wind!” They described the energy of everyone in that room by saying that they all had flames on their heads. They were so caught up in the excitement about carrying Jesus’ work and message out into the world, that we might say they were on fire! Their excitement spilled out onto the streets and people passing by caught that excitement and wanted to be part of it too. Our scripture story tells us that, even the people who were visiting from other countries and cultures could understand what these folks were talking about. They were speaking to each of them in a language that they could understand.

What an amazing day! In fact, it was so amazing that we still celebrate that feeling more than two thousand years later. We think of it as the church’s birthday – not just one church like Bells Corners but all the people around the world who follow Jesus’ teachings and carry out his mission in the world to help God’s dream come true. It started on that day in Jerusalem but the excitement and the message have spread all over the world to people who speak many different languages. So today we remember that day and how those people felt as a reminder to us about the amazing things we can do too when we let the Spirit rush through us as we take up the challenge that Jesus gave us – to spread the incredible power of love and set it loose to change the world.

Let’s finish with a short prayer:

Exciting and Energizing God, Let your Spirit rush through us like it did those people on the day of Pentecost so long ago. Make us feel like we are “on fire” as we go out into the world with acts of love, kindness, and justice. Help us spread that Pentecost joy, hope, and excitement everywhere we go. Amen.

Hymn:   Come, O Holy Spirit, Come (Wa, Wa, Wa, Emimimo) – Voices United #383

CGS/Bell Canto  & Director: Erin Berard

Come, O Holy Spirit, come
Come, O Holy Spirit, come
Come, come, come. 

Wa, wa, wa, Emimimo
Wa, wa, wa, Emimimo
Wa-oh, wa-oh, wa-oh.

O viens, Esprit, viens.
O viens, puissant, Esprit viens.
Viens, viens, viens.

English © 1986  I-to-Loh/Kimbrough, Jr., French © 1990 Joelle Gouel, Harm © 1986 Samuel Solanke
Yoruba Traditional, Song # 17508  Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214.
All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination Reader: Erin Berard

Spirit of Life, Holy Wind, Flame of Justice, anoint us to be your people of Good News. Breathe upon us and fill us with your spirit. Challenge us by the truth of your Word and by your wisdom, empower us with your love. Amen.

Gospel Reading: John 15:26-16:15 (NRSV)

The Coming of the Advocate and the Work of the Spirit

26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. 27 You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.

16 “I have said these things to you to keep you from stumbling. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God. 3 And they will do this because they have not known the Father or me. 4 But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; 11 about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine. For this reason, I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to all of us. Thanks be to God!

Sermon: “Jesus: A Truth-Teller”    Rev. Kim Vidal

It was a week of truth-telling! This was my overall impression of the Festival of Homiletics that I participated in via online this past week. The more than 1000 participants and the presenters came from diverse origins – African-Americans, Canadians, African-Caribbean, Asians, Europeans, Latinx, Indigenous Peoples. They hailed from different theological and doctrinal backgrounds: traditional, evangelical, progressive, trinitarian, emergent, indigenous, monastic. They embodied various religious denominations and sexual orientations. All came to that cyberplace, virtually together – completely captivated and blown away by the sacred and radical truth-telling prepared by a plethora of fantastic preachers, lecturers and worship leaders. The 5-day Festival with the theme “Preaching for A Future Church” offered the Good News as the main course served on a platter of gourmet sermons, uplifting music, palatable prayers, delicious stories and appetizing words of blessing awakening, challenging and thanksgiving.

When the Festival ended, the world to my knowledge had not changed in a radical, life-changing way. We are still in the wildernesses of the Covid-19 pandemic, of racism, of polarization, of homophobia, of civil wars, of gun violence and of deaths and illnesses in many forms - but I’m sure that each of those present in the Festival including myself, may have been transformed - carried away new thoughts and experiences and the power to “preach the truth.” Personally, the whole experience moved me was as if God was inviting me to reclaim and to discover once more the wonder of savouring and tasting each divine bite of what it means to be a preacher – a good news bringer, a truth-teller. And this sowing of the truth, whose seeds nudge me to speak the good news, is in fact quite like seeds of the first Pentecost, the first birthday of the Christian Church. Only in that time and place, 2000 years ago, the celebration was inaugurated by the holy babbling and chaotic movement of the Holy Spirit. We all remember the story: a large gathering of diverse people; a sound like that of a violent wind; flames of fire appearing on each head of those gathered; their sudden and ability to speak and understand in different languages. The experience was both chaotic and spectacular – a day to remember and to celebrate. Yes – similarly, I felt the whooshing winds of Pentecost in the Festival week of truth-telling. I was blown away, amazed, captivated and surprised by the fiery passion of those fantastic truth-telling preachers that left me wanting more.

In today’s reading in John, Jesus knew one big truth - that he was being pursued by the powers-that-be. He knew that sooner or later he would be arrested and crucified for rocking the political, social, imperial and religious boats of his time and place. And so, in his last moments, he gathered his disciples and delivered what we know as his farewell discourse. Today’s text is but a snippet of that discourse - last words of Jesus to his beloved friends and followers whom he knows would be mourning his death.  Jesus knew that his disciples were anxious and scared and he made every effort to prepare and affirm them, so they would be ready to face reality when he was gone.  He knew that they would find the way ahead difficult without him by their side. He was not going to leave them orphaned.  Thus, there was the promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit, known as the Greek word parakletos in John’s Gospel which literally means “the one on the side.” In English, it is called paraclete meaning the Advocate, Helper, Lawyer, Companion, Counselor or Comforter.  It was this Advocate who came to the disciples’ assistance when Jesus was gone.

In his book Unfettered Spirit: Spiritual Gifts for the New Great Awakening, Bob Cornwall explored this Spirit in John: “As helper, the Spirit empowers members of the body of Christ to serve and care for their neighbor.  As comforter, the Spirit comes alongside us, bringing hope to the hopeless and comfort to the grieving and suffering in our midst.  In this idea of the Spirit serving as advocate, we see the Spirit giving witness to Jesus, putting forward his case to humanity.  The image of counselor speaks of one who offers guidance and direction.  It is just one Greek word, and yet it offers so many possibilities for us to engage one another in Jesus’ healing presence.”

John calls this advocate the Spirit of Truth. Why truth? Because truth is synonymous with Jesus. According to John, Jesus is the truth. He lived and preached truth.  What is this Spirit of Truth that Jesus had promised his followers? Is this the same Spirit that we read in Acts – that Pentecost Spirit portrayed in descending doves and tongues of flames accompanied by chaotic, whooshing wind that made people speak in different languages?  No – this is not the same spirit of the Pentecost unleashed where the community was commissioned as a movement to live out their faith as followers of Jesus. This Spirit in John, this Spirit of Truth, is a more personal, one-on-one, “spirit of intimacy”. This Spirit is pictured as more subdued than the scene in Acts. No fire, no violent winds, no foreign languages. It sounds like the Spirit in John is much more docile, tamed and unperturbed.

But I’d like to believe though that this Spirit of Truth is an agitator. She will not be silent when injustice is present. This Spirit of Truth will not back down when acts of compassion and peace are disturbed. Come to think of it - the Spirit as an Advocate prompted the disciples to be living witnesses and testifiers of the truth. They became truth-tellers. They shook things up. And we know that Jesus got himself killed when he spoke truth to power. The Spirit of Truth empowered the disciples to offer disruptive, life-changing testimonies that led them to lose their lives. Similarly, the Spirit of Truth as a Companion will support and nurture us and, best of all, to help us discern good decisions and judgement as we journey through life.

Why did Jesus gift his followers with the Spirit of truth? The answer boils down to one word: LOVE! Nancy Rockwell writes: “To truly love God and others, as Jesus Christ invites us to be, is to find kinship across the aisles of politics and the tables of family, the corridors of power and the barred cells of prisons, the poverty of homelessness … and perhaps most vitally in our world, across the divide of races and religions. It is you inside that burka, and me in that Kurdish tribal dress, you in that Hasidic fur trimmed hat and me cooking kosher, you in that threading ceremony so vital for a Hindu boy and me serving your tiger mother in the Asian way. And what unites us in our tears, and what unites us is our loneliness. In all of this, we are One, in Jesus Christ, in God, and in each other. And no longer are there reasons – or options – for departing from one another’s sorrows or needs. And so no longer is there a private happiness. Now there is shared conversation, and we are immersed in each other’s life.”

Where and how does this Spirit of Truth show up in our individual and communal lives?

The Spirit of Truth shows up in the midst of our grief.  There is plenty for us to grieve these days. Just this week, we are grieving the seemingly unending cases of Covid-19 and its variants resulting to deaths in Canada and in many parts of the world; we grieve the loss and the failing bodies of our loved ones due to life-threatening illnesses; we grieve the continued violence in Israel and Palestine and the displacement of people particularly women and children; we grieve the ever growing list of people of colour – blacks, Asians, Hispanic, indigenous and the LGBTQS+ who are unjustly targeted, imprisoned and murdered; we, like the disciples, are heartbroken, confused, in denial; and the Spirit of Truth nevertheless shows up right where we are.

The Spirit of Truth shows up in times of unexpected joy. A baby being delivered on highway 407 went viral and brought moments of joy and amazement to many. A woman, believed to be the oldest person in Europe at 116, has overcome Covid-19 and had fully recovered, just days before she celebrates her 117th birthday. In a news last Thursday more than 46 per cent of Canadians have been vaccinated with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The warm weather is giving people the chance to enjoy the outdoors. These are moments of joy!

The Spirit of Truth shows up in times of uncertainty and change.  Maybe some of you are there right now. When you don’t know what will happen tomorrow or where you are going or how you’ll get there, the Spirit of Truth will guide you.

The Spirit of Truth embodied by Jesus is the spirit that both disturbs and calms–which simply means that the Good News of God’s love is broken open to the world wildly and unobtrusively. The expressed power of the Holy Spirit is experienced through our lives – through us who come together in diversity and unity. The gracious Spirit of God continues to take us by the hand, walks with us, equips us, and journeys with us. We can take comfort in the promise that we are not alone.  But when we are immersed in the Spirit of Truth, there is no turning back. We are mandated by Jesus to be truth-tellers, to be bearers of justice and love to a world of blame game, power struggles, fear, mistrust, and an unwelcoming atmosphere.

Dear friends, it is time to work. God is not done with us. Be open to the Spirit of Truth and spill out through the doors of your heart to reach out. Be a truth-teller like Jesus. Let us rejoice in being alive as we have never been before. Let the Spirit of Truth fall afresh on us, opening our lips to preach and sing and our hearts to love. May the Spirit of Truth ignite our hearts and inflame our souls that we may burn anew with God’s love. May the Spirit of Truth give us the power of vibrant living, believing and holy singing; to take our words and speak through them; to take our minds and think through them; to take our hearts and set them on fire. No one shall be an orphan and no one shall be lost. And all shall be loved. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Sources:
Nancy Rockwell, A Bite in the Apple “ Riding the Heavenly Way”, patheos.org..
Bob Cornwall, Unfettered Spirit: Spiritual Gifts for the New Great Awakening, p. 28].
Jenny Perkins Kiser, “The Spirit Shows Up.” A Pentecost Sermon on John 15:26–16:15, In Church News, Sermons by Covenant Baptist May 21, 2018.

Prayers of the People[3]             Rev. Lorrie Lowes

God of us all,
In these days when vaccines are becoming available and the number of new Covid cases begins to slow, we begin to look forward to easier times, but we are impatient and wary at the same time. The psychological effects of isolation and worry are taking their toll. We ask:
What now?
What next?
Where do we go from here?
Two thousand years ago, a band of disciples felt lost and leaderless. Their leader, rabbi and teacher had been executed. They held to the hope and joy of their Easter faith, but they also questioned:
What now?
What next?
Where do we go from here?
In the story of Pentecost, the Spirit moves amongst these disciples like the wind.
The disciples were energized, strengthened and mobilized. In the pattern of Pentecost, the winds of God blow us out of apathy, isolation, and despondency, help us to make changes, enable us to take action.
Holy Spirit, come like the wind.
Breath of God, renew us.
Energizing Spirit, bring us conviction and strength.
In these days when the news is full of acts of violence and injustice, we want to take action, to right the wrongs, we want to do the work toward peace, reconciliation, and justice – but we feel overwhelmed. We feel small and powerless.
In the story of Pentecost, a conviction took hold of their hearts like a fire. The spirit was moving in the disciples. They were able to understand in new ways, with deep passion, and with strongly felt faith. Where once there was despair and apathy and disillusionment, there was now hope and energy and meaning. The Spirit’s fire was burning.
Holy Spirit, warm our lives with your presence.
Fire of God, enflame our commitment.
Spirit of Passion, be born anew in your people.
In these days when there are so many loud voices with differing opinions and points of view, we struggle to discern what is right and true. In our own quest to be heard above the noise, we stop listening; we miss opportunities to understand each other and to work toward solutions that will benefit all.
In the story of Pentecost, people from many lands and of many languages came together, and there was a miracle of understanding and unity.
Holy Spirit, help us to listen to one another.
Spirit of Pentecost, grant us the ability to respect each other.
God of Possibilities, enable understanding in our midst.
On this day of Pentecost, we open our hearts to you, God of us all and
We open our lives to the rushing presence of the Spirit,
And with grateful hearts, we unite in this prayer that Jesus taught us in many languages:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kin-dom come.
Thy will be done in 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, For ever and ever. Amen.

The Offering                Rev. Kim Vidal

Pentecost people! We have received gifts too numerous to count. Now we have a chance to give in thanks and joy. Your offering will enable our church to be a Pentecost presence in this community and the world—to reach out in passionate commitment and bring the wind and fire of the Spirit of Truth to a people and a world that so desperately need it.[4]

I now invite you to offer our gifts of time, talents and resources as expressions of our 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 Hymn: What Can I Do? - More Voices #191  - BCUC music team

What can I do? What can I bring?
What can I say? What can I sing?
I’ll sing with joy. I’ll say a prayer.
I’ll bring my love. I’ll do my share.

Words & Music © 2005 Paul Rumbolt & Michele McCarthy, arr. © 2005 Alan C. Whitmore,
Song # 82970 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Offertory Prayer:[5]

As Pentecost people, we offer these gifts with generous spirits
for the loving transformation of this world. Hallelujah! Amen.

Sending Forth: In many languages - (UCC Video – used with permission)

(English, Cantonese, Korean, Pangasinense, Bunun, Japanese)
“God of power, may the boldness of your spirit transform us.
May the gentleness of your spirit lead us.
May the gifts of your spirit equip us
to serve and worship you now and forever. Amen.”

Hymn: She Comes Sailing on the Wind – Voices United #380 -  TeGrotenhuis family

Refrain:
She comes sailing on the wind,
her wings flashing in the sun;
on a journey just begun, she flies on.
And in the passage of her flight,
her song rings out through the night,
full of laughter, full of light, she flies on.

1. Silent waters rocking on the morning of our birth, like an empty cradle waiting to be filled. And from the heart of God the Spirit moved up on the earth, like a mother breathing life into her child.

2. Many were the dreamers whose eyes were given sight when the Spirit filled their dreams with life and form. Deserts turned to gardens, broken hearts found new delight, and then down the ages still she flew on. R

3. To a gentle girl in Galilee, a gentle breeze she came, a whisper softly calling in the dark, the promise of a child of peace whose reign would never end, Mary sang the Spirit song within her heart.

4. Flying to the river, she waited circling high above the child now grown so full of grace. As he rose up from the water, she swept down from the sky, and she carried him away in her embrace. R 

5. Long after the deep darkness that fell upon the world, after dawn returned in flame of rising sun, the Spirit touched the earth again, again her wings unfurled, bringing life in wind and fire as she flew on. R

Words & Music © 1985 Gordon Light, arr. © 1994 Andrew Donaldson, Song # 117717 & 109370 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music:  “Dakilang Katapatan” (Great Faithfulness)

Words & Music: N. Arnel De Pano, Published by Papuri!
A music ministry of the Far East Broadcasting Company Philippines

Guest Choir:  Dagupan City First United Methodist Church Vested Choir (Philippines)

Arrival of the Queen of Sheba – Handel           Abe: synths

Requested by Yvonne McCartney

11 am – Zoom Fellowship

[1] Paul Detterman, excerpt, Reformed Worship Magazine.

[2] Inspired by the prayer of Paul Detterman, Reformed Worship Magazine.

[3] Based on a reflection written by Ted Dodd for the Diaconal Community, May, 2021.

[4] ministrymatters.com

[5] Richard Bott, Gathering, Pentecost 1, 2021. Used with permission.

Sunday Worship Service - May 16, 2021

 BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

7th SUNDAY OF EASTER

May 16, 2021

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: May, Sweet May – Schumann   Flute : Erin Berard (recorded Spring 2016 concert)

Welcome & Centering for Worship        Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Good Morning and welcome to this service of Sunday Worship from Bells Corners United Church! We are so happy that you have joined us today. In this time of continuing shutdowns and stay-at-home orders, we really miss gathering together in person but, while the sanctuary is closed, we feel blessed that technology allows us to connect in some way. Thank you for all you are doing to stay in touch with your friends and family. It is so important as this time of isolation seems to go on and on.

Just a reminder that the church office is open from nine to noon each weekday morning if you have business to conduct. Just call in advance to let Ruth or Ellen know you are coming and they will be ready to meet you at the kitchen door of the church. We ask that you not use the front entrance at this time while the portico is under construction.

Our rain barrel sale was very successful and is now closed. We are pleased that so many folks in the church and the surrounding community have taken this opportunity to make an environmentally great choice in their gardening – and we are happy to be able to give back to the community by donating the proceeds to Famsac, our local food bank. We expect this donation to be over $700 when all is said and done. Watch for the final tally in next week’s announcements.

In spite of the restrictions, BCUC continues to be a vibrant and active congregation. There are many announcements about the life and work of the church on the announcement page of our website. Please take the time to read them.

I now call on Ellie to give a minute for Social Justice on behalf of the Service, Outreach, and Social Action Committee.

Minute for Social Justice              Ellie Topp

Mission & Service is often described as the “lifeblood” of our church. That’s because it runs through the veins of everything we do together as a church. If you have ever sung out of a United Church hymnbook, your life has been touched through Mission & Service. If you have been cared for by a United Church minister including our own Rev Kim and Rev Lorrie, Mission & Service has had an impact on you. From Bells Corners, to Ontario, across Canada and around the world there are organizations doing life-changing work that is supported through Mission & Service.

If your church matters to you, then Mission & Service should matter too.  Through Mission & Service, we help transform lives and inspire purpose. In other words, we connect action and faith.

For example, right now, our United Church is exploring what it means to be in transition when people wander in a metaphorical dessert.  Through an initiative called Faith on the Move, our gifts to Mission & Service help the church to advocate for those who must leave their homes as refugees, migrant workers, those who become homeless, and other marginalized groups.  It’s no coincidence that we are studying being “on the move.” Not only is our faith always in transition, but our United Church literally reaches out to people who are displaced for whatever reason.

While most people leave their home countries for work, millions of others are forced to leave because of conflict, persecution, and terrorism.  The United Nations reports that for the first time in the history, the number of people forced to leave their home has topped 70 million. Think about that. It’s one thing to be “on the move” because we’ve made a choice. It’s another to be forced out. 

Part of this Faith on the Move initiative is a webinar study series which is available on the United Church website.  The link to this series is given in today’s announcements.  The development of resources like these are partially subsidized through Mission & Service so that they can be offered at a reasonable cost and in many cases, no cost.

BCUC has a history of giving strong support to the M&S Fund.  In 2020 we donated $42,750 which included $1,500 from the UCW, $39,000 from the BCUC budget and the rest through flow-through donations. 

As Christians, we are called to help build a better world. To do that, our faith needs to connect with our action,  and our support for Mission & Service is a significant way we do this.

…And now, friends and family in faith, let us centre ourselves for worship.

Lighting of Christ Candle           Acolyte: Raven Miller

 Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there.” It was a promise to his followers that even death could not end the transformational work he had begun in the world. It was a promise that he would be with them as they continued this work.

Sung Response: Halle, Halle, Halle – Voices United #958        BCUC choir

Halle, halle, hallelujah! (3X)
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Words trad, liturgical text and Music arr. © 1990 IONA Community, GIA Pub
Song # 02351 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Call to Gather              Rev. Kim Vidal

I invite you to the worship service today with the following words:
When we arrive here in this space, we come as we are:
Questioning,
Wondering,
Hoping.
We come knowing that God accepts us just as we are:
Learning,
Praying,
Singing.
Let us quiet our minds and still our hearts so that in this place,
we might strengthen our lives and find our spirits inspired.
Let’s feel the spirit of God here amongst us today and always.[1]

Prayer of Approach

In this world, where the turn of the globe seems to bring new stories
of destruction and death, open our hearts to life, O Christ.
Open our senses to the beauty of birdsong,
to the hope of a smile, to the wonder of a gentle touch.
Open our hearts, that we might know your love
resurrected in our love, every moment, every day.
May it always be so.[2]
Amen. 

Hymn:   “Let Us Build a House”  -  More Voices #1        Abe & Susan TeGrotenhuis

1.    Let us build a house where all can dwell and all can safely live
A place where saints and children tell how hearts learn to forgive.
Built of hopes and dreams and visions, rock of faith and vault of grace;
Here the love of Christ shall end divisions:
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.

2.    Let us build a house where prophets speak, and words are strong and true,
where all God’s children dare to seek to dream God’s reign anew.
Here the cross shall stand as witness and as symbol of God’s grace;
Here as one we claim the faith of Jesus:
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place. 

3.    Let us build a house where love is found in water, wine and wheat;
A banquet hall on holy ground, where peace and justice meet.
Here the love of God, through Jesus, is revealed in time and space;
As we share in Christ the feast that frees us:
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place. 

4.    Let us build a house where hands will reach beyond the wood and stone
To heal and strengthen, serve and teach, and live the Word they’ve known.
Here the outcast and the stranger bear the image of God’s face;
Let us bring an end to fear and danger:
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place. 

5.    Let us build a house where all are named, their songs and visions heard
And loved and treasured, taught and claimed as words within the Word.
Built of tears and cries and laughter, prayers of faith and songs of grace;
Let this house proclaim from floor to rafter:
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.

Words and Music © 1994 Marty Haugen, GIA pub
Song #00004 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Storytime                  Erin Berard

Have you been on any field trips with your class recently?  Certainly not the kind where you all get to board a bus, and visit an outdoor education centre or the Art gallery, eh?  But how about virtual field trips?  One of my kids got to go to the Johnson Space Centre in Texas with his class!  There is NO way he would have been able to take a bus there if this were any other year.  But with the pandemic, all these museums and education centres have had to make their programs online, so now anyone can go, not just those within driving distance!  

Johnson Space centre visits are not just for Texans!

It's like what we're doing with our online services - the message and experience of the worship service can now be for more than just the people who can physically walk through the doors at BCUC.  People from all over the world can check it out, and see what we're doing.  We're sharing our knowledge, our learning, our experiences, our talents, our important projects, our community of love with more and more people!  

Our worship service is not just for the members of BCUC!

In today's Bible passage, Peter and other Jewish followers of Jesus were asked to go teach a group of non-Jewish people about Jesus, and they felt pretty weird about it because it went against their customs to even associate with them.  Peter shared about Jesus, and these 'outsiders' understood this gospel and were filled with God's Holy Spirit. It was a real eye-opener for the Jews!  Peter figured out then that it wasn't up to him and the others to decide who is 'good enough' or 'right type' to be Jesus' followers.  

Jesus' message of love was not just for the Jewish people!

So, in the same way, God's love isn't just for us inside the building at BCUC, or just inside our family homes as we watch on this screen.
God's love isn't just for people who call themselves Christians.
God's love is for everyone - all the people in our big human family. 

So what are some ways we share that love?  I'm sure you can think of lots.
We do it when we pick up trash and care for the planet that belongs to all living creatures. 
We do it when (as Covid rules allow) we let everyone join our recess games, not just our friends.  
We do it when we stand up for someone being bullied because of their accent or clothing.  
We do it when we listen and learn about cultures and traditions that are different from our own.
I bet you can come up with more ideas, too. 

Let's have a prayer:

Dear God, We are so grateful for your constant love. 
Help us to share that love with EVERYONE we meet,
generously and without rules or boundaries. Amen

Hymn:   There is Room for All – More Voices #62   BCUC choir

English:

There is room for all
in the shadow of God’s wing;
there is room for all, sheltered in God’s love.
And I rejoice and sing,
“My refuge and my rock, in whom I trust.”
There is room for all, there is room for all!

French:

Chacun a sa place 
á l'abri sous l'aile de Dieu;
Chacun a sa place en l'amour de Dieu.
De joie, je chanterai:
"Mon refuge en lequel je me confie”.
Chacun a sa place, chacun a sa place.

Words and Music © 2004 Bruce Harding evensong.ca         French © 2006 David Fines
Song # 127055  Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination             Reader: Denis Watson

Challenging God, you have guided your people throughout the ages to sing and pray and reflect. You invite us to listen to timeless stories. Help us to receive the ever-new message of radical love. May it find a place to rest deep in our souls, so that we might draw strength and courage. May it stir us to action. May it guide us, always, to live as followers of Jesus Christ. Amen[3]

The NT Reading: Acts 10: 44-48 (The Living Bible)

44 Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those listening! 45 The Jews who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit would be given to Gentiles too! 46-47 But there could be no doubt about it, for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.
Peter asked, “Can anyone object to my baptizing them, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” 48 So he did, baptizing them in the name of Jesus, the Messiah. Afterwards Cornelius begged him to stay with them for several days.

May the love of Jesus Christ dwell where the Word is spoken. Thanks be to God!

Sermon: “Even Them?”          Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Bells Corners is truly a welcoming church. You can feel it as soon as you walk through the doors. If that happens to be on a Sunday morning, you are certain to be met by David and he will make you feel like he’s been waiting there just for you. In fact, when I asked the Lectionary group this week what it means to be welcoming, the first answer was to be “like David – genuine and true”. I certainly agree, and I can tell you that there are many others in our congregation who make a visitor or newcomer feel that welcome. When I was applying for the CDM position here at BCUC, I tried to sneak in, incognito, on a Sunday morning – you know, sit near the back and slip out during the Departing Music… but I was befriended by the ladies who shared my pew. They complimented my singing and encouraged me to join the choir! It wasn’t pushy. I didn’t feel like I needed to run away – it was genuine and true. Neil and I have often said that there is something special about our BCUC community. Many churches welcome guests and are wonderful hosts, but BCUC opens their arms and draws you into the family. It feels different somehow…

In this passage from the book of Acts that we heard this morning, Peter has been invited by Cornelius to come and share his message. A little background might help us understand just what is taking place here. In the verses preceding today’s reading, both Peter and Cornelius have had visions. Cornelius is a Roman Centurion and very devout. In his vision, he is visited by an angel of God who tells him that his devotion is noticed by God and that he should send for Peter, who is staying in Joppa. Peter is traveling the countryside, sharing the gospel of Jesus. The work is tiring and he is very hungry. While food is being prepared, he goes up to the rooftop to pray. In his vision, a large sheet is lowered down from the heavens and it is filled with all kinds of four-footed creatures, and reptiles, and birds. A voice tells him to get up and kill something to eat. Peter responds that he can’t do that because these animals are unclean. The voice tells him that God made them, so he can’t call them unclean. He resists three times and then the thing is taken back up into the heavens. Just as Peter is puzzling about this vision, the men that Cornelius sent are at the gate, looking for him. The Spirit tells Peter to go meet them and to go with them without hesitation. He gives the men food and lodging for the night and they all head out to meet Cornelius in Caesaria. Cornelius is waiting for him and has gathered together his relatives and close friends to hear what Peter has to tell them.

It is a story of hospitality. Cornelius extends an invitation to Peter to come and share his story. Peter accepts the invitation, even though Cornelius is a Gentile and “unclean” according to Jewish law. Cornelius invites the people he cares about to share in the experience and Peter has brought an entourage of devout Jewish Jesus followers with him. Cornelius is certainly a welcoming host and Peter is a polite guest – but is anyone completely comfortable with the situation?

Upon arrival in Caesaria, when Peter sees all the people assembled to meet him, he tells them, “You know, it’s unlawful for me to associate with Gentiles but God has shown me that I shouldn’t call anyone profane or unclean, so here I am. Why did you ask me to come?” Polite, but not really warm, is it?

Cornelius answers Peter by telling him about his vision. “I sent for you because God told me to. So, what have you got to tell me?”

These two men are not together by choice. They are meeting because God told them to meet.

And so, Peter tells them about Jesus.

I wonder how Peter felt about sharing the gospel story. Was he worried that they wouldn’t understand? After all, these folks weren’t Jews. Did he think they might dismiss what he had to say? Would they believe him? Would they really get it? He was doing what God had told him to do – but did he really think it would make a difference? How did he expect to be received? With suspicion? As a friend?

And what about Cornelius? He certainly seemed excited by the prospect of meeting the man God recommended to him – so excited that he invited his family and close friends to be there too! So excited that he fell at Peter’s feet and worshipped him when he arrived. What was he expecting from this meeting? Was he surprised to find that Peter was, in his own words, “only a mortal”?

And what about the others who were there? Why did they come? Were they curious? Was it out of loyalty to Peter or to Cornelius? Was it to provide support or even protection for them? How did they feel about the strangers they were about to meet? Were they afraid of them? Did they look down on them? Did they anticipate new relationship, new friendships or resistance? What did they expect would happen as a result of this meeting?

There is a line in this morning’s reading that really stood out for me, and I think it gives us a hint that will answer some of those questions. In the version we heard Denis read, it says, “The Jews who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit would be given to Gentiles too!” The nrsv says they were “astounded!” The Message says “They couldn’t believe that the Holy Spirit was poured out on outsider non-Jews.”

After all they had heard from Jesus about loving your neighbour – even the ones who don’t look like you, or think like you, or speak like you – even those you consider enemies – after all of that, they were “amazed” and “astounded” that the gift of the Holy Spirit would be given to Gentiles too!

So, this makes me wonder if “welcome” is what Jesus was talking about when he said, “Love one another”… or was he talking about “inclusion”, and what is the difference between the two?

Peter was given a message in his vision that everything created by God is good, that there is no such thing as “unclean” when it comes to the food put in front of him. He makes the connection that God also created all the people and so they are not unclean either. This realization allows him to meet with the Gentiles in Caesaria. He and his entourage were willing and ready to share the gospel message with them – but they weren’t ready for God to treat them in the same way as God treated the Jews, the “chosen ones”. They were “amazed” and “astounded” that the gift of the Holy Spirit would be given to these outsiders. It was totally unexpected.

They were ready to welcome them into the wonderful gospel message, but they weren’t ready to include them as equals in this faith community.

What I hear is the difference between “You are welcome here” and “You belong here.” It’s the difference between being a welcome guest, even an honoured guest, and being part of the family. Both are good, but they aren’t quite the same. When we talked about this in our Lectionary study, Sue made the difference clear when she said, “You love your friends and are really happy when they visit – but you don’t give them chores to do, and you don’t want them to tell you how to decorate your house or raise your children.” There’s a line there that guests, even welcome ones, are expected not to cross. It’s subtle, but it’s there. The guests know it and so do their hosts. It doesn’t need to be spelled out. But if one side misinterprets where the line is, people get uncomfortable.

Peter and his followers were excited to share their message with the Gentiles. They were excited to tell them about how their relationship with Jesus had changed their lives. This group of Gentiles were excited to hear from Peter, they were obviously moved by what he had to say and ready to become a part of this movement. So, what was the problem?

When the Holy Spirit filled these outsiders, these folks who were ritually unclean, just as the Holy Spirit had filled them at Pentecost, they were “amazed” and “astounded”! They knew that God loved everyone, of course, but did God really love everyone enough to give them a Pentecost experience? Really? Even these Gentiles who weren’t circumcised and didn’t follow the laws? Even them??

It marks a turning point, I think. Peter finally understood. “Can anyone object to my baptizing them, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?”

I wonder if any person in that group of Jewish visitors had reservations? I wonder if any one of them held back their objection to save face with Peter and their friends. I wonder if there were a few who wanted to say, “Wait a minute, let’s think about this.”

The Gentiles were welcome, of course. The Jesus followers were very happy that they wanted to join the movement. They were welcome! But… were they included?

Inclusion is a topic that is central to the mission of the United Church of Canada. We value diversity. We open our doors to everyone. “All are welcome here!” is a signature claim on church doors and websites and letterhead. We even sing it in our hymns! And we mean it.  But is that welcome enough to make the transformation in the world that Jesus hoped to see?

Welcome is wonderful and it is vital – but is it enough? What else needs to happen to move from welcome to inclusion? How do we move from “all are welcome” to “you belong here”? It’s a question we often ponder, not just at Bells Corners, but throughout the church.

We are a welcoming church, absolutely, but is it enough? When we “draw the circle wide” are we drawing others into our family or are we being good hosts? Sometimes the shift between the two is a smooth transition. Everyone is comfortable with it because we all blend together well. But what happens when we aren’t so much alike? When we come from vastly different backgrounds or education or social situations? What happens when our race or culture or sexual identity is not the same? Is it as easy then to cross that invisible line from hosting an honoured guest to making them part of the family? Or do we hesitate and ask, “Even them?”

Tomorrow is the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Bi-phobia, so this is a timely example to explore. This date was chosen because May 17, 1990, was the day the World Health Organization made the decision to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder. It’s a day that brings awareness to the discrimination and violence faced by people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions, and sex characteristics. The United Church of Canada has worked hard over the years, even prior to that milestone in 1990, to change that situation for the LGBTQ+ community. We ordain and commission gay and trans ministers, we celebrate same-sex marriages, we welcome these individuals and families into our congregations. We have come a long way and we can be proud of the work that has been done. However, if we are to move from welcome to inclusion, there is still more work to do.

When someone new is added to a family unit, everyone changes. It can be a new baby or a spouse; it might be a stepchild or an aging in-law. No matter who we welcome in, we still have the choice of making them roommates or family members. It takes effort on both sides and it changes the dynamic of the family and each of the individuals involved. A faith community is no different, really. We can welcome honoured guests or we can make the extra effort to grow the family. We need to be honest with ourselves about our intentions and we need to be open to the changes that will inevitably take place for everyone. It’s not a matter of opening or closing the door; it’s the difference between saying, “Come on in!” and saying, “Welcome home!”

One of the things I like best about today’s scripture reading comes right at the end of the passage. Right after the baptism, Cornelius begs Peter to stay with them for several days. I like it because, to me, it is a sign that the story doesn’t end with a baptismal celebration; it moves from a story of welcome to one on the path to inclusion. The work isn’t finished. There is more to learn on both sides. Peter will stay to teach them more, yes, but also to learn from them. If they are to become truly part of the family, they need to accept each other, not in spite of their differences, but because of them and because of the richness that diversity can bring.

I will end my reflection this morning the way I began… Bells Corners is truly a welcoming church. You can feel it as soon as you walk through the doors… Many churches welcome guests and are wonderful hosts, but BCUC opens their arms and draws you into the family. May we continue on this sacred journey together, my friends as we open our doors, our arms, our hearts and our minds. May we be able to answer the question, “Even them?” with a heartfelt, “Yes, especially them! They are part of the family!”

Amen.

Prayers of the People & the Lord’s Prayer Rev. Kim Vidal

God of Light, God of Love,
you fashion each of us in your image, 
reflecting the presence of your Spirit and fullness of your grace.  
You call us into being as whole persons;
you call us into community to be one in you. 
Yet too often we choose to see others as less than ourselves 
because of the colour of their skin. Or because they are not like us.
Or because they call you with different names.

But you invite us into right relationship with you and with each other. 
You invite us to love you whom we have not seen; 
but how can we love you 
when we cannot love those who are clear reflections of you?

Remind us once again that we are all kin, that we are one in you,
O God, who created us all. 
We are all sisters and brothers, walking in the light of your love.  
Help us to love our neighbours even more than we love ourselves.
Make us humble and encourage us to draw the circle wide
where everyone has a place on your table of grace.
Forgive us for attitudes of superiority and privilege which result in oppression;
forgive us for binding others within structures of racism, bigotry and injustice, 
and so abandoning your beloved ones to wildernesses of exclusion. 
Provide us with the courage to care, the vision to imagine a new relationship,
the wisdom to speak out, and the passion to stand up and be heard.

In the name of the justice-seeking God, may we continue to provide hope and peace in the world;
- for people battered by civil war,
- for those who work in keeping an open dialogue between opposing communities,
- for farmers who risk planting fields even when landmines might be present,
- for those who have been left homeless or who have fled as refugees because of violence or war,
- for people and countries ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic,
- for our faith community facing the challenges of illness, grief, isolation, and disconnect.
And finally, we pray for ourselves.
Sometimes we feel depressed, defeated and weary.
Some of us have tangled relationships we need to undo.
Some of us are struggling with health issue or how to cope with life.
Teach us to stay strong and to be courageous in these challenging times. 

God of Light, God of Love,
teach us to embrace equality and justice for all people around the world.  
Create in us the desire to bring change in our world. 
Unveil our hearts so that your light may shine through us.

These we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, our beloved leader and teacher,
who broke barriers of exclusion and who taught us to pray this ancient prayer..

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.

Invitation to Offer         Rev. Lorrie Lowes        

Since its beginning, the church was meant to be a place of chosen family - a community of outcasts and outlaws, dreamers, prophets, and humble disciples of Love. In the company of Divine Presence, we create belonging and nurture justice. With gratitude for the Sacred Labors of Love in this place, let us bring our offerings to God and one another.

 If you are not on PAR and wish to send in your offering and donations, you can drop them in the mail slot by the kitchen door of the church. You can also send in your support through e-transfer. Thank you for your continued love and support to BCUC.

Offertory Prayer

Hey, God, it’s just us – just this diverse crowd of people gathered. We come for your blessing on what we give, but also for your blessing for who we are becoming as we give. May “just us”, by your blessing, become the justice of discipleship. Amen.[i]

Sending Forth             Rev. Lorrie Lowes        

Beloveds, let us go with hearts full of courage,
that we might practice love that disrupts bigotry.
Let us go with minds open to experiencing God
in ways strange and unexpected, in ways ordinary and everyday.
And let us go with joy, for the Creator of all life goes with us. Amen. 

Hymn: Who is My Mother?  - More Voices #178    -  Kim - guitar, Erin – flute, Abe

1 Who is my mother, who is my brother?
All those who gather round Jesus Christ:
Spirit blown people born from the Gospel
sit at the table, round Jesus Christ. 

2 Differently abled, differently labelled,
widen the circle round Jesus Christ:
crutches and stigmas, culture’s enigmas,
all come together round Jesus Christ.

3 Love will relate us, colour or status
can’t segregate us round Jesus Christ:
family failings, human derailings
all are accepted round Jesus Christ. 

4 Bound by one vision, met for one mission
we claim each other, round Jesus Christ:
here is my mother, here is my brother,
kindred in Spirit, through Jesus Christ.

Words © 1992 Shirley Erena Murray, Hope Pub; Music © 2002 Ron Klusmeier, musiklus         
Song # 49045 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music: Basin Street Blues – Spencer Williams arr. Lacanski          flute : Erin Berard

 Zoom Fellowship – 11 am

[1] Doug Reid, Gathering L/E 2019, p42. Used with permission.

[2] Richard Bott, Gathering L/E 2019, p43. Used with permission.

[3] Laura Turnbull, Gathering Lent Easter 2021, p37. Used with permission.

[i] Gord Dunbar, Gathering Lent Easter 2021, p37. Used with permission.