September 24, 2020

Announcements

More In-Person Modified Worship Services offered on selected Sundays

September 24, 2020

Announcements

For this and all events we are following public health recommendations related to COVID-19 safety. If you would like to attend, please read more about the service below. You must pre-register by the Wednesday before each service by using the online form (find the link below for the service you want to attend) or by contacting the office at (613) 820-8103 or office@bcuc.org.

Connie Davidson

September 19, 2020

Worship services

Sunday Worship Service - September 20, 2020

Connie Davidson

September 19, 2020

Worship services

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

2nd SUNDAY OF CREATION TIME IN THE SEASON OF PENTECOST
FALL WORSHIP SERVICE

September 20, 2020

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: Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen/All Night, All Day Mark Hayes

Welcome & Announcements

Good Morning! On behalf of Bells Corners United Church, I extend a warm welcome to you today and I greet you in the name of Jesus, our mentor and guide, and the very reason we gather together as a family of faith.

We begin this morning by acknowledging that we are gathered on the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabe First Nation. We pay respect to the elders, past and present and honour all indigenous people’s reverence of this land throughout the ages. May we live in peace and friendship to sustain the earth and all its people.

We have begun to open the sanctuary for a small number of people for the month of September as a trial to see how we can offer a gathering of a few while still following the health protocols to keep everyone safe. If you would like to attend, please go the website or call the church office to register by the Wednesday preceding the service. You will be asked to answer a health questionnaire and given the procedures that have been put in place. At the end of the month, we will look at both the interest of people to attend and the feasibility of following the necessary procedures to decide how we will continue going forward.

If you are unable to attend in person, there are several ways you can still participate in worship, through the YouTube video, the audio version or the text of the service, through the links provided on our webpage. You can also call 613-820-8104 to listen to the service on your telephone.

Wherever you are as you join us this morning – in your living room with your family, in your kitchen with a cup of coffee, or with the small group gathered in the sanctuary, know that you are welcome. We are glad that you are here and we hope that today’s service offers what you need as you head into the next week.

Here are a few announcements to highlight this week:

The Annual Memorial Cemetery Service will be held this afternoon Sunday, September 20, at 2pm. It will be held outdoors in the Bells Corners Union Cemetery and you are encouraged to bring a lawn chair and a bottle of water to ensure your comfort and hydration! You are also encouraged to wear a mask and observe social distancing protocols. You can find information about making donations to maintain the cemetery on our website or by speaking with Vernon Sulway.
David’s Flowers continue to be available for purchase by donation on Saturday mornings from 10:30 to 11:30, at the front of the church. The flowers will be displayed on tables outside the main entrance, and everyone is asked to bring donations by exact change or a prepared cheque, and follow the instructions from our volunteers. Thanks to the generous donors, more than $3000 has been raised to date and will be put toward the increased costs of providing online worship services and music licensing fees. And… exciting news! On Saturday, September 26, from 10am to 12 noon, Pickles, Preserves and Ruth’s famous buns will also be for sale! Pick up your flowers and a treat at the same time! We appreciate your support.
Every Wednesday evening at 8pm, we invite you to join your prayers with others from the comfort of your own home. Wherever you are, say a prayer for the world, for your community, the congregation, your family, and yourself. This week, we offer particular prayers for the Stephenson family as they mourn the passing of Doris Stephenson On Wednesday, and for Rev. Kim as she continues her journey to wellness.
If you haven’t ordered your Volume 2 of the book of Memories, now is the time! It is full of great stories and memories of the last 20 years in the life of BCUC’s church family. Please call the church office to reserve your print or digital copy and to arrange payment and pick-up.
The present health restrictions are preventing us from holding our traditional Christmas Bazaar this year but, never fear! Plans are underway for a BCUC Outdoor Market to be held on Saturday, October 17. We hope to have sales areas for baking, deli, crafts, sewing/knitting, gift baskets, and other items that can be sold safely. Christ Church Anglican will be holding a sale outside their church on the same day, so you can shop the street. Please contact Bob and Ellen Boynton if you can offer any help or suggestions. It sounds like a great new community event!
For those who are able to join us by Zoom, there will be a “Virtual Fellowship Time” every Sunday at 11:30 am. The link will be sent to you by email. If you have not yet received it, please call the office for more information during regular church office hours.

For more announcements, please check the church website.

Let us now gather our hearts and minds for worship…

Lighting of the Christ Candle Acolyte: Calliyanna Fowler

In these days when we are not all gathering
together in the church sanctuary,
When life is not the way
we wish it could be
and our church family
seems so far away,
It’s sometimes hard
to remember that Christ is still with us.
We light this candle to remind us
that, even when we can’t be together in body,
We can still be connected in love and in spirit-
And to remind us that Christ is still among us.

Call to Gather

Wait a second! I was here first!
I have been working here for hours! They just turned up.
Yet, the boss is going to pay us all the same!
What’s going on, how can this be fair?
We bring our questions of fairness into worship this morning.[1]

Prayer of Approach

If I asked you to tell me the stories of Jesus, what would you say?
Would you tell me…
“I don’t know them well enough!”
Would you tell me…
“Someone could do it much better!”
Or, would you tell me…
There once was a man who said such wonderful things and did such amazing things that people would ask him, ‘Who are you?’ And his name was Jesus.”
As stewards of the story, as walkers on Christ’s Way,
We are gifted, we are privileged, called to a responsibility to share.
So let us learn together,
Let us teach,
Let us come together to live the story!
Let us come together –
To worship God![2]

Hymn: “God We Praise You for the Morning” - Voices United #415

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

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

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

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

5. 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.

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

Storytime for the Young at Heart Erin Berard

Put up your hand if you’ve ever said, “It’s not fair….”
Yep, I think I see everyone’s hand up…

Sometimes we say that when we see things that aren’t right – it’s not fair when someone is treated differently just because of the colour of their skin, or it’s not fair that not everyone in our community has enough food to eat.

But often when we whine, “it’s not fair…” it’s all about ourselves, isn’t it?

In today’s parable some people who were hired to work were complaining that things weren’t fair. Early one morning they had been hired to work in a vineyard. They were told how much they were going to get paid for the day’s work, and at the end of the day they got that money. Doesn’t seem to be a problem, right? What have they got to complain about? They got paid what they were supposed to.

You know what it was that bugged them? It turns out that more workers were hired that day after lunch, and others hired just before the end of the day, and THEY got paid the SAME amount as the people hired early in the morning! What do YOU think about that? Was it unfair to the early workers?

Everything seemed fair until they started to compare themselves to others. The first workers forgot to appreciate what they did receive (which was what they were supposed to) and just got jealous about what the other workers got. Rather than seeing how the vineyard owner was being generous, they focused on themselves and how they felt should be treated better than the others.

God loves us all equally. God happily and generously gives love to everyone no matter how much we’ve done for God. Think of how we are all blessed with the beautiful blue sky and the warm sun no matter how old we are, how rich we are, how many years we’ve been in school…

This story can help us remember to be glad when good things happen to others and be thankful God’s continued generosity.

I wonder… Can we try letting God and others around us give generously to others and appreciate what we have next time we feel like whining…?

Hymn: “Magic Penny”

Love is something, if you give it away,
give it away, give it away.
Love is something, if you give it away,
you end up having more!
It’s just like a magic penny,
Hold it tight and you won’t have any.
Lend it, spend it, you’ll have so many,
they’ll roll all over the floor!

Prayer for Illumination Reader: Cathy Dowsett

God, sometimes the words we hear in scripture challenge us more than we like. There are times when all we want is to hear something life-affirming and easy. But then you bring us words that call us to be more, to do more, and to love more. Open us to the challenge of these words and strengthen our faith, for we ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.[3]

The Reading: Matthew 20:1-16 NRSV The Laborers in the Vineyard

20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; 4 and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. 5 When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. 6 And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ 9 When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. 10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. 11 And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 14 Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Hear what the Spirit is saying to all of us. Amen.

Sermon: “That’s Not Fair!”

“What’s it worth to you?”

Have you ever been asked that question, seriously or in jest?

I suppose the answer to such a question might depend on your perspective. If I am the person giving or selling something, I might be asking the intended recipient, “What would you be willing to pay for this?” or “What would you be willing to sacrifice for it?” The intent here would be to make a deal that would be worthwhile to me, that would benefit me in some way. The bigger the value in the eyes of the buyer, the bigger the profit to me!

If I am the person on the buying or receiving end, however, I am more likely hoping that I can obtain this item or service or whatever at a low cost to me. I hope to be getting a bargain, something of great value for the least amount of output.

The whole point of negotiating then, is to find the point where everybody feels like they have won, where everybody is happy with the outcome. Everybody gets a fair deal.

But it doesn’t always work that way, does it? What one person sees as fair is not always the same for others. Who gets to decide in the end? When we are far apart on our thinking about fairness, things can get pretty tense – even nasty. Fairness is a tricky concept. No one likes to feel that they have been taken advantage of.

This parable from the book of Matthew addresses that issue in an interesting way. It comes on the heels of the story of the wealthy young man who asked Jesus what he needed to do to have eternal life. I suppose Jesus could have asked him, “What’s it worth to you?” but, instead, he gives him a price that he knows will be a challenge; he tells the young man to sell everything he owns, give his money to the poor, and come follow him. The result is that the young man goes away, grieving… I guess eternal life wasn’t worth giving up his earthly possessions…

I think Jesus knew that this would be a challenge the young man couldn’t accept. He knows that the more comfort, and possessions, and wealth that a person accumulates, the harder it is to sacrifice it. It’s human nature. This young man was a good person – devout, kept all the commandments, wanted to do good deeds that would please God… He was willing to do anything – as long as it didn’t impact his life in a big way. Jesus shakes his head, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

The disciples were curious! They had given up everything – their livelihood, their families, their homes – and followed Jesus. Surely, they will get huge rewards! “We’ve done all that and we’ve been with you from the beginning! What will we get, Jesus?”

And this is when Jesus tells the story we heard today.

So, let’s take that same question – “What’s it worth to you?” – and see how it fits with the parable he chose to follow this experience…

A landowner needs people to work in his vineyards, so, as was the custom of the day, he heads to the market square to find some folks who are looking for work. He hires them, offering the usual daily pay. They happily agree to the terms and head to the vineyard. At this point, everyone is happy. It seems like a fair deal. The landowner gets his workers and the workers get a full day’s work and compensation.

What’s it worth to the landowner? He gets a group of workers for 12 hours, so it’s worth paying each of them the expected daily wage.

What’s it worth to the workers? They get a full day’s work. They don’t have to come back to the market later, hoping to fill in a few more hours. They can go home at the end of the day feeling successful. They accomplish exactly what they had hoped for when they arrived at the marketplace that morning. It’s worth spending 12 hours doing outside labour.

At several points later in the day, the landowner goes back to the marketplace to hire more workers. We aren’t told why this is necessary. Perhaps there is more work to be done than he originally thought. Maybe the early workers are getting tired and progress is slowing down so he needs some “fresh horses”. Maybe there is some different work that needs to be done and he needs different people to take on these new projects without taking the others off what they are doing… For whatever reason, he hires people early in the morning, again at nine o’clock, then repeats the process at noon, three o’clock, and five.

What is all this back and forth to town worth to the landowner? He gets fresh workers throughout the day, those he hires are eager to get some work, even if it is just for a few hours, more gets accomplished in his vineyard. It’s worth it!

What is it worth to the new hires? Instead of spending the whole day standing in the marketplace and going home empty-handed, they get some employment and feel that they have contributed to supporting their families. It may not be a full day’s work, but it might make the difference between the family going hungry or having at least something to eat tonight. It’s worth putting in the effort, even for a few hours.

So far, everyone is happy! Everyone feels they have gotten a fair deal. But at the end of the day, all that changes…

The landowner instructs the manager to line the workers up to be paid, and he is specific about paying the last workers to arrive, first. Instead of paying them a pro-rated amount for the number of hours they worked, he pays them a full day’s wage! And this continues on down the line… everyone gets an equal share, no matter if they have been there for twelve hours or two.

The first to be paid must be ecstatic! They had been waiting all day in the market, hoping for even a little work, losing hope of having anything to show for their time. They were given the possibility of making a few pennies so they wouldn’t be going home empty-handed and in shame but now they are going home with full pockets. It was worth all that standing in the square and getting more and more dejected as time went on.

I imagine that most of those who came later in the day would be pretty pleased to go home with a full day’s pay. It was beyond their expectations.

The ones who were hired at dawn, however, didn’t feel the same way at all… “That’s not fair!”

Even though they received exactly what they had agreed upon, even though it seemed worth it to work twelve long hours to go home with a full day’s wages in their pockets, suddenly the fact that others got the same reward for what seems like a lot less effort, makes them angry. They feel they deserve more than those other guys, that the landowner should have considered their contribution worth more than everyone else’s.

Now, the landowner could have easily prevented this problem by paying the early workers first and sending them on their way. After all, if they didn’t see what the others received, they would most likely have gone home happy with a full day’s wage for a full day’s work. It would have been worth it… but that’s not what happened. He specifically told the manager to do pay the workers from the last to arrive, to the first.

So, for some reason, everyone’s contribution to the day’s work was worth full compensation. It didn’t matter what time they arrived, the work they accomplished, at the end of the day, was all seen as valuable in the landowner’s eyes. Each person’s part was seen as just as important, just as worthy as every one else’s. Each person deserved to go home satisfied with their accomplishments and with enough money in their pockets to meet their needs.

The gospel writer doesn’t tell us how the first ones paid reacted – but we can be pretty sure they didn’t grumble. I imagine they were already grateful to get even a partial day’s work, so this would have been a welcome surprise. What a generous man this landowner was! What a caring person to send them home with not only enough money to feed their families, but with their dignity intact. They wouldn’t be feeling that they were less than the others, or worth less than anyone else. They had made a contribution, perhaps smaller than some, but perhaps all they were capable of that day.

The ones who had worked all day, however, were the ones who complained, the ones who were there from the start… the ones who were picked first for the job. That makes me think… why were they picked first and not the others who ended up standing around for hours? It makes sense to me that they would be the more able-bodied ones, the ones who looked like they could handle a full day’s work, the ones who were probably picked first every day… the ones who were always able to provide for their needs and would, therefore be in better shape physically, mentally and emotionally. They may not have had full time occupations and they may have struggled to get by… but it seems to me that they would have enjoyed some privileges that the others might be lacking for many reasons other than laziness. These others, remember, were not standing in the marketplace begging for handouts. They were willing to work but were passed over for some reason – a disability? Age? Some other reason that might limit their time or their capacity to take on a full day’s work?

So, what was the problem here? It seems that the landowner didn’t follow the norms of the day. True to Jesus’ pattern of taking something we think we understand and then turning it upside down, this man didn’t seem to base the worth of each man’s work on the length of the day or any form of merit, his decision came from a place of grace. No worker received less than he was entitled to… no one went home without the means to support himself and his family… every one of them contributed something meaningful … every person went home with their dignity intact and their needs met. One added bonus is that I bet those who were paid more than they expected would be looking forward to working for this man again. I bet those workers who came last, who had been standing idle all day because no one had hired them, were probably the ones who held back most days, thinking they would be passed over anyway for those healthy, able-bodied men who seemed to get the best work every day. Perhaps this experience will have given them the confidence to put their hands up tomorrow…

The money to pay everyone equally wasn’t coming out of the early workers’ pockets. They weren’t paid less than the fair wage of the times. So, why did they begrudge the others of the means to meet their needs? Why should it matter to them that the landowner was generous?

“That’s not fair!” they shouted…

The story tells us that they were expecting to be paid more., not that they wanted the others to get less…

Would it be fair to give those with enough even more than they were entitled to for the work they did and leave the others struggling to put food on the table?

Would it be fair to raise the comfortable higher when they haven’t done any more than expected and leave the others in poverty – increasing the gap between the haves and the have-nots?

I don’t think the early workers were necessarily being greedy…Perhaps they just didn’t think it through. They were basing their complaint on the premise that payment should be on a sliding scale according to time and ability and so, it follows at first glance that if someone else is being paid the same for something they saw as less, then they should be paid even more than was normal for the work they did – that somehow what they had done was now worth more than it was before.

The idea of a Basic Income Guarantee is a hot topic these days. It’s not a new idea. There have been many studies and even pilot projects put in place over the last decade. Lots of scholars have weighed in – economists, social justice workers, and even theologians. The Moderator of the United Church of Canada has issued a letter in support of the concept. Members of our own congregation have hosted an online presentation explaining what it is – and what it isn’t – and posted information on our church website. (I encourage you to check it out) Everyone seems to have an opinion, it seems, and the discussions between those for it and those opposed can get pretty heated at times. One thing I have noticed though is that the two sides are not always talking about the same thing.

Some people think that it’s not fair that they have to work, while others get paid to stay home. Some people think that it will cost us less to make sure people’s basic needs are being met than it costs us now to keep people on welfare. Some people think it will encourage people to take advantage of the system. Some believe it will give more people a leg up so they won’t always need to depend on outside support. Some people aren’t really sure what it’s all about. Some people think it’s just not fair.

I guess, just like in the parable, it depends on your perspective… and your understanding of the whole issue.

Is Jesus really asking us to sell all we own and live in poverty as he challenged the rich young man? … or is he asking us to replace our thirst for more, and more, with a sharing of resources to help others out of the cycle of poverty?

What’s it worth to you?

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

God of us all,
We give thanks that you see us all as worthy of your love and grace.
Help us to avoid judging others worth using worldly measures
And help us see the value in each one we meet.

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 friend, 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

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

These symbols of the sweat of our brow,
we present to you, O God,
as an act of trust:
Trust that they will contribute
to your mission in the world,
Trust that we will become
instruments of your will,
Trust that you will bless the giving and the givers. Amen[4]

Sending Forth

As a community of compassion, reborn in God’s image,
go out into the world to both spread and point out
the goodness of God’s love and grace
that is present in the world around you,
in the coming week.
Do so knowing you are both loved and [5]blessed by God,
This day and forevermore. Amen.

Hymn: “I Saw the Rich Ones” More Voices #127

1. I saw the rich ones I saw what they gave
   The widow who offered two pennies she’d saved
    And I saw she was smiling, I knew she was glad
    And I wondered because she gave all that she had.

Refrain:
            But with God the world is turned upside down
            The poor are embraced and the lost they are found.
            Let’s work for a world where all people are free
            Where it’s good to feel good about God loving you and me.

2. I saw Zacheus, a sinner they said
    But to his house I saw Jesus go to break bread
    And I knew something special had happened that day
    When Zacheus gave half of his riches away.

3. The men in the vineyards were grumbling one day
    I knew they weren’t happy with what they’d been paid
    For the ones who came later were paid just the same
    As the ones who greeted the dawn when they came.

Words & Music © 2000 Pat Mayberry, arr: © 2006 Marg Stubbington
Song #127280 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214.
All rights reserved

Departing: In the Chapel De Severac

Zoom Fellowship hosted by Lorrie at 11:30 am. Link has been emailed. See you there!

[1] Sandy Ferguson, Gathering Pentecost 2, 2020, p33. Used with permission.

[2] Richard Bott, Gathering Pentecost 2, 2018, p29. Used with permission.

[3] Susan Ivany, Gathering, Pentecost 2 2017, p37. Used with permission.

[4] Gord Dunbar, Gathering Pentecost 2, 2014, p35. Used with permission.

[5] Allan Warren, Gathering Pentecost 2, 2014, p36. Used with permission.

Connie Davidson

September 12, 2020

Announcements

In-Person Modified Virtual Worship Services offered throughout September

Connie Davidson

September 12, 2020

Announcements

For this and all events we are following public health recommendations related to COVID-19 safety. If you would like to attend, please read more about the services below. You must pre-register for each service by using the online form or by contacting the office at (613) 820-8103 or office@bcuc.org.

Connie Davidson

September 12, 2020

Worship services

Sunday Worship Service - September 13, 2020

Connie Davidson

September 12, 2020

Worship services

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

1st SUNDAY OF CREATION TIME IN THE SEASON OF PENTECOST
FALL WORSHIP SERVICE

September 13, 2020

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: Fallen Embers – Enya

Welcome & Announcements

Here are a few announcements to highlight this week:

- David’s Flowers are available for purchase by donation every Saturday morning from 10:30 to 11:30, drive-through style. The flowers will be displayed on tables outside the main entrance, and everyone is asked to bring donations by exact change or a prepared cheque, and remain in your car to receive instructions from our volunteers. Thank you for your support!

- Every Wednesday evening at 8pm, we invite you to join your prayers with others from the comfort of your own home. Wherever you are, say a prayer for the world, for your community, the congregation, your family, and yourself. This week, we offer particular prayers for Bev Wilcox as she mourns the death of her brother, and for Rev. Kim as she takes the time she needs to get well.

- Volume 2 of the book of Memories is available for purchase in either print or digital format. Please call the church office to reserve your copy and arrange payment and pick-up.

- You can also purchase Grocery cards by calling the church office.

- For those who are able to join us by Zoom, there will be a “Virtual Fellowship Time” every Sunday at 11:30 am. The link will be sent to you by email. If you have not yet received it, please call the office for more information during regular church office hours.

For more announcements, please check the church website.

Let us now gather our hearts and minds for worship…

Lighting of the Christ Candle[1] Acolytes: Chris and Kaylee Brown

We light the Christ candle knowing that Christ’s love shines like a beacon for those of us who are troubled, who are anxious, who are unsure, welcoming us into the presence of our God, who loves us into fullness.

Call to Gather[2]:

We turn to the right
and Jesus gives us a sign to let go of the past, to offer forgiveness.
We turn to the left
And the Holy Spirit swirls the freshness of the present moment around us.
Then we recognize God’s voice behind us, urging us to move forward.
Come, let us follow the signs of our faith and breathe in the freshness of the Spirit
As we go forward into worship.

Prayer of Approach[3]

Caring Teacher,
So often we come to you with our questions.
Where are you? What should I do? Why me?
Other times we put questions in your mouth, assuming your main concern is our moral behaviour:
Were we judgmental? Did we give enough?
Loving, nurturing, and at times … challenging God, your actual questions often surprise us.
Freely ask them of us today for our hearts are open to hear them.
Question us, teach us, and guide us, we pray. Amen

Hymn: “All Creatures of Our God and King” Voices United #217

1. All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing:
Hallelujah, hallelujah!
Bright, burning sun with golden beam,
Soft, shining moon with silver gleam,
Sing praises, sing praises,
Hallelujah, hallelujah!

2. O rushing winds and breezes soft,
O clouds that ride the winds aloft,
Sing praises, hallelujah!
O rising morn, in praise rejoice,
O lights of evening find a voice:
Sing praises, sing praises,
Hallelujah, hallelujah!

3. Earth, ever fertile day by day
Brings forth rich blessings on our way:
Sing praises, hallelujah!
The flowers and fruits that verdant grow,
Let them God’s glory also show:
Sing praises, sing praises,
Hallelujah, hallelujah!

4. And everyone of tender heart,
Forgiving others, take your part:
Sing praises, hallelujah!
All who long pain and sorrow bear,
Praise God and yield up all your care:
Sing praises, sing praises,
Hallelujah, hallelujah!

5. Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship God in humbleness:
Sing praises, hallelujah!
Praise God eternal, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, three in one:
Sing praises, sing praises,
Hallelujah, hallelujah!

Words 1225 St. Francis of Assisi, trans 1919 Draper, Music 1623
Geistliche Kirchengesänge harmony 1906 Ralph Vaughan Williams ONE LICENSE #A-733214

Storytime for the Young at Heart Erin Berard

I’d like you to imagine you are the person in this pretend story.

Let’s imagine that you’re really interested in taking pictures, in photography, and one day your uncle lends you his really fancy camera to practice with. You have a really good time taking some pictures in your backyard, and then you put the camera down on your picnic table when you go inside to get a drink. And you forget about it overnight. And it rains. Oh boy… You’re in a lot of trouble now, and you’re probably going to have to use up a lot of your allowance for weeks or even months to come to pay to replace the camera.

So how would you feel when your uncle came the next day and saw the camera and he said, “Don’t worry. It was an accident. I understand. I forgive you. Don’t worry about paying for the repairs or replacing the camera. I’ve got it.”

Would you feel grateful? Relieved? What a kindness!

Let’s imagine some time goes by, and it’s your birthday! You get that camera you’ve been waiting for! You have a great time taking pictures of the birthday celebrations… until your brother accidently dumps a big glass of fruit punch all over your brand-new camera.

Would you be as willing to be forgiving as your uncle was to you?

It’s hard to forgive others sometimes, isn’t it?
But Jesus tells us we should be always ready to forgive others.

When Jesus tells a similar story about forgiveness, Peter asks him, So Jesus, how many times should I forgive someone before enough is enough? (Is it like, ‘3 strikes, you’re out’?) Peter suggests seven times - Is seven times enough, Jesus? Jesus says, No, Peter, try seventy times, or even seventy times seven times. That’s like 490!

I couldn’t keep track of saying sorry that many times! But that’s not really the point, is it? Jesus is trying to tell us that we should keep on forgiving over and over and over again, just like God forgives us over and over and over again for all the mistakes and bad choices we make every day.

Let’s try to follow that example and forgive others as we have been forgiven.

Hymn: “Listen, God is Calling” More Voices #97

Listen, God is calling, through the Word inviting,
Offering forgiveness, comfort and joy.

Words & Music © Traditional Tanzania song, translation: Olson, Arr. © More Voices 2007
Song #01607 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination[4] Reader: David Stafford

For the word of God in scripture, among us and within us,
Thanks be to God. Amen.

The Reading: Matthew 18: 21-35 NRSV “The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant”

21 Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.

23 “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; 25 and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. 26 So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. 31 When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32 Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. 35 So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Hear what the Spirit is saying to all of us. Amen.

Sermon: “Extravagant Forgiveness” Lorrie Lowes DM

In today’s scripture reading, we meet the “Story Telling Man” again. Jesus often used parables to teach both his disciples and the crowds who gathered to hear him as he conducted his itinerant ministry. Most of these stories, we have found, take a familiar theme and turn it on its head. The endings are not at all what we, or the people of his time, are expecting. They usually take us by surprise and challenge us to think about things from a whole new perspective. This one, the story of the unforgiving servant, however, seems to be an exception. Not only does the unforgiving man get punished, but Jesus warns us that the same fate awaits anyone who acts in this way – that God will torture those who are unforgiving. What a scary thought! Rather than Jesus’ usual assurance of God’s grace, we are threatened with God’s anger. Perhaps it is the logical ending to the story, but it flies in the face of everything we have come to understand about God and about Jesus. What on earth are we supposed to do with this?

“So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

There are many scholars who believe that this last verse was not, in fact, a direct quote from Jesus at all. They believe that the writer of the book of Matthew added this, that it fit with his own interpretation of what Jesus was teaching that day. So, does that mean we should just ignore that sentence and move on? Should we have just left it out of today’s reading? Even without that direct threat, the ending of the story leaves us with the same challenge: What was Jesus trying to teach with this parable that day?

Forgiveness is a difficult concept for all of us. In Jesus’ time, rabbis addressed this problem with a formula. Forgiveness for a repeated event, they recommended, should be extended no more than three times. After that, I guess, the gloves were off! Peter, in his question to Jesus, was being very generous to suggest forgiving seven times. I imagine he knew that Jesus wouldn’t be so harsh and so he doubled the recommended number and then some. Jesus responds – and I imagine him speaking with a laugh – “Seven times? Try seventy-seven!” In some translations, he says seventy times seven! Obviously, he is not asking Peter to keep a tally. I believe he is making the point that there really is no limit to the forgiveness we should be willing to give. It’s the kind of answer that says to Peter, “You really don’t get it, do you?” Peter is focussed on the process, Jesus is focussed on the intent, the love, that should be behind the act of forgiving. And so, he turns to his usual method for getting a difficult idea across; he tells a story.

In this story, Jesus uses a very concrete example that everyone can relate to – money. He hits his listeners hard where it counts, right in the pocketbook! To get a clear idea of just how hard, we need to understand the money he is talking about. The first slave, we are told, owes the king “ten thousand talents”. A talent was a measure of weight. One talent weighed around 130 pounds. If we consider that this was probably referring to silver, the usual currency of the time, one talent represented about 15 years of work for the typical labourer. Ten thousand talents, then, would require 150,000 years of income. It is an amount that would be impossible for the slave to ever pay back! The fellow slave, we are told, owes the first a hundred denarii. One denarius was apparently the average wage for a day’s work, so, not nearly such an unreasonable amount of debt. So, the king has forgiven a debt of around $10 million dollars and the forgiven slave is demanding payment of, perhaps, $2000, three or four months’ income. It’s not a small amount, by any means, but one that could reasonably be paid off over time.

So, who are the characters in this story? I think it’s natural to assume that the king represents God. In the beginning of the story at least, this king acts in the way we would expect God to. He listens to the plea of the slave, “Have patience with me!” He even seems to accept this totally impossible commitment that in time the debt – that $10 million dollars – will be paid in full. Surely, he realizes that this is not going to happen. He could follow through with his original plan to throw the guy in prison and sell all of his assets, including his wife and children, and at least recoup some of that money. Instead, he chooses to forgive the debt entirely. That sounds like the God we know.

So, I guess if the king is God, that makes the slaves all of us humans… The first slave must be pretty wealthy. If he owes the king ten million dollars, I would think he is living a pretty luxurious life after all. The second slave is more like many of us, I guess, managing alright but working hard to support our lifestyle and sometimes depending on credit to make that happen. When we talked about this in the Lectionary Study Group this week, we thought about how the experience of these two slaves fit with what we know in society today. Jan talked about farmers. They work on bank credit. They borrow money to plant the crops with the expectation that they will be able to pay it back at harvest time. If there is a particularly bad year, the banks are less likely to continue to carry the debt of the small farmers than they are of the ones with huge properties and the greater potential of recovering to turn a profit the following year. Sue also noted that the same thing happens when we take out a loan at the bank. If you owe a thousand dollars, you are in big trouble if you can’t make your payments, and yet it seems that millionaires get by – often by shifting the debt from their large corporation to smaller ones under their control, letting the little guys take the hit for the big guy’s mistake. Sounds a lot like what the wealthy slave was trying to do to the one who owed him money. The more the world progresses, the more human nature remains the same…

But, let’s go back to Jesus and this parable. I don’t think the lesson he was trying to teach was that the wealthier you are, the less likely you are to suffer… and I’m still struggling with the ending of the story where that seemingly benevolent king is suddenly out for blood when he finds out that the recipient of his good will isn’t acting the same way. What happened to the unending grace we are promised by God? What happened to the seventy-seven gifts of forgiveness?

It makes me think that, perhaps, this king doesn’t represent God at all. Maybe he is just human like us. Forgiveness is a difficult thing for us mere mortals, especially when we’ve been burned more than once. Forgiving someone can seem like giving them a pass – or more than that, giving them permission to hurt us again… and again. We want to be loving to our neighbours, but even we Christians don’t want to be suckers, opening ourselves to abuse by those very people we are showing that love to. It’s a nice ideal, but in the real world, we tend to be wary of doling out forgiveness at every turn. We are afraid of being taken advantage of; we are afraid of setting ourselves up to be used.

But, when Jesus talks about forgiveness, is that really what he’s asking us to do?

When Peter asked the question, “How many times should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”, he is focussing on the expectation that he must forgive or face the wrath of God. With that attitude, it’s all about saying the words, not about truly offering forgiveness. “OK, I’ll give you 6 more chances but then watch out!” Is that a sincere act of forgiveness? Will that change the relationship and the trust between the two parties?

It makes me think about those times with children when we say, “Apologize to your sister!” and we get the snarky response, “Sorry!” We all know they aren’t sorry at all, but the offended child is then expected to say, “It’s ok.” Problem solved! Conflict ended!... but is it really? Chances are, the injured party is still hurting or angry and the offender thinks they got away with it. Often, the minute you turn your back there is another poke or a tongue stuck out…. But what else can we do?

I think there has to be more to that exchange of forgiveness and apology. There needs to be a communication between the parties involved – and sometimes a mediator to help that communication take place. What if, instead of saying, “Apologize to your sister!”, we begin with, “Johnny, what you did to Sally has made her very angry (or hurt, or upset). Can you tell me what’s going on that you felt like doing that and Sally, can you tell Johnny why you are crying?” You can be sure it won’t be an easy conversation. It will quickly turn into “Well she said (or did) something first….!” Or “It’s not fair that…!” and there will likely be lots of strong emotions expressed on both sides. Instead of getting a quick interchange of “I’m sorry” and “It’s ok”, you will be forced to get to the bottom of the issue and help work out a solution.

It’s this kind of confrontation that is necessary if we are looking for true reconciliation, for real healing of the situation. It’s how we teach our children to treat each other with respect.

This isn’t just a childhood problem though. Even as adults, when someone wrongs us, are we really looking for an apology or are we demanding justice? Be honest… more often than not we want blood! We want them to pay for what they’ve done.

Is a simple apology - forced or not - ever enough?

Does telling someone they are forgiven solve the problem?

From my days in parenting and in teaching, I can tell you that it doesn’t work that way with kids. From my days as a social worker, I can tell you that it doesn’t work with adults either. Think about the couple that is struggling in their marriage and, often as a last resort, turns to counselling. They will likely say they are there to sort out their problems, but when the conversation begins, they are really looking to the counsellor to justify their anger. At least in the beginning, each one is trying to get the counsellor on their side. A powerful question to think about in this situation, or in any conflict for that matter, is “What outcome are you hoping for?” Sometimes, (dare I say often?), if things have progressed to the point where they are seeking outside help, they have already decided that the marriage is over. What counselling can do in that case, is to heal the relationship to the point where they can part ways but still function respectfully in the future – something that’s especially vital when there are children involved. So, the apology might come in the form of “I’m sorry I can’t be the partner you need to make this relationship work.” And then the forgiveness comes with “What can we do to make sure we don’t continue to hurt each other and those around us?” Once we get past the hurt and anger, the demand for revenge, reconciliation is a much bigger possibility.

We can think about this on a bigger, societal scale, when we apply the same thinking to the Black Lives Matter movement or to the Truth and Reconciliation process here in Canada. In order for any change or healing to take place, there needs to be a time for sharing our hurts, for listening to the other perspective, for creating a real way forward. “We said we were sorry; can’t you just accept that and move on?” doesn’t really address the situation.

We can’t put a limit on this. We can’t arbitrarily decide that seven apologies or seventy-seven is the limit to which we are willing to go. It’s not the formula that counts, it’s the process of finding the way forward.

There is a quote, sometimes attributed to Nelson Mandela, but also to Alcoholics Anonymous, Buddha and several others, that comes to mind for me. “Holding on to resentment is like drinking poison and expecting the wrongdoer to die.” Forgiving someone makes us vulnerable and open to being hurt but that risk is absolutely necessary if we want real change to take place.

In the parable about the unforgiving servant, the wicked slave is turned over by the king to a life of torture. Perhaps that king was not meant to represent God, after all, but is rather a symbol of our own instinct for self-preservation and the consequences of not listening to our conscience. Perhaps the king in the tale is ego…

Love your neighbour as you love yourself, is the message we hear from Jesus over and over again. God offers the gift of unending grace, he tells us. What an extravagant gift that is! Can we take up the challenge to offer that same gift to others… not just seven times, but seventy-seven times… or more? Amen

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

Holy One,

Over and over again, you offer us your gifts of love and grace. Your compassion is not bound by the limits of time or even by our success or failure in carrying out your dream of peace, harmony, and justice in this world. Through the words and example of Jesus, you call us to live out our gratitude for that extravagant gift by loving our neighbour. Help us to remember those lessons as we struggle to carry them out in the harsh reality of day to day living.

We give you thanks for the many blessings in our lives – the celebration of new babies and the extending of loving families their arrival brings, where we embrace new roles of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins and siblings. We thank you for the extravagant gift of ever-growing circles of love. Let it be a reminder to spread that abundance to all we meet.

Your gift of compassion for each of us reminds us to be compassionate to those around us, particularly to those who suffer due to illness, grief, loneliness, or fear. Today we ask your blessing particularly on Bev Wilcox and her family as they mourn the passing of her brother, and all those in our midst who struggle with such losses in this time when health precautions keep us from offering support to each other in person. We pray for Rev. Kim, that she will find the rest and care she needs to come back to us in full health. We pray for Mandy Crow as she recovers from surgery. And we pray for all the caregivers who work on the front lines and behind the scenes to help the healing take place. We pray for all those feeling the loneliness that the pandemic precautions have caused. Help us to remember to reach out to each other through telephone, email, cards, and prayers so that the love we want to share is felt in the hearts of those we cannot see or touch.

We pray for all of Creation, that the interconnectedness of each living thing is honoured by all who share this planet. Help us to find the way to ensure that the basic necessities of life and health are distributed in a way that ensures abundant life for all.

We pray for our leaders here at home and around the world that their decisions and their motivations serve to advance your dream of peace and harmony. Let the desire for power and greed be outweighed by the love for neighbour and a wish for justice for all.

Help us as we struggle to become the people you want us to be. Help us practice the kind of extravagant grace that you are so willing to offer to us.

We ask these things in the words that Jesus taught…

Invitation to Offer

One of the many ways we show our love for our neighbour is by sharing our gifts.

Offertory Prayer[5]

Ever giving God,
We bring these gifts as a response to the many gifts you offer to us.
We have been blessed in so many ways;
May our response this day be a means of blessing others. Amen.

Sending Forth

Enter the world with God’s love reflecting from your heart. Grant forgiveness to your neighbour, and remember, likewise, to seek forgiveness from them.[6]

And as you go, remember that you are held in God’s guiding love and blessed with the extravagant gift of God’s forgiving grace.

Amen

Hymn: “Your Hand, O God, Has Guided” Voices United #274

1. Your hand, O God, has guided your flock from age to age;
The wondrous tale is written, full clear on every page.
Our forebears owned your goodness, and we their deeds record.
And both to this bear witness:
One church, one faith, one Lord.

2. Your heralds brought glad tidings to greatest as to least;
They bade them rise and hasten to share the heavenly feast.
And this was all their teaching, in every deed and word,
To all alike proclaiming:
One church, one faith, one Lord.

3. Through many days of darkness, through many scenes of strife,
The faithful few fought bravely to guard your people’s life.
Their gospel of redemption, sin pardoned, earth restored,
Was all in this enfolded:
One church, one faith, one Lord.

4. And we, shall we be faithless? Shall hearts fail, hands hang down?
Shall we evade the conflict and cast away our crown?
Not so: in God’s deep counsels some better thing is stored;
We will remain unflinching,
One church, one faith, one Lord.

5. Your mercy will not fail us, nor leave your work undone;
With your right hand to help us, the victory shall be won;
And then, by earth and heaven, your name shall be adored,
And this shall be our anthem:
One church, one faith, one Lord.

Departing: Puff Balls - Keats

Zoom Fellowship hosted by Lorrie at 11:30 am. Link has been emailed. See you there!

[1] Fern Gibbard, Gathering Pentecost 2, 2020, p32. Used with permission.

[2] Norah Laverty, Gathering Pentecost 2, 2020, p 34. Used with permission.

[3] Karen Boivin, Gathering, Pentecost 2, 2014, p32. Used with permission.

[4] Gord Dunbar, Gathering Pentecost 2 2020, p41. Used with permission.

[5] Beth W Johnston, Gathering Pentecost 2, 2017, p 39. Used with permission.

[6] George Allan, Gathering Pentecost 2, 2020, p45. Used with permission.

Connie Davidson

September 5, 2020

Worship services

Sunday Worship Service - September 6, 2020

Connie Davidson

September 5, 2020

Worship services

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

14TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
SUMMER WORSHIP SERVICE

September 6, 2020

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: When Peace Like a River – arr. Mark Hayes

Acknowledgement of Territory

We begin our worship service by acknowledging the territory where most of us gather and where I am located. We acknowledge that we are gathered on the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe First Nation. We pay respect to the elders past and present and honour all indigenous people’s reverence of this land throughout the ages. May we live in peace and friendship to sustain the earth and all its people. Thank you for permitting us to live and work on this land.

Welcome & Announcements

Good day everyone! On behalf of Bells Corners United Church, I welcome and greet you in the name of Jesus Christ, wherever you are, in today’s worship service. Thank you for joining us. In the next few Sundays including today, we are going to reflect on the stories in the Gospel according to Matthew. Today, a difficult text is presented to us but with a word of hope at the end – that famous line, “where two or three are gathered in my name, I am in their midst.”

During this time when only a limited number of people are able to worship in the church sanctuary, please know that BCUC offers worship service in a number of ways. Check our website at bcuc.org, for our worship service in audio, video and text formats along with the weekly announcements, online meetings, events and other updates. You can also listen to the service via telephone by dialing 613-820-8104. Please continue to reach out by connecting with each other through emails, phone calls and prayers.

Here are some announcements:

As we slowly reopen the building, there is an opportunity to gather again in the sanctuary for a modified virtual worship service on Sept. 13th at 10 am. A maximum number of 28 people excluding the staff and ushers are invited to gather. To save a spot, you are required to register online or by calling the office. Deadline to register is September 9th. Full information on procedures and safety measures are posted on our website. We are also in need of ushers for September 13. Please call the office if you are interested.
Copies of the Book of Memories Volume 2 are now available for purchase. Please contact the office to place an order.
Join us for a spontaneous Prayer Circle every Wednesday at 8 pm. Wherever you are, say a prayer for the world, your community including the congregation, your family, and yourself.
David’s Flowers are still available drive-through style every Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 am at BCUC. The flowers will be displayed on tables outside the main entrance, and everyone is asked to remain in their car, and follow instructions of volunteers. Thank you for your support!
And for those of you who are able to join us via Zoom, there will be zoom fellowship every Sunday at 11: 30 am. Link has been emailed to you or call the office for more information.

For other announcements, please check your email or the church website.

Friends, in the quiet of this moment, in the stillness of our hearts, I now invite you to centre yourself in the presence of God who calls us to gather in Spirit and in truth. Let us gather in worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle Acolytes: Noah & Nicholas Berard

"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)

Christ’s light shines on!

Call to Worship:[1] Erin Berard

We gather in the love of God to worship,
hoping to find some new way of knowing our God.
We come seeking you, Creator God.
We gather in the love and fellowship of one another,
offering our friendship, care, and support, ready to serve.
We come seeking you, Jesus the Christ.
We gather in awe of a Holy, loving presence,
yearning for an experience beyond ourselves.
We come seeking you, Holy Spirit.
Come now, worship and experience the holy,
alive in the presence of God, working in Christ Jesus
and living in the mystery of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer of Approach

God of summer sunshine and sweltering heat,
God of gentle rains and thundering storms,
God of lakes and rivers, fields and pastures,
Come be with us in this place.
May we be attentive to the rhythm of life that beats within us.
May we see this day and all days as spaces of hope,
open and yearning for your life-giving presence. Amen.

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

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 #27554 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Storytime for the Young at Heart: Erin Berard

(Sounds of children arguing and yelling…)

It’s hard to get along sometimes, isn’t it?

In today’s Bible passage, Jesus is giving his followers advice on dealing with disagreements. It finishes with Him saying, “where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, I am there with them.”

That might be familiar to those of you who have been in my Sunday School class before. That’s usually what I say as we light the candle to remind us that as we come together to learn, Jesus is there, too.

It also makes me think of the summer camp I worked at for many years. On the first day of every new week of camp, we discussed that verse in our God Chat time. With all the campers and counsellors gathered on the picnic tables under the trees, in the sunshine, it was easy to feel the uplifting presence of Jesus there with us. We were filled with the excitement of possibilities for the week ahead – new friends, fun activities, being outdoors. It was a maybe little more difficult to have a feeling of positive presence as the week wore on - people were maybe annoyed with cabin mates who snored, or there were disagreements over the rules for the sports games, and so on. But “where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, I am there” – not just when people are getting along, but when we’re trying to work out disagreements, too.

Think about some times when you and your friends or family members have argued. Would knowing Jesus is there make a difference? Would you be willing let Him help? What might Jesus say as you’re trying to work things out? How would His loving kindness support everyone involved in problem-solving for a solution?

Let’s look, listen, and feel for Jesus being with us as we spend time with others this week – both in the happy times and when we’re trying to work out any differences.

Hymn: Where Two or Three Are Gathered - More Voices #14 (Round)

Where two or three are gathered in my name,
I am there, I am there.

Prayer for Illumination Reader: Ross Mutton

God of joy and delight, open our hearts to receive the good news of your Word. May we hear your Word anew and give us hope as your people. Amen.

The Reading: Matthew 18: 15-20 (NRSV)

“Where Two or Three Are Gathered”

15 “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.

16 But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.

17 If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

18 Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

19 Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.

20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

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

Sermon: “This Thing Called Community” Rev. Kim Vidal

On a Sunday such as this when we begin a new season in our church life, when we are preparing for a long weekend, when we are confronted by the uncertainty of the schools re-opening in this COVID time, the words of Jesus come to us through one of the difficult teachings of Matthew and his community, instructing us what to do when someone wronged or offended us. Matthew’s words are harsher – he says: when someone sins against us. This Matthean passage was originally written to the new followers of Jesus Christ, around 85-95 CE, who took their corporate life very seriously and was struggling to stay alive in the midst of hostile surroundings. According to Matthew, we are to take the necessary steps to confront those who sin against us and seek reconciliation and justice within the community.

I'm not exactly sure what bugs me so much about this passage. Maybe it's the way too many people easily "wag their fingers at someone and point out their faults”. Or maybe it's the reference to treating the one who sinned as "a Gentile and a tax collector" which I find discriminating. Or maybe this all goes back to Fr. Rick Morley’s probe of the text in today’s church life. In his article he titled, “before you un-friend”, here’s what Fr. Morley wrote: “If another member of the church sins against you…just talk about them behind their back. If another member of the church sins against you…just call a bunch of people in the church to complain about them. You may even want to start a letter-writing campaign against them. If another member of the church sins against you…just send them a nasty email. Copy the clergy to make it more exciting. If another member of the church sins against you…don’t say anything. Just avoid them. Un-friend them on Facebook. And, if you can’t avoid them on Sundays, then just leave the church”. Sounds familiar? But this is not just about church life. We experience these in our personal life, at our workplaces the political world, or in our neighbourhood. The more I ponder on this text, the more I see big words that jump at me: conflict resolution / anger management / disagreements / discipline and reprimand/ reconciliation.

This reminds me of a funny story. There was once a church where the minister and the music director were not getting along. As time went by, their conflict began to spill over into the worship service. The first week the minister preached on commitment and how people should dedicate themselves to the service of God. The music director led the song, "I Shall Not Be Moved." The second week the minister preached on stewardship and how people should gladly give to the work and mission of the church. The music director conducted the song, "Jesus Paid it All." The third week the minister preached on gossiping and how people should watch their tongues. Guess what hymn the music director picked? "I Love to Tell the Story." With all this going on, the minister became very upset over the situation and the following Sunday told the congregation that he was considering resigning. The music director picked the hymn, "Oh, Why Not Tonight?" As it came to pass, the minister did indeed resign. The next week he informed the church that it was Jesus who led him there and it was Jesus who was taking him away. And the music director asked the congregation to sing "What a Friend We Have in Jesus."

If we read Matthew’s passage closely enough, we will soon realize that Matthew's deep concern in this text is the word community – “where two or more are gathered” honest-to-goodness, authentic community. Community, after all, is one of those “feel-good” words that draw us into comfortable zones -- we imagine something out of a social or a civic club, a place where we are accepted of who we are, where we are connected with like-minded people, and where, of course, almost everyone knows our name. But the really difficult thing about community is that it's made up of people – warm blooded sensitive human beings! Diverse, different, unique individuals. There are people who are honest, caring, loving, just and appreciative. And sometimes there are people who are difficult, challenging, tired, offensive and unreliable. Which means that usually when we're daydreaming about community, we’re often prompted to visualize a perfect gathering– a place where there is harmony and peace and compassion all the time. It sounds ideal but it doesn’t work always this way. It’s time to wake up, folks!

Here’s an example of a community life which sometimes confront many churches today. In a church committee meeting, someone made a negative comment or does something which is clearly destructive to the health and wholeness of the congregation. Nasty gossips follow, then false accusations. A self-serving decision was passed that promotes one aspect of the church’s life above another. What do we do in this situation? Well, Matthew suggests that—not there in public—but at the soonest possible moment, go privately and confront the person with their behaviour. Sounds good to me, although confronting the person privately or publicly entails courage and risks. We need witnesses to vouch for the confrontation that’s about to take place. Then, if they do not respond appropriately, Matthew recommends to return accompanied by two other church members, hoping that wise listening and mediation will do the trick. If that doesn’t work, you are supposed to stand up here on a Sunday morning and bring the controversy out into the open for the whole community to hear. "No way," we respond. Who are we to invade the privacy of another? Who are we to question the motives or the behaviour of others? Who says that we are right and they are wrong? After all, we are a tolerant, open-minded community where everyone is welcome and anything goes.

So, instead, we just let the controversy slide. We pretend the conflict, the offense, never happened. But that doesn’t mean we can’t go and find others who agree with us, thus padding ourselves against the problem, convincing ourselves that the community doesn’t agree with the transgressor, and that we don’t need that person anyway. Or maybe we mutter about the problem to anyone who will listen to us…in the parking lot or in the grocery store or through e-mail or on the phone. The one thing we are slow in doing is to bring the concern out into the open where the issue can be named and dealt with. But, my friends, if avoidance is our response, then there will be consequences; consequences for us individually, as well as for the whole community. Probably, affection for the community will begin to fade. And maybe the one who violated the community norms will be shunned, ignored, and allowed to disappear. Any way you look at it, the community is damaged, diminished, and possibly bruised forever.

My friends, we know better. We know that a community—whether it is home, work, family, neighborhood or church—is never served when we "play nice" all the time or when we sugarcoat conflicts. Susan Andrew offers this wisdom: “Community is never served when we build factions; perpetuate gossip, and let anger and frustration fester. Community is never served when inappropriate and destructive behavior is not held accountable. So maybe Matthew—with his difficult strategy, with his advice to stop the brooding and confront the destructive behavior early and cleanly—has got the right idea. When two or three gather together to confront differences and controversies squarely and lovingly, maybe that is when Christ is in the midst of them…and in the midst of us.”

Peculiar as it may sound, an authentic community is hard to come by. It demands a lot of work and involvement. But it's worth it. Because when you find it, it's like discovering heaven on earth; it is like experiencing the reality of God's communal fellowship and existence in our midst. And, as Jesus promises, when you gather this way -- with honesty and integrity, even when it's hard – even when there are only two or three of you, amazing things can happen because God’s spirit is in your midst, right there, forming and being formed by your communal sharing.

What kind of community do we want to be at Bells Corners United Church? Do we want something more meaningful or intimate? Do we want a place that can both encourage us and hold us accountable? Are we looking for a community we can be honest about our hopes and fears, dreams and anxieties? Do we want someplace we can just blend in or are we looking for a space where we can make a difference? Truth be known – a church community is far from being perfect but we certainly can make it happen.

Here’s my personal reflection. An authentic community calls for a listening heart between and among those who dwell in community, whether in conflict or in compassion. A listening asks us to be present, to be honest of who we are and to listen with integrity and compassion. In the midst of all our pre-occupations, the listening heart is exactly what is required between us and among us – in a gathering of two or three or more! In a time of great energy and excitement, it can be difficult to hear with a listening heart. In a church where so much is happening and the joy between us is profound, a listening heart and a discerning mind can be a powerful gift to us as we continue to develop and lay claim to our vision for who we are called to be as people of God in this time and this place.

A listening heart is required as we gather in worship and work together as a faith community, as we become Christ for each other in the world. Let us listen to our own hearts, attempting to discern God's promise and hope for each one, individually and within the community. And let us listen to the heart of God. Perhaps this is the most profound listening of all. God has a promise for all those who choose to live and learn and love in community. "For where two or three are gathered, there I am in the midst." God promises presence and deep hope to those who dwell together and dare to cast a dream and a vision of justice, hope and love for all.

As we enter this new season of our community life and leadership in this pandemic time, let us listen with intent. Let's not get locked into our old, normal way routines, which can maximize excitement and minimize reflection. Let's not act as if a full calendar makes a fulfilled life and a deep community. In the midst of social distancing and minimized gathering, let us listen to our own longing and the longings of others and the reality of pain and hurts in the world. Listen to each other. Listen to our own hearts. Listen to the world. Listen to God. Wherever two or more are gathered, God is with us. Amen.

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

In this moment, in this place, we have the opportunity to quiet our minds and open ourselves to God's presence among us. Let us gather our hearts in prayer:

Creator God, may we join with the whole of your creation, in praising you, through the fragrance and melody of our lives. As we welcome a new month in our midst, you invite us to look for more surprises in the faces of those around us, in the words of hymns and prayers, in the hopes and dreams of a world that longs for peace and compassion, in the beauty of the earth and all of creation, every creature, every plant, every rock and grain of sand proclaims your presence.
God of love, you are indeed good to us. Sometimes we get so caught up in ourselves, our routines and the need of the moment that we lose sight of the resources and gifts you bless us with. Thank you, God, for Bells Corners United Church, its staff, leaders and volunteers, members and adherents and those who share its common purpose. We pray for all students and learners as a new school year begins. We pray for wisdom and understanding for students and teachers in our public and private schools and in our colleges and universities. May they all be guided and enlightened by love and by your example.

On this Labour Day weekend, we pray for all who shoulder the tasks of human labour—in the farms, marketplaces, in factories and offices, in the professions, in schools and churches, health sector and in family living. We thank you, God, for the gift and opportunity of work; may our efforts always be pure of heart, for the good of others. We lift up to you all who long for just employment and those who work to defend the rights and needs of workers everywhere. May those of us who are now retired always remember that we still make a valuable contribution to community by our prayers, by our presence and acts of charity.

Loving God, comfort all who suffer sickness, sorrow, oppression, hunger and loneliness. Each of us is known and held by you, affirming our place in your heart. Extend your love to all those who are lifted up in our prayer circle and grant us compassion so that we too may extend our hands to comfort and heal. We hold up to you the Garvie and Watson families as they grieve the loss of Arthur Buss.

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 because of this pandemic time, the racial strife in the many parts of the world particularly in Canada, the United States, France and Belarus. We feel afraid and powerless. And yet, you remind us that we are not alone in our desire for peace and justice, in the efforts we make in our families, with our friends, in our communities, and in our larger world. We are not alone for you, O God, are with us and with all of the peace-seekers and peacemakers.

Finally, I offer this prayer for all of us who seek to follow the ways of Jesus Christ.
I dare to pray: God, let the world be changed, let my life be changed,
For I long to bring hope where the Good News is needed.
In the strength of your spirit,
And inspired by your compassion,
I make this promise to work for change,
And wait confidently for the day
When you make all things new.
This world,
Your creation, rolled into a sphere, packaged in sunshine, gift-wrapped in love, given to us,
Thank you.
All these we ask in Jesus’ name who taught his disciples 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. Kim Vidal

Offertory Prayer

Receive our gifts, gracious God, which we offer in sincerity and as an act of trust: trust that they will contribute to your acts of love in the world, trust that we will become instruments of your will, and trust that you will bless the giving and the givers. Amen.

Sending Forth: Rev. Kim Vidal

Let us go from this place out into the world that waits for us.
Let us go with a faith as firm as the earth itself,
with a love as embracing as the presence of God,
with a hope as strong as the life of Jesus Christ,
and a peace as abiding as the winds of the Spirit.
Let us go and be a blessing
this day and in the days to come. Amen!

Hymn: May the God of Hope Go with Us - Voices United #424

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

Words © v1 1984 Schutmaat, v2 1993 Kaan Hope Pub., Argentine Folk Melody
Song #78182 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing: Andante – Handel

Zoom Fellowship hosted by Lorrie at 11: 30 am. Link has been emailed. See you there!

[1] Heather McClure, Gathering-Pentecost 1 2017, Year A.

Connie Davidson

September 2, 2020

Announcements

Sept. 13 In-Person Modified Virtual Worship Service

Connie Davidson

September 2, 2020

Announcements

We are offering another in-person modified worship service on Sunday, September 13, at 10am

For this and all events we are following public health recommendations related to COVID-19 safety. If you would like to attend, please read more about the service below. You must pre-register before September 9 by using the online form or by contacting the office at (613) 820-8103 or office@bcuc.org.

Description of Service

This service will consist of viewing a video service similar to our current online worship videos along with some segments of the service led in-person by our pastoral staff. There will be no Sunday School or nursery care.

Connie Davidson

August 29, 2020

Worship services

Sunday Worship Service - August 30, 2020

Connie Davidson

August 29, 2020

Worship services

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

13TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
SUMMER WORSHIP SERVICE

August 30, 2020

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: There is a Time More Voices #165 Vocalist: Vernon Sulway

Welcome & Announcements

During this time when we are not able to worship in the church sanctuary, please know that BCUC offers worship service in a number of ways. Check our website at bcuc.org, for our worship service in audio, video and text formats along with the weekly announcements, online meetings, events and other updates. You can also listen to the service via telephone by dialing 613-820-8104. Please continue to reach out by connecting with each other through emails, phone calls and prayers.

Here are some announcements:

As we slowly reopen the building, there is an opportunity to gather in the sanctuary for a modified virtual worship service on Sept. 6th at 10 am. A maximum number of 28 people excluding the staff and ushers are invited to gather. To save a spot, you are required to register online or by calling the office. Deadline to register is August 30. Full information on procedures and safety measures are posted on our website. We are also in need of ushers beyond September 6. Please call the office if you are interested.
The Book of Memories Volume 2 is completed and copies are now available for purchase. You can order a print copy with a suggested minimum donation of $30 or a Digital copy with a suggested minimum donation of $15. Please contact the office to place an order.
Join us for a spontaneous Prayer Circle every Wednesday at 8 pm. Wherever you are, say a prayer for the world, your community including the congregation, your family, and yourself.
David’s Flowers are back drive-through style and they are available every Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 am. The flowers will be displayed on tables outside the main entrance, and everyone is asked to remain in their car, bring exact change or prepared cheque for donations, and follow instructions of volunteers. Thank you for your support!
Grocery cards are now available for purchase. Please call the office to place your order.
And for those of you who are able to join us via Zoom, there will be zoom fellowship every Sunday at 11: 30 am. Link will be emailed to you or call the office for more information.

Friends, in the quiet of this moment, in the stillness of our hearts, I now invite you to centre yourself in the presence of the Wise God who calls us to gather in the name of justice and love. Let us gather in worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle Acolytes: Jan & Norm Pound

We are called together in a spirit of gladness,
for the presence of God within and among us,
brings joy and hope in our heart.
The light and love of Christ shines on.

Call to Gather: Nicole Beaudry

Come, let us welcome the gift of time as we
proclaim the philosopher’s words:
“There is a time for everything!”
This is the time where we sing songs of praise.
This is the time where we share the stories of faith.
that inspire us to respond to God’s love.
We are called to be here, in this time and in this place
in whispering winds and in joyful rains.
And with God’s presence,
moves us to enter in this time of worship.
Come let us gather.

Prayer of Approach: (inspired by the prayer of Kate Crawford, Gathering 2017)

You, who created the earth and the air;
You, who designed the sky and the sea;
You, who spoke and things were created;
You, who gifted us with the gift of time;
You, who called us in every season of life;
You have called us your people,
and beckoned us here,
and set a holy longing in our hearts,
for a world where peace and justice reigns,
where there’s a time to speak and a time to be silent,
and a time to love.
We praise You, in spirit and in truth. Amen.

Hymn: Morning Has Broken - Voices United #409

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 for the Young at Heart: “The Gift of Time” Nicole Beaudry

A long time ago someone named Jim Croce wrote a song called: Time in a Bottle.
That was…..almost 50 years ago! Wow! Time flies!

Jim in his song, wrote that if he could save time in a bottle, if he could make his days last forever, he would save them like a treasure . Then he would have ….all the time he needed to do all the things he wanted to do, and also, he could spend a lot of his time with his Love.

Sadly, he did not get enough time to do all those things he wanted to do: he died in a plane crash just one year after writing his song. He was 30 years old. Some of us are still singing his songs today!

Another person that did not have enough time to do what he wanted to do was Terry Fox. Terry had one leg amputated because of cancer when he was 18. He had the idea to run across Canada from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific to raise awareness, and money for cancer research.

He began training and when ready, he set off to do the impossible: run the 8000 km Marathon of Hope. He ran an average of 42 km a day, on lonely roads, in small towns and on city streets, through freezing rain and gale-force winds, through cold and sweltering heat.

He suffered blisters on his foot and on his stump, tendonitis, shin splints and inflamed knee. He became sore, tired, breathless.

Sept. first, will mark 40 years since Terry ran… out of time: after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres, with more than half the distance done, he was forced to end his journey because the cancer had spread to his lungs. He died 9 months later. He was 22.

Terry did raise awareness and money for cancer research, tho not as much as he had hoped.

But his Marathon of Hope did not end. In the short time that he had, Terry Fox accomplished… so much, and so much more!

A year later the first Terry Fox Run was held. It has grown to involve millions of participants in over 60 countries and is now the world's largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research; over $750 million has been raised in Terry’s name, and it continues to grow. Eight thousand schools across Canada host Terry Fox events every year. That’s quite a legacy!

We know it is impossible to save time in a bottle- for later use. But we are given time to do what needs to be done - well, most of the time….

There should always be enough time, …. if we use time wisely, if we don’t waste it, if we don’t spend it all ….doing nothing .

And if we do run out of time to do those things we want to do, the most important thing is to be proud and happy with what we’ve accomplished.

Thank you, God, for the gift of Time.

Song: Time in a Bottle (Words and Music: Jim Croce, 1972 © BMG)

1 If I could save time in a bottle,
the first thing that I'd like to do,
is to save every day till eternity passes away,
just to spend them with you.

2 If I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
I'd save every day like a treasure and then
Again, I would spend them with you.

Bridge:
But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do once you find them. I've looked around enough to know that you're the one I want to go through time with.

3 If I had a box just for wishes
And dreams that had never come true
The box would be empty except for the memory, of how they were answered by you.

Bridge:
But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do once you find them. I've looked around enough to know that you're the one I want to go through time with.

Prayer for Illumination: (Richard Bott, Gathering, 2018) Reader: Rick Morrison

Every moment is a new beginning with you, Wise God.
Bless our words that they might become actions filled with the promise of the life that you are in us. Amen.

The Reading: Ecclesiastes 3: 1-13 (NRSV)

“Everything Has Its Time”

3 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

9 What gain have the workers from their toil?
10 I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with.
11 He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover he has put a sense
of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done
from the beginning to the end.
12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy
and enjoy themselves as long as they live;
13 moreover, it is God’s gift that all should eat and drink
and take pleasure in all their toil.

Hear what Wisdom is saying to all of us! Thanks be to God!

Sermon: “A Matter of Time” Rev. Kim Vidal

A story was told about a preacher who was admiringly regarded for always finishing his services right at noon. Then one Sunday, the impossible happened. He preached until 12:30 pm. On the way out, one of his elders inquired, "What happened to you?" The preacher answered, "For years I have always put a candy mint in my mouth as the service started, and I would tuck it away. It was always gone at exactly noon. That way, I never had to look at my watch or worry about what time it was. But this Sunday it didn't go away, and I finally realized I had put a button in my mouth."
          It’s Sunday again. Where did the week go? It just flew right by! Time flies! Time is tenacious. It does not slow down for anyone. When I was a teenager, I learned a song with the first line that goes like this: “Time, time, time is fast escaping me!” Preachers are not the only ones who have to keep track of time. We all do. Time is fast escaping all of us! There are deadlines to meet, buses to catch, papers to write, appointments to make, meetings to attend, birthdays to celebrate. Time has become one of our masters in modern society. We track time constantly. We have calendars, agendas, schedules, clocks, alarm watches, computers and cell phones to track time. Time allows us to experience much of what life has to offer –be it wonder or hope, suffering or love, grief or joy, accomplishment or failure. Yet time doesn’t make the rules for how we use it. We do.
          The author of Ecclesiastes known as Qohelet looks at life as a fleeting moment in time. He wasn’t exactly someone who looked at the world and saw a bed of roses. At last week’s text in Chapter 1, you’ll remember him who understood life from a personal experience and declares that life is like hevel - a vapour or a breath that is here today and gone the next second. Ecclesiastes tells us that’s what life is like. Uncertain. Sometimes irrational. Sometimes ironic. Something that can’t be grasped or counted on to unfold in predictable ways. Like a weather that changes from time to time. Qohelet says that life isn’t always fair. That the going can get pretty rough sometimes. That the things we tend to count on in this world will sooner or later fade away. And that’s how he starts his book – declaring that all of life is like a mist.
          Today’s text in Ecclesiastes 3 is a well-known poem. We might find ourselves singing or humming the catchy 1960s folk song by the Byrds, Turn, Turn, Turn —with words taken right from this text. Or Stephen Schwartz’ song, Corner of the Sky in the Broadway show Pippin that says: Everything has its season, everything has its time. Qohelet affirms in verse 1 that “for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” Seasons follow one after another in their time, and that’s how nature works. Winter is followed by spring, spring is followed by summer and summer is followed by autumn and then back to winter again. The same cycle is repeated over and over. Every human being’s life passes through seasons and we shouldn’t expect it to be otherwise.
          The 14 couplets in this Ecclesiastes poem cover every range of human activity. It starts with the two most momentous events in our life – birth and death; then moves on to creative and destructive activities and human emotions. including friendship and enmity using the metaphor of throwing and gathering of stones; a time to say hello and a time to say goodbye; and closes again with destructive and creative activities of human beings – that of war and peace. This poem is not about only the beautiful and awesome things. It also speaks of the messy and the ugly. Life is both wonderful and hurtful, filled with moments of hatred and moments of affirmation. Some days are fantastic, others are painful. Life is about the good experiences as well as the unpleasant moments -the perfect and imperfect, the successes and failures, the tears and the laughter. There will be sunrises and sunsets. Like a mosaic, life is like a kaleidoscope of colours and textures that will look a little different to us depending on where we stand at a particular moment, and how we hold them up to the light. Accept it or not, that’s just the way life is!
            This poem also tells us that life is filled with complexities and opposing poles. Qohelet believes from his ancient tradition that life is made complete by its polarities. “A time to be born and a time to die”; “a time to weep and a time to laugh”; “a time to mourn and a time to dance”. Just think about it – if we only laughed and never had the opportunity to cry; if we only planted and never harvested, if we only knew joy and never experienced pain, how can we appreciate the wholeness of life? Would we ever appreciate to dance and truly celebrate if we have never experienced grief and sadness?
          And here is another point in this text. Because life moves constantly in different seasons and times, there is no experience, no moment that will last forever. This reminds me of the saying that the only constant in life is change. Nothing remains the same. This is both good news and bad news. The bad news comes when life changing events happen such us those we love dies. Or when our health fails us. Or when we could no longer drive. Or when we cannot travel or gather as a family due to COVID-19. The good news is that - when we are experiencing difficulties and challenges in life, we know that this will not last. Better days will come. Every storm has its rainbow. Mourning will turn into dancing. If we are living in this seemingly hopeless pandemic time, know that this will pass and one day we will find ourselves in a new dawn where vaccines are made available and human beings will function in a new normal way. When we are living through racial strife, know that a better time will come when people will realize that they are all created in God’s image, where Paul’s vision of humanity is achieved: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female…” and add to the list - there is no longer white or black, Christians or non-Christians, straight or LGBTQ. Time will surely come when dawn eventually breaks on even the darkest night of the human soul. But this poem also insists that the good times won’t last forever, either. Celebrations will eventually turn into mourning, and peacetime and harmony may revert back to war and violence. Such is life. It is human life in all its beauty and horror, in all its hope and despair, in all its joy and pain, bound together by birth and death.” Life indeed is full of surprises, some good, some bad. But you can count on better days. That is something to look forward to. So enjoy the moment, says Ecclesiastes. Whatever preoccupies your time will happen. Just be here now, in this present moment, and be open to all what life offers. That is the blessing of being human.
          As a congregation, we too have moved through the seasons of time. This pandemic has put some of us in isolation, depression or in a state of uncertainty. We have grieved the death of long-time members and watched with sadness how others’ health has deteriorated. But we’ve also rejoiced at the gift of new life as we have welcomed the birth and baptism of babies, celebrated the confirmation of young people and the addition of wonderful new members to our church family. We marvel at the completion of new projects and saddened when we cannot do more due to financial challenges. Endings and new beginnings.
          So what about the gift of time? Qohelet announces, “There is beauty in time!” So in the midst of all your hustle and bustle, don’t forget to stop and smell the flowers and bask in the sunshine. For just as God gifted us with the beautiful flowers and the sun, so also, Qohelet declares in verse 11 that God “has made everything beautiful in its time.” No matter which season you find yourself in at the moment, enjoy and experience it. Keep the faith alive! This faith that taught us to believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ to live in love, justice and peace. No matter what season you live in today, there is a word of hope for you in this multi-faceted, many-layered, poem in Ecclesiastes. And no matter how exhilarating, confusing, or infuriating life may be from one day to the next, remember that the sun will rise and it will set, the wind will blow, and those streams will keep running to the sea. Life goes on. And—more importantly—I believe that God’s presence will see us through it all – just as what our New Creed affirms: “in life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. We are not alone.”
          Let me close with a Sanskrit poem written almost 2000 years ago that talks about life as a matter of time: "Listen to the salutation of the dawn... Look to this day, for it is the very life of life. In its brief course lie all the realities and truth of existence: the joy of growth, the splendor of action, the glory of power. For yesterday is but a memory, and tomorrow a vision, but today well-lived makes every yesterday a memory of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope." So be it! Amen.

Sources that helped me:
Rev. Deborah Hannay Sunoo, Sermon on Ecclesiastes 3, “Times and Seasons”, Magnolia Presbyterian Church, 2017.Robert Williamson Jr., The Forgotten Books in the Bible, 2018.

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

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 our midst. Let us join our hearts in prayer.

O Great Love, we greet you on this summer day. 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. Journey with us and show us how to return with hope renewed, with energy to love others and work for change.

Giver of Life, we pray for your healing and comforting presence in the lives of those in need of healing, relief from symptoms of diseases, and wholeness of mind and spirit. We pray for those in senior’s homes and nursing facilities, for those awaiting test results from their health conditions and those recovering from illnesses and medical procedures. We pray for those who are alone, especially in this time of pandemic, who are alienated from their families. We continue to pray for all the workers in this pandemic time. We pray for all the families affected from the virus and healing love to those who are recovering. We pray for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one, especially we remember Ross Mutton in the passing of Gail and the Burgess family in the passing of Jean. 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, the racial strife in the many parts of the world. We feel afraid and powerless. And yet, you remind us that we are not alone in our desire for peace and justice, in the efforts we make in our families, with our friends, in our communities, and in our larger world. We are not alone you, you O God, are with us and with all of the peace-seekers and peacemakers.

When you call our names, Great Spirit, you call us into a journey of faith. With you as our strength and with the light of your love, and the knowledge that you are always with us, we can strive to do your work and attain wholeness. Let your spirit guide us, strengthen us, enrich us and call us in this journey of time we call life. These we ask in the name of Jesus Christ who taught his friends this prayer…

Invitation to Offer

Offertory Prayer

O Holy One, in response to your abundant love that you offer us, we offer our gifts: time, talents and treasures for the life of this congregation and to spread love and justice in the world. Amen.

Sending Forth

Go now, and embrace the gift of time which God has given us.
Live each moment with love and justice in your heart
and recognize the spirit of Christ in friend and stranger.
May God’s wisdom dwell with 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: The Day You Gave Us, God, Is Ended - Voices United #437

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: Turn! Turn! Turn! – Peter Seeger Vocalists: David & Lorrie

Zoom Fellowship hosted by Lorrie at 11: 30 am. Link has been emailed. See you there!

Connie Davidson

August 22, 2020

Worship services

Sunday Worship Service - August 23, 2020

Connie Davidson

August 22, 2020

Worship services

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

12TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
SUMMER WORSHIP SERVICE

August 23, 2020

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: Reaching – Carolyn Arends Soloist: Sarah Parker, Violin: Leslie Wade

Welcome & Announcements

Good day everyone! On behalf of Bells Corners United Church, I welcome and greet you in the name of Jesus Christ, wherever you are, in today’s worship service. Today, we are going to reflect on the words of Ecclesiastes as we search the meaning of life.

During this time when we are not able to worship in the church sanctuary, please know that BCUC offers worship service in a number of ways. Check our website at bcuc.org, for our worship service in audio, video and text formats along with the weekly announcements, online meetings, events and other updates. You can also listen to the service via telephone by dialing 613-820-8104. I also encourage you to show that you care by connecting with each other through emails, phone calls and prayers.

We express our sincerest condolences to Ross Mutton in the passing of Gail on Thursday, August 20th. We remember Gail who was a very strong member and a mover at BCUC for so many years. Please keep Ross in your thoughts and prayers.

Here are some announcements:

As we slowly reopen the building, there is an opportunity to gather in the sanctuary for a modified virtual worship service on Sept. 6th at 10 am. A maximum number of 28 people excluding the staff and ushers are invited to gather. To save a spot, you are required to register online or by calling the office. Full information on procedures and safety measures are posted on our website. We are also in need of ushers beyond September 6. Please call the office if you are interested.
The Book of Memories Volume 2 is completed and copies are now available for purchase. You can order a print copy with a suggested minimum donation of $30 or a Digital copy with a suggested minimum donation of $15. Please contact the office to place an order.
Join us for a spontaneous Prayer Circle every Wednesday at 8 pm. Wherever you are, say a prayer for the world, your community including the congregation, your family, and yourself.
David’s Flowers are back drive-through style and they are available every Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 am. The flowers will be displayed on tables outside the main entrance, and everyone is asked to remain in their car, bring exact change or prepared cheque for donations, and follow instructions of volunteers. Thank you for your support!
Grocery cards are now available for purchase. Please call the office to place your order.
And for those of you who are able to join us via Zoom, there will be zoom fellowship every Sunday at 11 am. Link will be emailed to you or call the office for more information.

Friends, in the quiet of this moment, in the stillness of our hearts, I now invite you to seek the wisdom of God as we gather in worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle Acolytes: Mandy & Meighen Crow

We light this candle to ask the spirit of Christ to be with us this day.
May this flame of wisdom touch our hearts.
May it stir our minds with the words of life.
May it keep us strong in faith and grounded in truth.

Call to Gather: (inspired by Spacious Faith) Lorrie Lowes, DM

Praise be to God,
Creator of time and space!
Who has set love in the human heart.
Who gives us today
in which we can be happy and do good.
Today, in which we can eat and drink and find satisfaction.
Today, which is a gift from God.
Let us worship the One who makes everything beautiful in its time.
Come, let us gather in worship.

Prayer of Approach: (by Susan Lukey, Gathering 2019)

From the tops of our heads to the tips of our toes,
with spirits reaching out and hearts open wide,
we bring our whole selves to you today, gracious God,
ready to receive blessings
for each of us and for our faith community.
You are more than we can imagine;
you work within us and among us in amazing ways;
From the tops of our heads to the tips of our toes,
with spirits reaching out and hearts open wide,
we bring our gratitude and our love, gracious God. Amen.

Hymn: Come, Let Us Sing - Voices United #222 (Words and Music: Jim Strathdee, 1976)

1. Come, let us sing to the Lord our song:
we have stood silently too long;
surely the Lord deserves our praise,
so joyfully thank God for our days.

2. O thirsty soul, come drink at the well;
God's living waters will never fail.
Surely the Lord will help you to stand,
strengthened and comforted by God's hand.

3. You dwell among us and cause us to pray,
and walk with each other following your way;
our precious brothers and sisters will grow
in the fulfilling love they know.

4. Deserts shall bloom and mountains shall sing, to the desire of all living things.
Come, all you creatures, high and low;
let your praises endlessly flow.

Storytime for the Young at Heart Lorrie Lowes, DM

Hi Everyone!

I’ve been thinking this week a bit about starry skies because it’s been an amazing time to be outside at night, especially if you are outside of the city and where there aren’t so many lights and to look up at the sky and see the incredible number of stars. The shooting stars that are happening right now are amazing to see! I was thinking about when I was a kid and we would go to the cottage or when I was little bit older and I would go to Girl Guide camp. We would lie out under the stars at night and just look at those millions and millions of stars up there. It was pretty incredible to think that our universe is so big. Sometimes that made me feel really small.

Do you ever feel that way sometimes when you think about how enormous this universe is and that maybe we are just a little insignificant speck in that? I think the author of Ecclesiastes was feeling that way when they wrote the scripture that we are reading today. It’s kind of a depressing scripture. It talks about how one person is just so small that they can’t make any difference at all. I think sometimes we feel that way too. There are so many worries in the world these days and it’s hard to know how someone as small as me or you could make a difference at all.

We have no control over the big things like the pandemic or war, but we can control the way we face each day. We can start with a positive attitude and notice the great things around us like the beauty of the sky right before a thunderstorm happens or the rainbow that comes when the rain stops… the fun things that we do with our families, or the hug that Mom or dad gives us when we fall and hurt ourselves. We can do things to cheer other people up too. We can help out around the house, even if we haven’t been asked. We could phone or FaceTime our grandparents, or even send them a letter. That would make them really happy! We can sing a song or create a dance. We can draw a picture or make a craft…

Now, thinking about pictures and crafts… that makes me think about glitter! Do you like glitter? Most kids I know love it when we get that out! It really fancies up whatever it is that you’ve created – but have you noticed how that stuff gets everywhere? It sticks to everything, even things you thought were nowhere near it! Well, I think joy is a bit like glitter. Once you open up the bottle, that stuff sticks everywhere. So maybe our happy attitude can be like glitter. Let’s open up the bottle and find out! Open it up and shake that stuff everywhere! I bet you’ll find that it will stick too.

Hymn: This Little Light of Mine (Traditional)

This little light if mine, I’m gonna let is 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 is 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

Prayer for Illumination: (by Sheryl Macleod, Gathering 2019) Reader: Vernon Sulway

God of grace, as we receive these words-
words inspired by you-
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.

The Reading: “Reflections of a Royal Philosopher” Ecclesiastes 1: 1-18 (NRSV)

1 The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher,
    vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
3 What do people gain from all the toil
    at which they toil under the sun?
4 A generation goes, and a generation comes,
    but the earth remains forever.
5 The sun rises and the sun goes down,
    and hurries to the place where it rises.
6 The wind blows to the south,
    and goes around to the north;
round and round goes the wind,
    and on its circuits the wind returns.
7 All streams run to the sea,
    but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow,
    there they continue to flow.
8 All things are wearisome;
    more than one can express;
the eye is not satisfied with seeing,
    or the ear filled with hearing.
9 What has been is what will be,
    and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there a thing of which it is said,
    “See, this is new”?
It has already been,
    in the ages before us.
11 The people of long ago are not remembered, nor will there be any remembrance of people yet to come by those who come after them.
12 I, the Teacher, when king over Israel in Jerusalem,
13 applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to human beings to be busy with.
14 I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
15 What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 I said to myself, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.”
17 And I applied my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a chasing after wind.
18 For in much wisdom is much vexation, and those who increase knowledge increase sorrow.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to all of us! Thanks be to God!

Sermon: “Seize the Day (Carpe Diem)!” Rev. Kim Vidal

This Sunday and the next, as we continue to reflect the meaning of wisdom, we will explore some passages in the book of Ecclesiastes. The first time I was introduced to Ecclesiastes was at a funeral service when the minister preached about a “time to be born and a time to die”. Many Bible enthusiasts find this book depressing, gloomy and exhausting - one that deals with the meaninglessness of life. Skeptics, atheists, non-believers, seekers – all love this book because it doesn’t have a lot of God-talk. Instead it talks about the “transience” of life and the certainty of death. I don’t know about you but before I put this book down and close its pages forever, I would like to explore it first and try to understand what the writer was actually telling us from his own time and place.

Ecclesiastes is a Greek word that means “one who assembles” - the root word of which is “ekklesia” meaning “an assembly”. We still use ekklesia to denote a church assembly or a worship gathering in our current times. In Hebrew, the word for assembly is “kahal” and one who assembles is called a qohelet. Ecclesiastes therefore could possibly mean an assembly leader, a preacher, a gatherer, a teacher or a proclaimer. I’d like to add another descriptor - that of a philosopher - one who loves wisdom and hopes to find it in life.

There are many assumptions about the date and authorship of the book. Because of the verse in chapter 1 that says: “the words of the teacher, son of David, King in Jerusalem”, Rabbinic tradition and other scholars believed that it was King Solomon who penned the book written during his reign around 970-931 BCE. However, looking at the commercial language, cultural references and the style used by the writer I would lean on what Professor Robert Williamson Jr. suggests that it was written during the Persian era - around 538-331 BCE or that of the Greek period around 331-164 BCE. The writer imagines himself to be an affluent person – like a king with lots of wealth, land, achievements, noble friends, success and fame but looks at life differently in a very pessimistic way. He looks at life as “vanity of vanities” and asked these questions: “What do we gain from all the work that we do under the sun? What is the meaning of life? Why am I here? Where do I find value in what I do?”

In other interpretations, the word vanity means pointless, futile or without any purpose. It is interesting to note that the Hebrew word used to describe life is hevel which literally means a vapour, a breath, a wind, a smoke or a fog. From hevel comes the idea that life is insubstantial, transitory, and of fleeting value. Life like a vapour is here in a second and gone the next. It is something that you can’t control – something that you can’t grasp - something that you can’t hold onto. It slips through your fingers. It disappears and leaves no trace. Robert Williamson Jr. commented that: “The author of Ecclesiastes insists that you can’t just separate the shiny and happy things in life from the difficult and depressing ones.... It’s the nature of human existence that the two are always mixed up together. Things end. People die. The good old days fade. Nothing lasts forever. To pretend otherwise is to do an injustice to the reality of the human experience.”

Think about it – you get up in the morning, do what you’re supposed to be doing, you rush off to work or go to school, fight for the traffic, you come home, you make supper, binge watch some movies on Netflix until 1 in the morning, go to bed, and the next day, you do exactly the same thing – over and over again. You keep on going, walking, even running all throughout your life with no purpose, no direction except to wait for death to come. Nothing seems to satisfy the deep yearning of your soul What more could be meaningless than this reality?

“Kim, what is your philosophy in life?” The Board of Ordained Ministry interviewer asked me when I first applied as a student at Union Theological Seminary in the Philippines in 1991, few years before I immigrated to Canada. This was in preparation for ordination as a pastor in the United Methodist Church. I thought for a moment and I replied with a quote from a poster that I memorized since high school, whose author I don’t even remember. “Life to live most intensely and completely must be met face to face. Evasion, rationalization and escapism stunt the developing character.” The interviewer looked at me and said, “That is too deep. Please say it in plain language.” I searched for words and said something like this: “Well, I live my life one day at a time. And when opportunities come my way, I make sure that I greet each one with enthusiasm and with wisdom. Yesterday adds to my life history and tomorrow will find me a new person. But today is what matters most. And I need to face each encounter with grace. To evade is to shut down any possibility. To rationalize is to put down other’s thoughts. To escape is just a defeatist’s motto.” The interviewer looked at me one more time and said, “Are you sure you don’t want to be a professor of philosophy instead of becoming a pastor?”

What kind of philosophy would the free-thinking Qohelet might embrace? Is he a proponent of nihilism? The belief that all things are meaningless and no purpose and that nothing can be known or expressed? Is he a follower of existentialism? One that emphasizes the experience of human beings not just thinking subjects but feeling and doing as well? Is he a humanist? Viewing humans as solely responsible for the promotion and development of individuals and society? Might he even be an Epicurean - pursuing pleasure, especially in reference to food, comfort and other luxuries in order to achieve a meaningful way of life? Could he be a little of all the schools of philosophy I mentioned?

The progressive thinker, Lloyd Geering in his book, Such is Life, makes the case for the author of Ecclesiastes being a freethinking humanist who was over 2000 years ahead of his time. Geering comments that: “Ecclesiastes remained a lone individual and found little to relieve his solitariness. He was forced to reflect on what it means to be a human individual living in an unfair and uncaring world. Though he searched for wisdom he found nothing that would stand the test of time. We live in a period that has some similarities to that in which Ecclesiastes was written. Thanks to the Enlightenment all the traditional verities are once again open to question. The words of Ecclesiastes not only manifest the same kind of critical thinking that we engage in today, but they speak to the same basic concerns that challenge us when we do so.”

Even when we think that Ecclesiastes portrays the pointlessness of everything, I strongly believe that he does have several points to make! Qohelet observes that human labour is endless. You do one task, but there is still more to do – like the sun that rises and sets in cyclical motion, or the wind blowing in all directions and the streams that endlessly flow to the sea and yet the sea is never full. Nature repeats itself over and over again. Qohelet also talks about consumption that is never fulfilling. All things are wearisome, he says, life is exhausting! We are never done and the earth is never done. The eye is not satisfied with what it sees and the ear by what it hears. Human beings will not be satisfied. There’s always something new to see or to hear, new places to travel, new music to listen to, high tech gadgets to tinker, cool people to meet, new jobs to accomplish, fast cars to drive, best food to eat, but never enough. And top on the list is the fact that when you die, you will not be remembered. In the end, he sees the pointlessness of it all. So how do you live in a world painted by Ecclesiastes? How do you live a life knowing that you will one day die and the world will go on as though you never existed?

Is there any good news at all in this seemingly depressing text? If we accept that life is pointless, then we are doomed. We – who are advocates of God’s goodness; we - who believe that God is the source of love, justice, peace and truth; we - who are faithful followers of Jesus’s radical way to love others as we love ourselves; we – who are proponents that life is meaningful and offers wonderful opportunities, how should we view this text? If life is like a vapour that dissipates so easily, if the main purpose of living is dying at the end, what do we do with our life in between? I know that these questions may be disturbing to some of us to the point of asking why is this book even in the Bible? Difficult as it may sound, I think you will be surprised how much Ecclesiastes connects to us today especially as it addresses insights into the human condition in a contemporary, secular, pluralistic, post-modern world. If we read closely though, the writer of Ecclesiastes is not saying that life has no meaning but that its meaning is vague and not clear. Like mist, or vapour or breath, life can be confusing and mysterious at times but never meaningless and without purpose.

A preacher once said that instead of seeing life under the sun, why not look at life above the sun? Why not see the brighter, colourful side of life? I take inspiration from the words of the famous football player and track and field athlete John Carlos when he said and I quote: “In life, there's the beginning and the end. The beginning doesn’t matter. The end doesn’t matter. All that matters is what you do in between – whether you're prepared to do what it takes to make change. There has to be physical and material sacrifice. When all the dust settles and we're getting ready to play down for the ninth inning, the greatest reward is to know that you did your job when you were here on the planet.”

If life is like a vapour, that is here today and gone tomorrow, then let’s make the most of the in-between. Let’s make each day productive! Carpe diem! Seize the day! The first known expression of this Latin aphorism is found in the Epic of Gilgamesh but it was the Roman poet Horace in his work Odes that it became famous. Carpe diem literally means to pluck the day – to enjoy life while you can and let tomorrow worry about itself. If there’s one thing that you can control – it is your attitude towards the present moment. Today, stop being anxious of what tomorrow may hold. Today, choose to enjoy a good conversation with a friend. Today, hug your children and enjoy their laughter. Today, take a nature walk and relish the beauty of God’s creation. Today, try and bake a new bread recipe and delight in its taste. Today, go to work with a positive attitude and sip coffee or tea with pleasure. Today, read a book of poetry and memorize a line or two that makes you celebrate the goodness of life. Today, drop off food donations at the food cupboard. Today, enjoy a meal with the people you care about. Today, count your blessings and say a prayer of thanksgiving. Today, play a musical instrument that you enjoy. Today, listen and sing with James Taylor as his croons “shower the people you love with love!” Today, let go and let God. Seize the day! The possibilities are endless. Life is not meaningless at all.

I admit that listening to the words of Ecclesiastes chapter 1 is difficult and depressing and may lead us to some dark places. But I challenge you to read the whole book and you will see for yourself that at the end of the book, the writer doesn’t want us to lose hope. Instead he wants us to be humble – to realize that something or someone out there is far greater than ourselves. The writer challenges us to trust that life has meaning even when we can’t make sense out of it. And we pray that one day, God will clear the hevel that fogs up our seeing and hearing and bring clarity to what life is really about. The reality of death and of endings reminds us to appreciate life while we have it. Live simply, joyfully, lovingly. Seize the day! Carpe diem. Today, God wonders with you! Amen.

Sources used:

Lloyd Geering, Such is Life!, 2010.
Jim Irwin, Is Life Pointless? A Sermon on Ecclesiastes, patheos.org
Robert Williamson Jr., The Forgotten Books of the Bible, 2018.

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer Lorrie Lowes, DM

God of us all,
Sometimes this world seems so vast that we can hardly imagine our place in it…
Sometimes the problems of this world seem so enormous that we feel we can do nothing to help…
Was there ever a time in human history where things did not seem so big, so overwhelming?
We pray for some cosmic intervention to set things on track,
And yet you call us to take the responsibility for healing action.
Help us see how we can possibly be of help from our small, insignificant place in this immense creation.
When things seem to be spiralling out of control on a global scale,
When the answer to every crisis seems to be conflict and often violence.
When frightening things in the news make us want to close our eyes and ears,
We pray that you will intervene on our behalf,
We pray that you will heal the environment…
We pray that you will end racial conflict…
We pray that you will feed the hungry, clothe the poor, heal the sick…
And yet you call us to act.
Help us see where our actions could make any difference.
When our daily lives are impacted by a world-wide pandemic,
When the decisions and the motives of leaders are called into question,
When we can’t even reach out to those we know and love to offer comfort,
We pray that you will find a cure and a vaccine…
We pray that you will endow wisdom on those we have entrusted to take us forward…
We pray that things will return to the comfortable normal…
And yet you call us to be your hands and feet.
Help us see how we can reach above our lamenting to take those first steps.
Empowering God,
In the times we feel most insignificant and helpless against the enormity of the universe,
Help us to see the beauty that still surrounds us…
Help us to recognize that caring people are still finding ways to connect and to provide …
Help us to celebrate the blessings that continue to arrive – new births, new growth, happy milestones, time for families to spend quality time together …
Help us to see the world with an attitude of gratitude rather than despair…
And empower us to reach out in love, to spread joy more than grief, to offer light to our small corner so that our combined glow will overcome the darkness.
These prayers we offer aloud, and the prayers in our hearts, are reflected in the words that Jesus taught his followers and that we now repeat together:

Invitation to Offer: Rev. Kim Vidal

Offertory Prayer:

Receive our gifts, O wise God, which we offer in hope and in love.
Bless and multiply these gifts so that they may be used to bring about new possibilities. Amen.

Sending Forth: Rev. Kim Vidal

As we go from this worship service, may we never stop seizing
the many opportunities and blessings that we enjoy each day.
May the music, the words of wisdom, the prayers
lead us to moments of love and compassion.
With the Wise God journeying with us, let us be open to God’s grace,
as we tend to people and places in need of healing.
We go with God’s blessings. Amen.

Hymn: God of the Bible (Fresh as the Morning) More Voices #28

(Words: Shirley Erena Murray, 1995; Music: Tony E. Alonso, 2001)

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.

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.

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.

Departing : Seize the Day – Carolyn Arends Voices: Sarah Parker, Sue TeGrotenhuis

Zoom Fellowship hosted by Lorrie at 11 am. Link has been emailed. See you there!

Connie Davidson

August 21, 2020

Announcements

In-Person Modified Virtual Worship Service - Sept. 6

Connie Davidson

August 21, 2020

Announcements

BCUC will open its doors for our first modified in-person worship service on Sunday, September 6

For this and all events we are following public health recommendations related to COVID-19 safety. If you would like to attend, or to help as an usher, please read more about the service below. You must pre-register before August 30 by using the online form or by contacting the office at (613) 820-8103 or office@bcuc.org.

Description of Service

Our first few in-person services will consist of viewing a video service similar to our current online worship videos along with some segments of the service led in-person by our pastoral staff.

Connie Davidson

August 19, 2020

Announcements

Volunteers Needed

Connie Davidson

August 19, 2020

Announcements

As BCUC begins to reopen this Fall, we have several upcoming events that we are seeking volunteers for, including a 'Two Men & A Stove' outdoor BBQ on August 22 and our first modified in-person worship service on September 6. For all events, we are following public health recommendations related to COVID-19 safety. If you are able to help, please contact the office at (613) 820-8103 or office@bcuc.org.

Connie Davidson

August 17, 2020

Announcements

Two Men & A Stove outdoor BBQ - Reserve your seat now!

Connie Davidson

August 17, 2020

Announcements

Two Men & A Stove invite you to a small outdoor BBQ on Saturday, August 22 between 11am and 12pm, on the grassy area in front of the church.

Your choice of a HAMBURGER, or HOTDOG, with onions, condiments (ketchup, mustard, relish), small bag of chips, and a soft drink, all for $5.00 per person. Proceeds go to BCUC Operating fund. Cash accepted!

Health & Safety measures will prevail: 2 metre (6 feet) distancing will be observed and masks will be worn until seated; families will sit together; tables will be cleaned between sittings; all refuse will be removed from the church grounds …

Come for David's flowers and lunch!

RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED AND MAY BE MADE UNTIL FRIDAY EVENING at davidstafford@sympatico.ca.

Connie Davidson

August 15, 2020

Worship services

Sunday Worship Service - August 16, 2020

Connie Davidson

August 15, 2020

Worship services

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

11TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
SUMMER WORSHIP SERVICE

August 16, 2020

[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: “Who Comes From God” Voices United #892

1. Who comes from God, as Word and Breath? Holy Wisdom.
Who holds the keys of life and death? Mighty Wisdom.
Crafter and Creator too, Eldest, she makes all things new;
Wisdom guides what God will do,
Wisest One, Radiant One, welcome, Holy Wisdom.

2. Who lifts her voice for all to hear? Joyful Wisdom.
Who shapes a thought and makes it clear? Truthful Wisdom.
Teacher drawing out our best, magnifies what we invest,
Names our truth, directs our quest,
Wisest One, Radiant One, welcome, Holy Wisdom.

3. Whom should we seek with all our heart? Loving Wisdom.
Who, once revealed, will not depart? Faithful Wisdom.
Partner, Counsellor, Comforter, love has found none lovelier,
Life is gladness lived with her,
Wisest One, Radiant One, welcome, Holy Wisdom.

Welcome & Announcements

This is the third Sunday of our summer sermon series on Wisdom in the book of Proverbs and today we will hear Lady Wisdom extend an invitation to us all that will be hard to turn down!

During this time when we are not able to gather in the church sanctuary, please know that BCUC offers our worship services in a number of ways. Check our website at bcuc.org for our audio, video, and text formats, along with the weekly announcements, online meetings, events, and other updates. To access the service on your telephone, you can dial 613-820-8104 to listen to the most recent service. We also encourage you to show that you care by connecting with each other through emails, phone calls, and prayers.

Here are a few announcements to highlight this week:

David’s Flowers are available for purchase by donation every Saturday morning from 10:30 to 11:30, drive-through style. The flowers will be displayed on tables outside the main entrance, and everyone is asked to bring donations by exact change or a prepared cheque, and remain in your car to receive instructions from our volunteers. Thank you for your support!

Next Saturday, August 22, from 11:00am till noon, we will also be treated to a small barbecue, hosted by “Two Men and a Stove”. To help us comply with the current Health and Safety measures, we ask that you register in advance by contacting the church office at 613-820- 8103. At that time, you can choose between a hamburger or hot dog, with onions and condiments, along with a small bag of chips and a soft drink for just $5 per person. Tables will be placed and cleaned according to the Health regulations and folks are asked to be masked until seated. Proceeds from the barbecue will go to the BCUC Operating fund.

So, plan to join us on Saturday for flowers and stay for lunch!

Every Wednesday evening at 8pm, we invite you to join your prayers with others from the comfort of your own home. Wherever you are, say a prayer for the world, for your community, the congregation, your family, and yourself.

Volume 2 of the book of Memories is available for purchase in either print or digital format. Please call the church office to reserve your copy and arrange payment and pick-up.

You can also purchase Grocery cards by calling the church office.

For those who are able to join us by Zoom, there will be a “Virtual Fellowship Time” every Sunday at 11 am. The link will be sent to you by email. If you have not yet received it, please call the office for more information during regular church office hours.

For more announcements, please check the church website.

Let us now gather our hearts and minds for worship…

Lighting of the Christ Candle Acolyte: Hazel Smith

Just as we light candles on our dining table to celebrate a special meal,
Just as we light candles on a cake to celebrate a birthday,
Just as we light candles to provide a warm light on a cold, dark night,
We light this candle to celebrate that the warm light of Christ is among us as we gather in worship.

Call to Gather: Jack and Katie Kelly

I hear a noise. I hear a sound. Do you hear it?
It is Wisdom calling.
Where is she? Where can I find her?
She calls from the heights of the heavens
and speaks with truth on her lips.
May I come? May I learn?
Yes, you may come. You may learn.
Wisdom calls all people
to faith, peace, love, and hope.[1]

Prayer of Approach[2]: Katie Kelly

God of Wisdom,
You spoke through the prophets and writers of old.
You speak to us today as a church in challenging times and an uncertain future.
Touch our hearts in this time of worship. Inspire us to deeper commitment.
Make of us a gracious and generous people, faithful into the future.
Amen

Hymn: “Long Before My Journey’s Start” More Voices #63

1. Long before my journey’s start, when in my youth I searched in my heart,
I would pray for her, wait for her,
Wisdom, my road, my goal, and my star.

2. From the blossom to the seed, long has she filled my cup in need
May I cling to her vine, taste of her wine,
Wisdom my life, my perfect design.

3. When I stretched my hands to the sky, when in despair my soul raised a cry,
I was saved by her gaze, led in her ways,
Wisdom, my love, the light of my days.

Storytime for the Young at Heart Erin Berard

Over the past couple weeks we’ve heard about Lady Wisdom calling out to us from the streets. We hear lots of messages calling out to us, too, don’t we? Our parents, in the community you might see something on a billboard. They’re giving us advice, or warning us, or pointing out inequalities or injustices. You might hear: “Look both ways before you cross the street!” “Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds!” “Black Lives Matter!””#SafeSeptember” “That is really not a good idea!”

But in today’s reading, Lady Wisdom is calling us to come and have a meal with her! And this doesn’t sound like just grabbing take out from McDonalds and eating it in the car! When I connect it with Bells Corners United Church, it makes me think of having a shared meal with our neighbours at the Mosque or enjoying a Two Men and a Stove community dinner or even having us all gathered together for a Choir meal before rehearsals. Maybe it’ll make you think of a special meal with extended family and friends, or even just your regular, every-night supper with your family.

When we sit down together and take time over a meal, we get a chance to talk and hear about how everyone’s day went, we can share stories and experiences, tell about things that are worrying us or concerning us. It’s a chance to ask questions and work things out together.

It’s often really difficult to really understand an issue when you don't have all the information, just a slogan or a hashtag. We might need to ask to get more information. We need to know: What am I looking for when I look both ways? HOW do I wash my hands well? What will be the risks and challenges as we head back to school? What can I be doing, exactly, to support the Black community where I live?

So maybe the next time we hear a big, loud statement in the news or in our community or from our friends, we could stop and take a little minute listen and try to understand more about what’s going on and ask God to help guide us in the right direction.

Hymn: “I Am Walking a Path of Peace” More Voices #221

1. I am walking a path of peace, I am walking a path of peace,
I am walking a path of peace, lead me on, lead me on.

2. I am walking a path of love, I am walking a path of love,
I am walking a path of love, lead me on, lead me on.

3. I am walking a path of hope, I am walking a path of hope,
I am walking a path of hope, lead me on, lead me on.

4. I am walking in Wisdom’s way, I am walking in Wisdom’s way,
I am walking in Wisdom’s way, lead me on, lead me on.

Prayer for Illumination[3] Reader: Barbara Bole Stafford

God of Grace,
As we receive these words – words inspired by you –
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

The Reading: Proverbs 9:1-6 (The Message) “Lady Wisdom Gives a Dinner Party”

1-6 Lady Wisdom has built and furnished her home;
    it’s supported by seven hewn timbers.
The banquet meal is ready to be served: lamb roasted,
    wine poured out, table set with silver and flowers.
Having dismissed her serving maids,
    Lady Wisdom goes to town, stands in a prominent place,
    and invites everyone within sound of her voice:
“Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on?
    Come with me, oh come, have dinner with me!
I’ve prepared a wonderful spread—fresh-baked bread,
    roast lamb, carefully selected wines.
Leave your impoverished confusion and live!
    Walk up the street to a life with meaning.”

Hear what the Spirit is saying to all of us. Amen.

Sermon: “Come, Join Me at the Table” Lorrie Lowes DM

Welcome, Friends!

In these days of isolation and social distancing, how I wish I could invite you to dinner! It would be such a wonderful treat to get together around a delicious meal and talk about all the things that are happening in the world – especially all the concerns around this virus and around the racial unrest, the political situation in countries like the USA and Belarus, the tragedies that are happening in places like Lebanon. So much to talk about, so much to ponder, so much to try to make sense of…

Where do we turn for information?
How do we sift fact from fiction?
Who do we trust?
What should we do?
Where is God in all of this?
What is my role as a follower of Jesus?

We can think and worry about these things silently; we can discuss them with the people in our “Covid Bubble”, but sometimes we need to hear views of others with different experience and perspectives. We need to sift through it all and pull out the wisdom together. We need to have the kind of civilized discussion that can happen around a dinner table, a place where intimate and honest conversation can take place among people who feel safe enough with each other to not only lay open their hearts and deepest thoughts, but to open their minds enough to really listen to what others have to say.

For the past two weeks, our readings from Proverbs have introduced us to Sophia, Lady Wisdom, who is calling to the people of the world to pay attention to what she has to tell us. First, in Proverbs 1, she calls out in a warning – “Pay attention or else!” she seems to say, “If you choose not to listen to me, well then you are on your own and I will laugh at the results. Don’t come crying to me when it all comes back to bite you!” Last week, in Proverbs 8, Lady Wisdom is still calling out in the street but this time, she is sharing her credentials. “I was there right at the beginning! I was part of God’s creation of this world. I know how it was designed to work and my input, my wisdom, was a big part of the design and the process. I have important things to say that you need to hear!”

Well, in today’s reading, Lady Wisdom has taken a new approach. It seems that she realizes that threats don’t work. She also sees that, while people love the image of her presence at Creation, they don’t think they need to pay attention to something that happened eons ago, that it doesn’t really apply to what’s happening in the world today. In Proverbs 9, she goes once again to the public square, but this time, she issues an invitation. “Come with me, oh come, have dinner with me!”

… no dire warnings, no pleading to be given a voice, but an invitation to join her at the table.

It’s interesting, isn’t it, that the invitation is not to a town hall meeting with a panel of experts and powerful political speakers? This is no rally with a free barbecue lunch and balloons for the kids. This is a sumptuous dinner party in her home. A sit-down dinner with all the comforts and delights – a lavish table set with flowers and candles and her very best dishes. A feast of roasted lamb, fresh baked bread, and a selection of fine wines. We are invited as honoured guests to an intimate dinner at the table in a sturdy, well-established house, built by Wisdom herself and supported by seven hewn timbers. It sounds like a place where you can feel safe, a place where your questions and your musings will be accepted with grace, a place where you can work out your confusion amongst others who are also struggling to find answers, a place where the conversation is facilitated by Lady Wisdom herself.

It is an invitation into relationship.

I think Lady Wisdom has finally figured us humans out. She now understands what we need in order to put down our defenses and to leave our weapons at the door. She has created a safe place where we can meet each other in an atmosphere of mutual respect, a place where listening – really listening – to others is as comfortable as sharing our own perspective. Unlike the town hall or the rally, we don’t come to a dinner table with our guard up against people we think are trying to hard sell their personal world view. In this elegant setting with sumptuous foods and fine wines, we are open to meeting new ideas. We are open to asking for more information. We are open to looking for the wisdom we need to move forward in these confusing and somewhat frightening times. We are interested. And what better host could we ask for than Sophia, Wisdom herself?

This reminds me a bit of the party conversation starter where someone asks, “If you could have dinner with anyone, alive or dead, who would you choose?” I always struggle a bit with that one. There are so many amazing people in history and in today’s world that I would love to have a conversation with… but I don’t think I ever considered Lady Wisdom as a possibility. Given the state of the world these days, perhaps she is the very person whose company we need the most… Never mind the fantastic stories she would have to tell about Creation and the divine plan it was based on! Yes, I think she would be an amazing dinner companion…

Heaven knows, these days we are bombarded with complicated issues – stopping the spread of the Covid19 virus while getting the economy back on track… sifting through the messages from our leaders and the experts to discern which restrictions are necessary or which loosening of the guidelines are safe and which are politically motivated…

How do we deal with the inequities in this world where some have more than they can ever use and others are lacking the bare necessities of food and shelter? How can we help others and still give our own families the life we have worked so hard to provide?... How do we help others and still keep their dignity intact? …How do we help without taking control? …How can we be sure that what we do is actually helpful?

We look at the racial unrest that is happening everywhere but perhaps most violently in our neighbours to the south of us… How do we stand up for the rights of black lives and how do we justify the violence that has erupted around this movement?... How do we acknowledge the racism that exists even in our own communities? … How do we face the ways that systemic racism affects each and every one of us?... Can I be an ally without feeling guilty about the privilege I hold in society?...

There are so many opinions, so many voices, so many causes…

It’s difficult to figure out where the wisdom lies… Yes, I think I’d like to be invited to Lady Wisdom’s dinner party…

Perhaps she would have all the answers to all of our questions, but I don’t think she plans to give us a cheat sheet or to do all the work herself. We’ve been reading scripture long enough to know that God doesn’t work that way. God is always there to guide and support us – but we are expected to do the work. So, I imagine that our gracious host would facilitate the discussion, maybe by asking some questions – open ended ones, of course, questions meant to get us doing the talking and the work of figuring things out.

I wonder who else would be sitting at the table with us… I wonder if Sophia has a seating plan in mind… Would I be seated with people I wanted to meet or with people I needed to meet? …

I think you can see that I am intrigued by this invitation from Lady Wisdom! So, how can we take advantage of this offer today? I think we need an opportunity like this now, more than ever. I know I am stressed by everything that is happening around me, are you too? Where is that invitation to dinner? Where is Lady Wisdom when we need her?

Perhaps she is right there on the street corner, exactly where she has always been. Perhaps the invitation is as sincere as it was in the time of these ancient writings. Perhaps we need to slow down, take a deep breath, and look for her amongst the bustle and noise of this busy intersection we live in.

Wisdom is still calling to us, begging us to stop the shouting and the arguing, the pushing and shoving as each voice strives for power and control. She asks us to slow down, to take the time to enjoy each other’s company, to share our thoughts and ideas, to listen at least as much as we speak, to savour a mouthful of delicious food, or fine wine – and not jump in to talk with our mouths full – to savour the time in good company. She wants us to get to know each other. She wants us to take the time to think, to consider, to discern… to find the wisdom that is waiting for us in the mutual respect of a caring community.

Now, perhaps a fancy dinner party isn’t your style. Are there other metaphors you might use to create the same atmosphere? I am reminded of a Thomas Rhett song that Rory Gardiner has shared with us at BCUC – “If I Could Have a Beer with Jesus” – perhaps not a song you expected to hear in a church, but I think the message is just the same as in this passage today. Find a venue and a situation where you can relax and spend quality time with Wisdom, or Jesus, or God in any form, as the facilitator of the discussion. A place where you can relax, let your guard down, and open your heart and mind to the voices around you.

What questions would you have for them?
What questions do you think they’d have for you?
Who else would you invite to the table?
Are they the same ones you think they might invite?

It’s a refreshing and comforting thought for me that Wisdom is still there, calling out her invitation to us right in the midst of the turmoil of this world. Will you look for her? Will you accept her invitation?

May it be so.

Amen

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

God of Wisdom,
We come to you today, so full of worries and questions.
We long to accept Sophia’s invitation.
We long to have your guiding presence and peace that will lead us and the world to a path that will make a positive difference.
We pray for your presence with us as we struggle with the difficulties we face and with the pain of this world.

Help us to calm the inward fear and anxiety that the news of the day causes us.
We pray for a healing resolution to the pandemic …
We pray for the safety of our families and loved ones …
We pray for strength, courage, and safety for the frontline workers we depend on …
We pray that our leaders make wise choices in the restricting and in the easing of restrictions as we move forward …

Help us to see the human realities of life in places where there is war, violence, and injustice.
We pray for all those who are marginalized by the colour of their skin, their choice of religion, their sexuality, their manner of dress and all outward things that block us from getting to know the person inside…
We pray for those who struggle to find the necessities of life – food, clean water, shelter, and safety…
We pray for all those who are living with tragedy, both personal and communal …for the people of Lebanon as they deal with the aftermath of the explosion …for those who have lost loved ones, especially in these times where we cannot gather together to grieve or to comfort…
We pray for the places in the world where there is political unrest and violence… for the people of the United States …for the people of Belarus…

Help us hear the voice of Wisdom calling us into relationship with you and with each other.
We pray for the voices that struggle to speak over the din…
We pray for those who close their ears, their minds, and their hearts to new or different perspectives…
We pray for ourselves that we may look at the world with the openness needed to discern and to make a difference.

Help us to see past the frightening, and sometimes ugly, things that are happening so that we can celebrate the good and beautiful things in creation and in each other.

Help us know, God of Love and Compassion, that you have not abandoned us, that you are still calling out to us from the street corner, that we are still invited to Lady Wisdom’s table.

We pray for ourselves; we pray for our communities, we pray for this world – and we remember the wisdom of Jesus in the words he taught – words we repeat together:

Invitation to Offer:

With graciousness and open arms, Lady Wisdom spreads a sumptuous table and invites all to share in the experience. In this same spirit, may we too share our bounty with others.

Offertory Prayer[4]:

Let these gifts, O God, spread your wisdom through the teachings of the scriptures
And your love through the help we give to each other, our community and the wider world.
Amen.

Sending Forth[5]:

And now may the light of the sun be our guide,
The warmth of the summer breezes refresh our spirits,
The generosity of the earth be our model for discipleship,
And may God bless us, and bless us kindly, today and always.
Amen

Hymn: “Open Your Ears, O Faithful People” Voices United #272

1. Open your ears, O faithful people,
Open your ears, and hear God’s word.
Open your hearts, O faithful people,
God now speaks to you.

Refrain:
God has spoken to the people, hallelujah!
And those words are words of wisdom, hallelujah! Hallelujah!

2. They who have ears to hear the message,
They who have ears, now let them hear.
They who would learn the way of wisdom,
Let them hear God’s word.

Departing: Beer with Jesus - Huckaby/Miller/Akins Performer: Rory Gardiner

Zoom Fellowship hosted by Lorrie at 11 am. Link has been emailed. See you there!

[2] Inspired by Jean Barkley and Mark Fleming, Gathering Summer-Autumn 2010, p39. Used with permission.

[3] Sheryl McLeod, Gathering Pentecost 1 2019, p46. Used with permission.

[4] Karen Boivin, Gathering Pentecost 1 2018, p45. Used with permission.

[5] Bob Root, Gathering Summer-Autumn 2010, p43. Used with permission.

Connie Davidson

August 8, 2020

Worship services

Sunday Worship Service - August 9, 2020

Connie Davidson

August 8, 2020

Worship services

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

10TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
SUMMER WORSHIP SERVICE

August 9, 2020

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: Precious Lord – Voices United #670 Duet: Ellen & Bernice

Acknowledgement of Territory

We begin our worship service by acknowledging the territory where most of us gather and where I am located. We acknowledge that we are gathered on the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe First Nation. We pay respect to the elders past and present and honour all indigenous people’s reverence of this land throughout the ages. May we live in peace and friendship to sustain the earth and all its people.
Thank you for permitting us to live and work on this land.

Welcome & Announcements

Good day everyone! On behalf of Bells Corners United Church, I welcome and greet you in the name of Jesus Christ, wherever you are, in today’s worship service. This is the second Sunday of the summer sermon series in the book of Proverbs. Today we are going to hear Lady Wisdom, calling us again from the streets and public squares to pay attention reminding us that she was created by God at the very beginning even before the world was created.

During this time when we are not able to worship in the church sanctuary, please know that BCUC offers worship service in a number of ways. Check our website at bcuc.org, for our worship service in audio, video and text formats along with the weekly announcements, online meetings, events and other updates. You can also listen to the service via telephone by dialing 613-820-8104. I also encourage you to show that you care by connecting with each other through emails, phone calls and prayers.

Here are some announcements:

The Book of Memories Volume 2 is completed and copies are now available for purchase. You can order a print copy with a suggested minimum donation of $30 or a Digital copy with a suggested donation of $15. Please contact the office to place an order.
Join us for a spontaneous Prayer Circle every Wednesday at 8 pm. Wherever you are, say a prayer for the world, your community and the congregation, your family, and yourself.
David’s Flowers are back drive-through style and they are available every Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 am. The flowers will be displayed on tables outside the main entrance, and everyone is asked to remain in their car, bring exact change or prepared cheque for donations, and follow instructions of volunteers. Thank you for your support!
Grocery cards are now available for purchase. Please call the office to place your order.
For those of you who are able to join us via Zoom, there will be zoom fellowship every Sunday at 11 am. Link will be emailed to you or call the office for more information.
Friends, I now invite you to reflect and to listen to Wisdom’s calling. May we hear her call and grant us the courage to respond. Let us gather in worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle Acolyte: Victoria Ogden

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 wisdom shines!

Call to Gather: (inspired by the prayer of Rt. Rev. Richard Bott, 2017) Lorrie Lowes, DM

Let us gather to praise God of all life,
whose hands touch Creation, and it moves;
whose heart beats and life pulses anew;
whose Spirit dances and the world is changed!
In this time together,
let us praise Wisdom and help us move,
to live,
to be changed
by God’s love,
for the sake of Creation.
Let us gather in worship.

Prayer of Approach: Walking with Wisdom (from If Darwin Prayed by Bruce Sanguin)

O Holy one,
we come in humility and awe,
waiting on Wisdom, Holy Sophia,
to reveal to us Her way.
She, incarnate in Jesus,
embodies in cells and centipedes,
woos us with a wink
into an unknown and unknowable future:
except that is shall be delightful,
for She is delighted by creation;
and it shall be beautiful,
for beauty is the path She walks;
and it shall be good,
for She is the irrepressible goodness of creation;
and it shall be just,
for she is outraged by oppression,
of all Her children,
human and other-than-human.

O Holy One,
we turn now from our foolish ways
to walk the path of Wisdom –
lightly, lovingly –upon and as
this beautiful green planet.
Amen.

Hymn: Oh a Song Must Rise More Voices #142

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. (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.

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.

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.

Storytime for the Young at Heart Lorrie Lowes, DM

Good Morning! We are continuing on with our series about Wisdom in the Bible, and today we’re reading again from the book of Proverbs. It’s difficult to talk about and to describe God in a way that makes sense, that is big enough to cover what God really is to any us. And so, the writers in the Bible often given God many personalities. We talked about that when we talked about the Trinity, didn’t we – that there are lots of different ways of describing God and that sometimes it makes it sound like God is more than one being or one existence. Well, the writers of the book of Proverbs have talked about Wisdom in that way, like a separate kind of being, and generally as a woman. She is sometimes called Sophia or, as in the reading we are looking at today, Lady Wisdom.

This is a really beautiful passage, talking about Wisdom being right there as a part of Creation. I love the verses that really point this out. In verses 30 and 31 of Proverbs 8 it says,

“I was right there with God, making sure everything fit. Day after day I was there with my joyful applause, always enjoying God’s company, delighted with the world of things and creatures, happily celebrating the human family.”

It really brings out that excitement, doesn’t it? I can imagine how exciting it would be to have been around when Creation happened. And I think sometimes, that whole idea of excitement has to do with wonder as well. Wonder is something we are familiar with in our world, and I think that in being wise, wonder plays a big part. Delighting in the beauty and order of the created world is a way that we wonder. When we think about how a caterpillar can turn into a chrysalis and then into a butterfly, that’s something that is really a wonder. As we wonder and learn about how those things happen in the world and about how they fit together that’s a way we become wise, as we learn things, as we talked about last week.

So, what does Wisdom have to teach us about the way we look at God’s world? Well, I think that Wisdom tells us in this passage that we should delight in the way everything fits together so beautifully, how Creation is organized to work together as one, how we should rejoice and delight in Creation, about our place in Creation and how we can help make this all work together, and how every single piece of it is an important part of God’s world.

I hope that you will look at the world today with a sense of Wisdom’s wonder!

A Poem: God’s Garden (by Dorothy Frances Gurney) Vernon Sulway

THE Lord God planted a garden
In the first white days of the world,
And He set there an angel warden
In a garment of light enfurled.
So near to the peace of Heaven,
That the hawk might nest with the goose,
For there in the cool of the evening
God walked with the first of us.
And I dream that these garden-closes
With their shade and their sun-flecked sod
And their lilies and bowers of roses,
Were laid by the hand of God.
The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,--
One is nearer God’s heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.

Hymn: O Beautiful Gaia More Voices #41

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.

Prayer for Illumination Reader: Nicole Beaudry

O wise God, let your word speak in each heart. Let your truth set each one free. Let your wisdom inspire us for justice. Let your presence fill us with joy. Amen.

The Reading: “Lady Wisdom Calls Out” Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-36 (The Message)

8 1-4 Do you hear Lady Wisdom calling?
    Can you hear Madame Insight raising her voice?
She’s taken her stand at First and Main,
    at the busiest intersection.
Right in the city square
    where the traffic is thickest, she shouts,
“You—I’m talking to all of you,
    everyone out here on the streets!

22-31 “God sovereignly made me—the first, the basic—
    before God did anything else.
I was brought into being a long time ago,
    well before Earth got its start.
I arrived on the scene before Ocean,
    yes, even before Springs and Rivers and Lakes.
Before Mountains were sculpted and Hills took shape,
    I was already there, newborn;
Long before God stretched out Earth’s Horizons,
    and tended to the minute details of Soil and Weather,
And set Sky firmly in place,
    I was there.
When God mapped and gave borders to wild Ocean,
    built the vast vault of Heaven,
    and installed the fountains that fed Ocean,
When God drew a boundary for Sea,
    posted a sign that said no trespassing,
And then staked out Earth’s Foundations,
    I was right there with God, making sure everything fit.
Day after day I was there, with my joyful applause,
    always enjoying God’s company,
Delighted with the world of things and creatures,
    happily celebrating the human family.

32-36 “So, my dear friends, listen carefully;
    those who embrace these my ways are most blessed.
Mark a life of discipline and live wisely;
    don’t squander your precious life.
Blessed the man, blessed the woman, who listens to me,
    awake and ready for me each morning,
    alert and responsive as I start my day’s work.
When you find me, you find life, real life,
    to say nothing of God’s good pleasure.
But if you wrong me, you damage your very soul;
    when you reject me, you’re flirting with death.”

Hear what the Spirit is saying to all of us! Thanks be to God!

Sermon: “In the Beginning was Wisdom” Rev. Kim Vidal

In 2005, about 400 women and a few men, comprised of clergy, feminist theologians, Bible scholars, professors, church lay leaders and advocates gathered at Carleton University in Ottawa for what turned out to be one of the most controversial yet transformational ecumenical church events that I’ve ever attended. The conference was sponsored by Women’s Ordination Worldwide, an organization run primarily by feminist members, mostly connected with the Roman Catholic Church, whose main goal is to raise awareness about and advocate for the ordination of women not only in the Roman Catholic Church but in all Christian churches. I attended the conference partly due to two feminist theologians that I follow: Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza and Rosemary Radford Ruether.

“Breaking Silence, Breaking Bread – Christ Calls Women to Lead” - the theme caused tidal waves across the Christian religious landscape because it did what its title said it would do. It broke women’s silence, particularly those who are advocates of women’s ordination, while breaking bread together, placing diverse women’s experiences at the centre of Jesus’ ministry. It also emphasized female images of the Divine at the centre of the worship and ritual life of the conference. The backlash to the conference was tremendously big. It concluded with the so-called ordination of four Roman Catholic “priestesses” and five “deaconesses” on the St. Lawrence River that drew media attention.

During the conference, there was one particular worship experience that introduced me to Lady Wisdom, also known as Sophia that I remembered so well. In that worship service, I was introduced to songs from the album Dancing Sophia’s Circle composed by Colleen Fulmer, a former member of Loretto Spirituality Network and converted to the United Methodist Church, now an ordained minister. 400 plus voices all joined in the refrain- “O Wisdom Sophia, Wisdom Sophia, the power and presence of God.” The worship centered around the image of Lady Wisdom that broke open something in me. I would say it was life-changing. It transformed me!

I have had amazing spiritual and theological experience during and after the conference, not to mention the friendships formed and the wisdom that I learned from the marvelous speakers.

So here we are on this second Sunday of the sermon series on Lady Wisdom, challenging and disturbing, yet transformational. Last Sunday, we have heard her voice for the first time in Proverbs 1 calling out to everyone from the streets and marketplaces, from the hub of communal life. Wisdom is portrayed as a woman who will not be silenced, standing at the public square, calling the attention of humanity, insisting that she be heard, frustrated by those who pretend they don’t know any better, pointing an angry finger at those who choose ignorance over wisdom. She wrestles with questions about how one ought to live and about the meaning of life. With questions about justice and fairness and where God is in the midst of our human experiences.

Today in Proverbs 8, Lady Wisdom calls out again from the same spot on First and Main streets, on the city square, but this time, she will tell us that in the beginning, even before the world was created, she already existed with God, like a master worker, a co-creator in the formation of the world. The ancient Israelites wrote of wisdom, first in God’s creation, witnessed all of creation and worked alongside the Creator God. Both are complementary dimensions of the creation process, or as Proverbs describes it, Lady Wisdom is at God’s side, as an agent, companion and celebrant in the creation process.

Proverbs 8 is a beautiful depiction of creation that would complement the creation stories in Genesis. Wisdom is earthy, deeply rooted and is woven into the fabric of all creation, personified as symbolic of transcendent power ordering and delighting in the world. In the words of feminist theologian Elizabeth Johnson, “She is constantly luring human beings to life, to a way of living that rightfully orders the world such that everyone is able to delight in it. She has been there from the beginning of this world.” Listen again to her words translated by Eugene Peterson in The Message

“God sovereignly made me—the first, the basic—before God did anything else.
I was brought into being a long time ago, well before Earth got its start…

I was there…I was right there with God, making sure everything fit.
Day after day I was there, with my joyful applause,
always enjoying God’s company,
Delighted with the world of things and creatures,
happily celebrating the human family.”

From the beginning, Lady Wisdom dances and rejoices and delights in Creation. She is a lover of people – she “delights in the human race and happily celebrating with them.” Historian and author Lilian Calles Barger, writes: “In the biblical Proverbs, Woman Wisdom is identified with God, present at Creation and infusing all. She seeks close engagement with the world and delights to be with humanity. Contrary to gender-stereotyped images of women, she is in no way passive but is portrayed as a liberator and establisher of justice, a lover in pursuit of humanity who, in return, responds to those who love her.” Wisdom invites us to delight with her in creation – and to care for all life. She is so intimately connected with the earth and nudges the people to nourish and care for our environment.

Where can we find Lady Wisdom so that we can participate in this whole creative process? Rev. Greg Wooley in his sermon on wisdom shares wonderful insight to this question. He says: “One good place to start, is to cultivate personal habits and spiritual practices that invite God’s wisdom into your day. This includes moments of contemplation, prayer or journaling, doing yoga, visualization, meditation, and breathing-prayers.” Rev. Wooley also encourage us to slow down our information intake relying on high-speed, internet sources, by enhancing it with other sources that take us deeper. Books, including the Bible, newspapers, documentaries, thoughtful magazine articles and podcasts can all help. Taking a deep breath and inviting a deep thought provides favourable conditions for the growth of wisdom. And I would add to this list, inspiring music – both instrumental and sung, traveling and nature walks, as well as wise people and friends – our family and social circles – these are wonderful sources of wisdom. A wise person once said: “Surround yourself with positive people who will inspire you to do better.”

If there is one thing that I hope we will take away from this sermon, it is this: The ancient writers of Proverbs 8 were on to something wonderful when they depicted Lady Wisdom in such a vivid and tangible way – not as an abstract philosophical concept or idea, but as a real, live, flesh and blood, living being, when they imagined her side by side with God from the beginning of time, standing on the street corners, at our borders, at our city gates, calling to us from all of the highways and byways of life. We all can be vessels of wisdom. We all can be co-creators with God and we can claim the gift of creativity if we follow Lady Wisdom’s ways. Poets, artists, musicians, preachers, leaders, housekeepers, health workers, gardeners, bakers, everyday workers, young and old– we all can claim our work as part of God’s creative power. We, alongside with God, contributes to this creative process in preserving and healing the earth.

Lady Wisdom emerges in our actions, in our choices, in our relationships. Like water, she finds Her way. Like light, we turn toward Her, especially as the darkness deepens. Like a tree, she taught us to become deeply-rooted with creation and the world where we live. Wisdom and life are inseparable. This human life, this pilgrimage, this adventure, this journey, this is where Wisdom comes to find us. Wisdom calls us not out of our lives, but deeper into them: deeper into our innermost being, deeper into our relationships, deeper into our communities and neighborhoods, deeper into the presence of creation itself.

Going back to the 2005 Women’s Ordination Worldwide Conference that I have attended, if there’s one thing that have inspired me in my ministry and in my life, it would be the wisdom and music of Colleen Fulmer, particularly her song In Your Presence that we’ve sang during one of the worship services in that gathering. Let me share some of its lyrics with the hope that you will find it inspiring too as you continue to seek and follow Lady Wisdom-Sophia in your life journey:

We are bathed in radiance, clothed in glory
Crowned in splendour, embraced in joy.
O Wisdom Sophia, Wisdom Sophia,
The power and presence of God.
Our earth was created as you danced and played
So delighted by beauty and form.
You sang and mountains and valleys appeared.
All the meadows, the seas and the shores.
O Wisdom Sophia, Wisdom Sophia,
The power and presence of God.

I thank God for Lady Wisdom. With her beauty and grace, she invites us to walk, sing, laugh, play, work and dance into the light of God’s new day. Thanks be to our wise God. Amen.

Sources that I used:

Sheri Hostetler, https://blog.menno.org/2017/12/12/sermon-christ-sophia/
Elizabeth Johnson’s She Who Is: The Mystery of God in Feminist Theological Discourse
Emily, Literature & Liturgy, https://jesusscribbles.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/sermon-lady-wisdom-proverbs-8/
Rev. Greg Wooley’s sermon on Proverbs 8, Ralph Connor Memorial United Church, Canmore AB, 2018.
Barger, Lilian Calles. Chasing Sophia: Reclaiming the lost wisdom of Jesus. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass, 2007.
Colleen Fulmer, “In Your Presence”, from the album Dancing Sophia’s Circle.

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

Like gentle rain from above that blesses us each day,
so are your gifts of life to us, Creator God.
In your wisdom 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 goodness and promises. 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 the people in Beirut especially the grieving families and loved ones of the victims who died in the recent deadly explosion. We ask for your blessings and love to heal their broken hearts and spirits as they mourn their tragic loss. We pray for healing and comfort to those who are injured, shelter to those who are homeless and sustenance to those who hunger.

We continue to pray for Canada and the rest of the world as we continue to combat the ongoing pandemic. We pray for our loved ones and friends, those whose loved ones perished due to this virus, those who have been diagnosed, those undergoing treatments and those who are recovering from this virus and other ailments. 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 the frontliners, the healthcare workers, doctors, nurses, personal support workers, the grocers, the postal workers, the essential services employees, church people and our leaders. We pray for their safety and good health, wisdom and courage as they serve others in this time of pandemic.

Wisdom-Sophia, 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, Wisdom’s incarnate, who taught his friends and disciples this prayer that we say together…

Invitation to Offer: Lorrie Lowes, DM

Offertory Prayer

Sophia God, we hear and we respond to your words of wisdom,
your words of call and life. 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. Amen.

Sending Forth: (based on the words of Bob Root, Gathering 2020) Lorrie Lowes, DM

And may the God of Wisdom who brought us into being,
to care for creation and one another
bless us as we leave:
May we be blessed in the air we breathe,
the relationships we nurture,
and the acts through which love is shared,
that God’s blessing, light, and love
will be known by all.
Go in joy,
blessed to be a blessing.

Hymn: Teach Me, God, to Wonder - Voices United #299

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.

Departing: Fairest Lord Jesus – Voices United #341 Arranged: Stewart Landon Duet: Ellen & Bernice

Zoom Fellowship hosted by Lorrie at 11 am. Link has been emailed. See you there!

Connie Davidson

August 1, 2020

Worship services

Sunday Worship Service - August 2, 2020

Connie Davidson

August 1, 2020

Worship services

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

9TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
SUMMER WORSHIP SERVICE

August 2, 2020

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: Fur Elise – Beethoven Abe: piano

Welcome & Announcements

Good day everyone!

On behalf of Bells Corners United Church, I welcome and greet you in the name of Jesus Christ, wherever you are, in today’s worship service. For the next three Sundays, we are reflecting on Wisdom in the book of Proverbs. Today, we are going to hear the cries of Lady Wisdom, calling us from the streets and markets, from the ordinary, common places of our lived experience.

During this time when we are not able to worship in the church sanctuary, please know that BCUC offers worship service in a number of ways. Check our website at bcuc.org, for our worship service in audio, video and text formats along with the weekly announcements, online meetings, events and other updates. You can also listen to the service via telephone by dialing 613-820-8104. I also encourage you to show that you care by connecting with each other through emails, phone calls and prayers.

Here are some announcements:

The Book of Memories Vol 2 is completed and copies are now available for purchase. You can order a print copy with a suggested minimum donation of $30 or a Digital copy with a suggested minimum donation of $15. Please contact the office to place an order.
Join us for a spontaneous Prayer Circle every Wednesday at 8 pm. Wherever you are, say a prayer for the world, your community including the congregation, your family, and you.
David’s Flowers are back drive-through style and they are available every Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 am. The flowers will be displayed on tables outside the main entrance, and everyone is asked to remain in their car, bring exact change or prepared cheque for donations, and follow instructions of volunteers. Thank you for your support!
Grocery cards are now available for purchase. Please call the office to place your order.

And for those of you who are able to join us via Zoom, there will be zoom fellowship every Sunday at 11 am. Link will be emailed to you or call the office for more information.

Friends, I now invite you to get ready, to listen to Wisdom’s calling. May we hear her cries and grant us the courage to respond. Let us gather in worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle Acolytes: Marion & Pierre Dugas

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 the light of the world,
and the Holy Spirit is present to illumine our work and witness.
Let us worship this day mindful of the light and wisdom of God.

Call to Gather: (posted on Literature & Liturgy) Lorrie Lowes, DM

Who among you is seeking the wisdom of God?
We long to hear God’s Word spoken to our hearts.
Who among you is seeking God’s bright and holy truth?
We long to learn the ways of wisdom and righteousness.
Who among you is seeking a Spirit-filled life?
We long to live lives of holiness and light.
God grants God’s wisdom generously to all who ask.
Come near, people of God!
Let us worship in wisdom and truth.

Prayer of Approach: Sophia’s Delight (by Bruce Sanguin)

We are drawn together by Sophia,
Wisdom of the universe,
nature’s intelligence,
embodied in Jesus
and present in all souls
who gather at Her table.
We gather to receive grace to give up our foolish ways,
to walk in Her light,
to delight in creation and in one another,
as Sophia delights in us.
May we open the gates of our souls,
that Sophia may enter,
making us friends of God and one another.
We open to Her transforming power. Amen.

Hymn: Come and Seek the Ways of Wisdom - More Voices #10

1. Come and seek the ways of Wisdom,
she who danced when earth was new.
Follow closely what she teaches,
for her words are right and true.
Wisdom clears the path to justice,
Showing us what love must do.

2. Listen to the voice of Wisdom,
crying in the market-place.
Hear the Word made flesh among us,
full of glory, truth, and grace.
When the word takes root and ripens,
peace and righteousness embrace.

3. Sister Wisdom, come, assist us;
nurture all who seek rebirth.
Spirit guide and close companion,
bring to light our sacred worth.
Free us to become your people,
holy friends of God and earth.

Storytime for the Young at Heart Lorrie Lowes, DM

(Today, our Story Time will be introduced by a reading of “Mo Willems Presents: That Is Not a Good Idea” It will be read by my three grandchildren and the illustrations will be on the screen. It’s a cute children’s story about a very dapper fox who sees a goose and decides he would like to have her for dinner. He invites her to go for a stroll and she accepts, then he takes her through the deep dark woods, to his kitchen, and asks her to help him make some soup. At each new invitation, little chicks are in the background saying, “That is not a good idea! That is really not a good idea!” In the end, he tries to trick her into looking into the pot to see what ingredient is missing – obviously planning to push her in! The goose outwits him though and declares, “Yes, a key ingredient is missing – YOU!” and it becomes fox soup instead. The little chicks sigh, “Well, we did try to warn him!”)

Wasn’t that a funny story? The ending was quite a surprise to me! I thought all those messages from the chicks were for the goose but they were for the fox. The fox was not very wise; he didn’t listen to those chicks at all. I think the chicks were more wise than the fox, don’t you?

Over the next few weeks, we’re going to be talking about Wisdom. Wisdom is something that we all hope we will get as we grow older, but it’s not something that just automatically happens, is it? In order to become wise, you have to learn lots, read lots, and listen to experts and listen to lots of different opinions so that when we need to make choices, we make wise ones. That’s how we become wise as we grow older.

The fox wasn’t paying any attention to what the chicks had to say because he thought the message wasn’t for him at all. Do we do that sometimes? I think we do. We think, “I don’t need to listen to that rule because it doesn’t apply to me,” or “I won’t listen to what that person has to say because they aren’t very important to me. So, I wonder if that’s a wise thing to do…

Over the next few weeks we’re going to be talking about Wisdom in the Bible. Wisdom is a way that we think about God and we are hoping that we will learn to listen for God’s voice, listen for the things that God wants us to know about how we should be in this world and how we can be good Christians as we take care of each other and the world. Let’s all keep learning, no matter how old we are. It’s a good thing to keep listening, keep learning, keep reading, and learn to become wise.

Hymn: And On This Path - More Voices #8

1. And on this path, the gates of holiness are open wide, (3X)
Open wide! (3X) The gates are open wide!

2. So enter in, the gates of holiness are open wide, (3X)
Open wide! (3X) The gates are open wide!

Prayer for Illumination Reader: Susan Young

O wise God, let your word speak in each heart. Let your truth set each one free. Let your wisdom inspire us for justice. Let your presence fill us with joy. Amen.

The Reading: “Wisdom Calls” Proverbs 1: 20-33 (NRSV)

20Wisdom cries out in the street;
in the squares she raises her voice.
21At the busiest corner she cries out;
at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
22“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools hate knowledge?
23Give heed to my reproof;
I will pour out my thoughts to you;
I will make my words known to you.
24Because I have called and you refused,
have stretched out my hand and no one heeded,
25and because you have ignored all my counsel
and would have none of my reproof,
26I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when panic strikes you,
27when panic strikes you like a storm,
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
28Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently, but will not find me.
29Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30would have none of my counsel,
and despised all my reproof,
31therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way
and be sated with their own devices.
32For waywardness kills the simple,
and the complacency of fools destroys them;
33but those who listen to me will be secure
and will live at ease, without dread of disaster.”

Hear what the Spirit is saying to all of us! Thanks be to God!

Sermon: “Wisdom Cries Out!” Rev. Kim Vidal

A story was told about an angel who, one day, suddenly appears to a church minister in his office. Because of the minister’s faithful commitment to serve, the angel asked him to have one choice from three wishes: wealth, wisdom, or fame. The minister without thinking, immediately chooses infinite wisdom. The angel disappears, and the minister excitedly tells his wife what happened. So the wife curious to check whether her husband was given infinite wisdom asked him: “Indulge me, my dear, say something wise.” And the minister scratched his head and responds, “I should have taken the money.”

Wisdom. This is our sermon theme in the next three Sundays of August based on the book of Proverbs. Proverbs translates to the Hebrew word mashal meaning “sayings” or “riddles” or “instructions” that belongs to the genre of wisdom literature along with the books of Job and Ecclesiastes. The wisdom literature of Israel is a “collection of collections” that may have been developed in the family, in villages, the royal court, and houses of learning and instruction. If Psalms were attributed to King David, the book of proverbs was attributed to King Solomon because he was famous for having great wisdom but it does not mean to say that Solomon wrote the book. He was known as the patron of wisdom and encouraged chiefs, professional sages, wise men and women, and scribes in the service of the court, to write, collect and organize maxims and sayings about the practical, wise and intelligent way to conduct one’s life particularly about the very worth and meaning of human life. Our biblical text probably was written around 400 BCE when Jewish scribes viewed "wisdom" as encompassing not only practical guidelines for living, but also obedience to God’s law. The image of Wisdom was embraced by the author of Proverbs as a metaphor telling one how to live a moderate, practical, patient, cautious life that leads to making wise choices.

What comes to mind when you think of wisdom? A small illusive voice that whispers in the night? A rich, theological discussion? Listening to the words of a poetry being read? The choir singing or children laughing? Does it remind you of a very wise person? A lot of times, wisdom is compared to its sister, knowledge. But these two words are not synonymous at all. The dictionary defines wisdom as “the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting.” Knowledge, on the other hand, is “information gained through experience, reasoning, or acquaintance.” Wisdom is the fitting application of knowledge. Someone once said that knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting that tomato in a fruit salad. Knowledge understands the light has turned red; wisdom pushes the brakes. Knowledge sees the thunderstorm; wisdom stops the soccer game. Knowledge reads the teachings of Jesus; wisdom puts them to practice. Knowledge learns of the COVID-19 pandemic; wisdom applies social distancing. Knowledge makes use of hockey arena for kids playing; wisdom opens the arena as shelter for the homeless.

In today’s text, we hear the call and cries of Wisdom personified as a woman. Hence it is referred to as Lady Wisdom. The Greeks call her Sophia. If you are surprised that Wisdom is personified as an authoritative woman, you might be more surprised that she speaks like a prophet. She demands that her listeners decide right now to listen to her words and follow them. She knows that the consequence of not heeding her words is disaster. Wisdom calls everyone to a radical spirituality, to a way of being in the world and in right relationships. Lady Wisdom takes center stage and cries out: “Here I am. Pay attention!”

Where do we find Lady Wisdom in this text in Proverbs? You might be dismayed that she is not in the temple, not in the synagogue, not in a church assembly or the so-called holy or sacred places. Don’t even bother searching her in Ivy League schools, or where the scholars and theologians are debating about God. Lady Wisdom is right in the middle of a market place! She is standing, not on some remote mountaintop, not in some lonely spiritual retreat, not separated from the grit of everyday life; nor is she in the privacy of homes. She is on the busiest street in town at the same level as the people. She is in the sites of communal life, of bustling relationships. She is where all kinds of people do their daily living. I would say, she is one extroverted woman- watching the folks in all walks of life hurrying into shops, their arms full of goods; watching the hustle and bustle of business life; watching the people hurrying to and fro, back and forth, the constant stream of people, the endless parade of busy human lives.

Here the text places her squarely in the place we least expect to find wisdom, as if the author is trying to remind us that wisdom comes in the ordinary daily routines of life, in doing our jobs, relating to people, caring for our neighbors, dealing with finances, going to meetings or having a party. These are Wisdom’s domain. Thomas McKibbens offers inspiring comments. He says: “Wisdom is not presented here as some demure wallflower; not as some shy and blushing debutante; not as some quiet companion living in the shadow of her husband; this lady is the epitome of a competent, self-assured woman...Here is Lady Wisdom on Main Street at noontime speaking her mind for all to hear!”

Look how she delivers her message. Lady Wisdom’s voice is loud and clear. She raises her voice just as a mother might with a stubborn, resisting child. Wisdom is not just whispering her message. She is crying out in the street. There is some kind of urgency that wants to get everyone’s attention. What is her message? Why is she crying out? One can only assume that there are life issues in the world that need wise choices, wise judgments, wise decisions, wise relationships. She is crying out to beg love, compassion, justice, peace, honesty, truthfulness. Wisdom, according to Kathleen O’Connor is not particular about who follows her. She does not only call the chosen, the holy or the privilege but invites everyone – top of her list, in Eugene Peterson’s words, are the simpletons, the cynics and the idiots. You may not like the tone of

Peterson’s language, but in this case, I think Peterson just offers a genius translation because he shocks us to attention and gets our ears open – exactly what Lady Wisdom is trying to do.

She is not only speaking to the cultured elite, the religious and the spiritual, the wealthy and the powerful, as much as we might like to think that wisdom resides only with them, but is also speaking to the street people, the marginalized, the outcasts, those who walk the streets with her. Yet despite Lady Wisdom’s shouting on the street corner; after all her warnings and admonitions that have rung out loud and clear; the result is refusal from people to listen. The people clearly ignore her. Not a head is turned; not an eye is lifted. The bustle of business and traffic goes on as before. Deals are made; clients are seen; money is exchanged; stocks are bought and sold; business as usual, nothing changes! Life goes on as if no voice of warning has been lifted! But after the people completely ignore her, disaster strikes! There is panic and calamity and distress and anguish, all accompanied by the mocking, “see what I told you” laughter of Lady Wisdom. The Proverbs writer eloquently expressed: “because they turn away from the gift of life she offers, she will turn away from them when calamity strikes and will laugh at their distress. But if people have listened to her calls and cries, she will offer them true security, trust and freedom from fear because disaster will not come to her followers.”

After delivering a talk in Melbourne, Australia, the famous Viennese psychiatrist Victor Frankl was given a boomerang as a gift. Dr. Frankl thought for a few minutes and then said that he felt the boomerang symbolized human existence. People assume that the function of the boomerang is to return to the thrower. But this is not the case. The boomerang returns to the thrower only when it misses the target. The same is true in life, he said. We return to ourselves to become self-centered and self-absorbed when we have failed to find meaning in life - when we fail to use the gift of wisdom that is crying for our attention. If we live for ourselves, spend our money only on ourselves or those closest to us, if we squander our time, and exert our strength only for those things that please us, we pay the price of a meaningless existence.

How does wisdom show up in your life? Where is wisdom in your lived experience? Often, she shows up in a time of need; in moments of crisis or desperation, moments of grieving and illness, in times of uncertainty and fear. But she also lurks where joyful occasions are celebrated - the welcoming of a new season, celebrating a birthday, the gathering of the faithful where prayers are evoked and songs of praise are sung. The way of wisdom leads to life, to real life: to the vital, life-giving, Spirit-filled lives we all long for. I like what the writer of Jesus Scribbles wrote: “Wisdom touches, in widening circles, our neighborhood and city streets, daring to see

the practice of life. It is the daily and hourly practice of giving, honoring, and respecting life in all its forms. God’s face in neighbour and stranger and nurturing it, cherishing it, helping it thrive, Wisdom is the practice of life. It is the daily and hourly practice of giving, honouring, and respecting life in all its forms.”

Few months seems to have passed in the blink of an eye as we remember with heavy hearts when COVID-19 pandemic struck the world. In an instant, everything seemed different, like the world as we knew it would never be the same. There's some wisdom in that observation, I think, to hear Lady Wisdom calling us, reminding us to live life in the midst of this pandemic crisis. Wisdom calls us to listen to the voices of the government and health officials, to do our part in stopping the spread of the virus – washing of hands, wearing a mask, social distancing, while saying a prayer for health and healing at the same time. Wisdom also nudges us to rejoice in the acts of courage, compassion, and commitment of front line and essential services workers and those who come forward to making a difference in this time of crisis. Wisdom pushes us to look forward, to embrace the present that is not defined by pandemic and deaths but instead is shaped by hope, possibility, and the grace of God.

In closing, let me read to you an excerpt from a poem entitled The Lamp of Wisdom:

To all who long and strive to realize the Self,
Illumination comes to them in this very life.
This divine awareness never leaves them,
And they work unceasingly for the good of all.
When the lamp of wisdom is lit within,
Their face shines, whether life brings weal or woe.

Lady Wisdom is crying out - do you hear her? Will you listen?
Remember this- Wisdom ignored - leads to disaster. Wisdom heeded - leads to life.
Thanks be to our wise God. Amen.

Sources that helped me with my sermon:

1. Viktor E. Frankl Anthology
2. Kathleen O’Connor, Feasting on the Word, Year B, Vol. 4, pp. 51-55.
3. Sermon of Thomas R. McKibbens on Wisdom
4. https://jesusscribbles.wordpress.com/category/sermons
5. Yoga Vashishta , The Lamp of Wisdom, http://www.easwaran.org. 6. Sermon Illustration on Wisdom

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer Lorrie Lowes, DM

God of us all,
We come to you this day, full of gratitude for our many blessings.
But we also come seeking guidance and help.
We open our hearts and minds to your Wisdom.
Lord, hear our prayers, and in your mercy answer.

We pray for our world, for all that you have created and all the gifts it gives to us.
Grant us the wisdom to use these gifts in a way that supports and nurtures all it encompasses, from the planet itself to all that inhabit it.
We pray for the environment as it struggles to heal itself from the stress we humans have put upon it…
We pray for the creatures of the air, the land, and the water…
We pray for people everywhere, our brothers and sisters around the world, as they cope with the ongoing pandemic, and hardships such as war, injustice, hunger, and fear…

We pray for Canada and for the leaders who we have chosen to guide us through these turbulent times.
Grant them the wisdom and the compassion to take us in a direction that is pleasing to you and beneficial to all…
Lord, hear our prayers, and in your mercy answer.

We pray for this faith community,
For those who are suffering from illness, both physical and mental…
For those who are feeling isolated and lonely…
For those feeling anxious about the changes surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic…
For those who are missing loved ones through distance, ill ness, or death…
Grant us the wisdom to see where we can reach out to each other to both give and receive caring support.
Lord, hear our prayers, and in your mercy answer.
All these things we ask in the name of Jesus, our example and our guide, as we continue in the words he taught his disciples…

Invitation to Offer: Rev. Kim Vidal

Offertory Prayer:

Sophia God, we hear and we respond to your words of wisdom, your words of call and life. 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. Amen.

Sending Forth: Rev. Kim Vidal

We have opened our hearts to God’s Wisdom.
As you welcome another week,
may God’s wisdom give life to you,
to others and to all creation.
Let God’s wisdom embrace you
with goodness and love.
Let us live with hearts wide open in every
place and time wisdom calls us to be.
Go in peace. Amen.

Hymn: Forth in Your Name, O Christ - Voices United #416

1. Forth in your name, O Christ, we go,
our daily labour to pursue,
you, only you, resolved to know
in all we think, or speak or do.

2. The task your wisdom has assigned
here let us cheerfully fulfil,
in all our works your presence finds,
and prove your good and perfect will.

3. You may we set at our right hand,
whose eyes our in-most secrets view,
and labour on at your command
and offer all our works to you.

4. Help us to bear your easy yoke
in every moment watch and pray,
and still to things eternal look,
and hasten to that glorious day.

5. Then with delight may we employ
all that your bounteous grace has given,
and run our earthly course with joy,
and closely walk with you to heaven.

Words – Charles Wesley, 1749 / Music – Robert Schumann, 1839, adapt.

HAPPY 7th YEAR ANNIVERSARY AT BCUC REV. KIM VIDAL!!!

AND HAPPY WOW BIRTHDAY IDA BLACKWELL!!

Departing: Early One Morning/Happy Anniversary/Birthday! Abe: piano

Zoom Fellowship hosted by Lorrie at 11 am. Link has been emailed. See you there!

Connie Davidson

July 25, 2020

Announcements

Book of Memories, Volume 2, is now available for purchase

Connie Davidson

July 25, 2020

Announcements

Given the pandemic situation, if you would like to order a print copy for a suggested minimum donation of $30, please either email the office at office@bcuc.org or call 613-820-8103 to place your name on the list. Copies will be printed and mailed to you on receipt of payment.

If you would like a digital copy for a suggested minimum donation of $15, please send an e-mail request and it will be e-mailed to you.

Connie Davidson

July 25, 2020

Worship services

Sunday Worship Service - July 26, 2020

Connie Davidson

July 25, 2020

Worship services

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

8TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
SUMMER WORSHIP SERVICE

July 26, 2020

The video 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: Agnus Dei M.W. Smith Soloist-Angela Starchuk

Welcome & Announcements

Good day everyone! The psalmist declares: “Let everything that breathes praise God!”

On behalf of Bells Corners United Church, I welcome and greet you wherever you are on this fifth and final Sunday in our Psalms sermon series as we reflect on the timeless words of Psalm 150, which is a psalm of praise.

During this time when we are not able to worship in the church sanctuary, please know that BCUC offers worship service in a number of ways. Check our website at bcuc.org, for our worship service in audio, video and text formats along with the weekly announcements, online meetings, events and other updates. You can also listen to the service via telephone by dialing 613-820-8104. I also encourage you to show that you care by connecting with each other through emails, phone calls and prayers.

Here are some announcements:

The Book of Memories Volume 2 is completed and copies are now available for purchase. You can order a print copy with a suggested minimum donation of $30 or a Digital copy with a suggested minimum donation of $15. Please contact the office to place an order.
A Summer Trivia via Zoom will be held on Thursday, July 30 at 6:30 pm. Check the announcements for the link to register or call the office for more information. Join in the fun!
David’s Flowers are back drive-through style and they are available every Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 am. The flowers will be displayed on tables outside the main entrance, and everyone is asked to remain in their car, bring exact change or prepared cheque for donations, and follow instructions of volunteers. Thank you for your support!
Grocery cards are now available for purchase. Please call the office to place your order.
And for those of you who are able to join us via Zoom, there will be zoom fellowship every Sunday at 11 am. Link will be emailed to you or call the office for more information.
Friends, I now invite you to offer your praise to God in awe and in reverence, as we gather in worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle Acolyte: Angela Starchuk

May the light of Christ remind us to praise God. Remember these words of the psalmist: “My mouth will speak in praise of God. Let every creature praise God’s holy name for ever and ever.” (Psalm 145:21)

Call to Gather: (inspired by Jim Mckean, Gathering 2016) Lorrie Lowes, DM

Summer is a time for wonder.
It is also a time to renew, restore
and rebuild with joy and love.
Today, God the Composer, has called us
to be renewed, restored and rebuilt.
We rejoice as God’s people,
thankful for opportunities to serve and care.
Now in the faith of healing and growth,
let us worship God who will not keep us
from praising and from singing!

Prayer of Praise: (by Elaine Bidgood Sveet, Gathering 2016)

O God, gather us in this time of worship.
Gather us in your strong presence.
Gather us with song and scripture.
Gather us young and old.
As your church family,
we gather with thankfulness, eager to be renewed,
Here in this time and in this place,
our worship will rise. Amen.

Hymn: Make A Joyful Noise Voices United #820

Refrain:
Make a joyful noise all the earth!
Worship your God with gladness.
Make a joyful noise all the earth.
Come to this place with a song!

1. Know that your God has made you.
Know it’s to God we belong.
And come to this place with joyfulness and praise.
Worship your God with a song! R

2.Enter these gates thanks giving.
Enter these courts with praise.
Sing thanks to your God and bless the holy name.
Worship your God with a song! R

3.Ages through endless ages,
Seasons of endless years,
The love of our Maker ever shall endure.
Worship your God with a song! R

Storytime for the Young at Heart Lorrie Lowes DM

Good Morning!

Today we’re finishing up our study of the book of Psalms for this summer and we’re doing it with Psalm 150, the last Psalm in the book. 150! Imagine that – there are 150 different Psalms in this book of the Bible. This one is a great one for us to end on because it’s a praise psalm and I think people like praise psalms better than the ones that lament or worry about things that are going on in the world. They are important too but a praise psalm is a great way to start the day.

In this one the psalmist talks about praising in ways that we are familiar with praising God with trumpets and instruments that make a big, loud, happy noise. That’s the kind of praise that we’re used to and the kind of way we praise in church every Sunday. We praise God by singing and by playing instruments like the piano and the organ and all of the other wonderful instruments that people in or congregation share with us. The band plays for us sometimes. And so, we praise God by singing and by praying and, sometimes at Bells Corners, we even praise God by dancing. If we were in the sanctuary this morning, I’m sure that Erin would have pulled out the box of rhythm instruments that she has tucked away in the music room and you would all have rhythm instruments and maybe be marching around the sanctuary as we sing.

That would be so much fun!

We seem to praise God more in church than anywhere else. I don’t think most of us praise God when we’re out in public or even at home with our families. I wonder about that a little bit… But the other thing was, that in this psalm, right towards the end, there is a beautiful line that says, “Let everything that breathes praise the Lord.” I love that! So, I was wondering, what was the psalmist thinking about – obviously not a church service… “everything that breathes”. So, I took a look outside and thought about being in my yard. The first thing I hear when I go out there is the birds singing, which is especially wonderful at this time of year. I think maybe that’s the way birds praise the Creator! I hear the buzzing of insects too and maybe that’s a way that insects praise God.

I think about nature in other places, like British Columbia, where we were fishing off the coast of Vancouver Island and there were whales breaching all around us. That just seems like such a fun and joyous thing to do. So, I think maybe jumping out of the water like that is a way that whales praise God for their wonderful life. There are quiet things that breathe in nature that praise God too, like flowers. The flowers in my garden are just going crazy right now and the colours are beautiful. Maybe that’s a way that flowers praise God, by putting forth those beautiful blooms. I think about trees that seem to reach right up into the sky. They seem to be praising God as well when they lift up their branches like that. Sometimes I look at a tree that is growing on a really rocky place and I wonder how it finds enough soil to put down its roots and stay there through storms and everything else. It’s like it insists on staying there and praising God by reaching up to the heavens. So, there are silent ways that nature praises God.

Then I got thinking that, you know there are other things that give me that same feeling of awe and wonder that aren’t breathing. I think about being out west again in BC and Alberta where the mountains are just majestic and they seem to reach right up into the heavens. Maybe that is the earth praising God. I think about waves crashing on the big granite cliffs out where we were fishing. So beautiful! And sometimes even beautiful buildings like a cathedral or a lovely arts place can make us feel that way as well. Maybe that’s another way that people praise God, by building beautiful things. So many different ways to praise God!

It doesn’t have to be noisy, does it? Think about things that are breathing but have quiet ways of praising God. Think about a kitten purring when it’s very happy and content. It’s not a very loud noise, but I think that might be a kitten’s way of praising God, or a bumblebee just lazing along on a hot summer day looking for flowers to collect nectar. Praising God doesn’t have to be loud and flashy, does it?

In the hymn that we sang last week, “Pass It On”, the last verse says, “I’ll shout it from the mountaintop!” Sometimes do you feel like that? You just want to shout out to the world, “Praise God!” You want to praise life, praise it all, and you get that feeling that just wells up inside you. Well, we might do that on a mountaintop but we wouldn’t very likely do that in our living room, on the street, or in our classroom, would we? But I think that in many quiet ways, we all praise God as well.

So I wonder… How do you praise God?

Hymn: Bless the Lord, O My Soul – More Voices #46

Refrain:
Bless the Lord, O my soul
bless God’s holy name. (2x)

1 Remember the kindness of our God,
who showers us with blessing all our days.R

2 Remember the justice of our God,
who stands with those forgotten and confused. R

3 Remember the healing love of God
who calls us to be whole and to be free.R

Prayer for Illumination Reader: Jordan Berard

Your Word, O God, sheds light to our spirit and brings healing to our hearts. Open our hearts and minds in contemplation, in praise, in wonder, and in reflection. Amen.

Psalm Reading: Psalm 150 (Inclusive Liturgical Psalter)

Praise for God’s Excellent Greatness

1 Hallelujah! Praise the Lord in the holy temple;
praise God in the firmament of divine power.
2 Praise the Lord for mighty acts;
praise God for excellent greatness.
3 Praise the Lord with the trumpet sound;
praise God with lyre and harp.
4 Praise the Lord with tambourine and dance;
praise God with strings and pipe.
5 Praise the Lord with resounding cymbals;
praise God with loud-clanging cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Hallelujah!

Hear what the Spirit is saying to all of us! Thanks be to God!

Sermon: “How Can We Keep from Praising?” Rev. Kim Vidal

Hallelujah! We have come to the final Sunday of our summer sermon series in the book of Psalms. We started with Psalm 1 as an introduction to the psalter and what a wonderful way of closing the series with Psalm 150, which is called by many as the Grand Finale! This is a “praise” psalm that we love to recite and sing, even though sometimes the word “praise” no longer makes sense for some people. Walter Brueggemann calls this psalm a good match for Psalm 1 since, “the expectation of the Old Testatment is not finally obedience but adoration or praise.” Other scholars call Psalm 150 the “Easter alleluia turned into an entire psalm.” What does the word “praise” say about who we are as people of faith?

Imagine coming to a worship service to find the sanctuary filled with people singing and praising God? Trumpets blaring, cymbals clashing, choir singing, children dancing and every member exalting “praise God!” Psalm 150 realizes this imagination. But do we really want a service filled with these cacophonies of sounds and movements? Let’s be honest here, sometimes we’d rather have a very solemn, quiet, very orderly service. Some of us long to worship in a quiet space not a sanctuary of loud music and dancing. But we also need to realize that a worship service does not only cater to those who want solitude. Sometimes, we also have those, particularly the youth and children, who long to experience a happy-clappy, cheery worship. And we certainly can have both! At BCUC, we do our traditional worship service in a rather structured, more solemn way but we have a place for singing and playing musical instruments like the piano, organ and sometimes the flute and the violin. Thanks to Abe and the many folks who share their gifts of music. We also have intergenerational worship service which is more contemporary and upbeat. In this particular service, we have a band that plays and sings bubbly and praise music accompanied by guitars, drums, keyboard and other percussion instruments. Praising God is present every time we gather whether it’s a quiet worship or an upbeat one.

The word praise has two meanings. The first one pertains to a secular culture where people offers personal praises to express appreciation or gratification on something tangible – be it wealth, happiness, success, beauty or fame. Giving and receiving praise is inherent in each one of us. The roar of the crowd when their hockey team shoots a goal. The cheers of a family when a child receive an award. The loud applause as the singer performs an encore. We love to hear people praise us – to hear those words of appreciation and plausible comments that make us feel good. Congratulations on a job well done! Wow- did you colour your hair? you look terrific! Is that a new car you are driving? You sing so well! Praise is something we all desire. In Reflections of the Psalms, C.S. Lewis said: “I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed…”

However, in the context of the Psalmist, if we understand praise as our ultimate expression of worshipping and loving God, then praise as expressed in Psalm 150 becomes more meaningful and relevant. This is the second meaning of praise. Praise in the psalmist’s imagination is not primarily about us – not our achievements, not our beauty, not our fame, not our wealth; but it is about God and what God stands for: be it justice, love, peace, healing, reconciliation – all those values that are life-giving – those that enhance relationships in all forms. Craig Satterlee’s comments make sense. He said: “When praise is grounded in God, rather than in our feelings and human circumstances, praise is participation in God’s mighty deeds…While our praise starts in worship, it continues as God’s people go forth into the world. Our praise extends from our worship to every aspect and arena of life.”

What is this practice of praising God? We praise God in order to offer reverence. Philosopher Paul Woodruff says that “Reverence is the virtue that keeps people from trying to act like gods. Reverence is the recognition of something greater than the self- something that is beyond human creation or control, that transcends full human understanding.” God fits that bill for sure… Reverence stands in awe of something – something that dwarfs the self, that allows us -human beings to sense the full extent of our limits – so that we can begin to see one another more reverently as well.

Psalm 150 begins and ends with “hallelujah”, a word that means more than simply "praise God". The word hallel in Hebrew means a joyous praise in song, to boast in God. We praise God through joyous songs and through musical instruments. No wonder Psalm 150 mentions a variety of musical instruments – lutes, harps, strings, cymbals – all these to aid in praising and boasting in God.

The Protestant Reformer, Martin Luther, wrote: “Next to theology I give to music the highest place and honour. Music is the art of the prophets, the only art that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us.” Whether it's a praise chorus or cantata; a hymn, an anthem or a doxology, whenever people gather together to worship God, you'll find them singing and making music together.

Most of you know that I have a great love for singing and playing the guitar. I love how the notes and chords sound together and how the rhythm that each song or each sound creates. I love how the lyrics and the melody mysteriously combined to express something deep in my heart and soul. Just like what the hymn, His Eye is On the Sparrow declares, “I sing because I’m happy. I sing because I’m free!” Singing for me certainly is a wonderful way of praising God. A song bubbles out when I’m in a wonderful mood. A song fills my heart when I see the beauty of God’s creation. And maybe what has been the most important for me is that when I feel as though life has been challenging and depressing, when I’m afraid, or worried, or grieving; a song comes from deep in my soul to assure me that I’m held in God’s heart. I’ve come to believe that a song is a deep expression of faith. A song can be a reminder to my heart and soul to keep believing, to keep praising, to keep holding on – a kind of promise that, if I just keep on singing, with God’s help, I will make it through.

Psalm 150 talks about God’s acts of power and excellent greatness. I think these are sufficient reasons why the psalmist reminds us to praise God. Lorrie mentioned in her story time how everything that have breath praise God. The birds, the trees, the flowers, the insects, even the oceans and the rivers - all have a way of acknowledging and praising the God of creation. Apart from singing and music, we praise God through our prayers – both spoken and unspoken. And if life is a prayer, we make sure that we live our lives worthy of praising God. Eugene Peterson, author of The Message summarizes it well: “All [true] prayer, pursued far enough, becomes praise. Any prayer, no matter how desperate its origin, no matter how angry and fearful the experiences it traverses, ends up in praise. It does not always get there quickly or easily — the trip can take a lifetime — but the end is always praise...”

Some of us have moments when we feel discouraged by life’s circumstances. When we experience low points in life – illness, death, stress, financial difficulties , social isolation or personal problems- it is hard to offer praise. There are times when praising God may seem too difficult, but take heart - keep on hoping anyway - whispering a prayer of praise can usher in a sense of comfort and peace. Praising God in the hard times doesn’t minimize or deny heaviness of heart, but it does open us to new perspectives and nudges us act. When Jesus was at his lowest point in life, he cannot keep from praising God through his life story. He knows that it is through his loving heart and his radical life that connect him again and again with God, his rock and refuge. He cannot keep from praising God because it is his way of acting out his revolutionary faith.

What about yourself? How do you praise God?

Today as we listen, recite and reflect on Psalm 150, may God continue to put praise in each of our hearts: a song of wonder for all God has done; a prayer of joy for how much we are loved; a breath of hope and assurance to remind us that God is with us; a life of praise to express all that is in our heart. We cannot keep from praising! Hallelujah! Amen.

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

Let us join our hearts in prayer.

Here in this moment and place, O God of praise, 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. Gentle God, we greet you with deep gratitude for this time together, this community of faith, and this place where we live. We feel the warmth of summer surrounding us, as the sun touches our skin... as it sparkles on water...as it enlivens the rich colours around us... As the gifts of summer nourishes the earth, so we look to your love to nourish us – to help us gain strength to face challenges, to find joy even in times of struggle, and to stretch and grow in your love. May your love blossom forth into our hearts so we can lovingly and faithfully serve others and the world.

God of tender care, we pray with those who are praying. We join the spoken and silent prayers that come to you from the communities where we live; from sanctuaries and street corners; from happy parks 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. Hear this our common prayer and those of our hearts which we offer.

God of compassion and healing mercies, we pray for those who are crying for help; for those of us whose bodies and spirits need healing. 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; for those who are grieving – for the Stinson Family in the passing of our beloved Reta. Bless us with courage that we may help lessen or eradicate the suffering of the world.

God of overflowing joy, we pray with those who are singing praise! We rejoice with sunset watchers, beach walkers, travelers, campers and cottagers, music lovers, children playing, new and expecting parents, old friends and family members, all in whom your life-giving Spirit wells up and overflows. For your steadfast love and continual goodness to us, we give you thanks O God. Hear this our prayer and those of our hearts which we offer. These we pray in the name of Jesus Christ who taught his friends and followers this prayer:

Invitation to Offer: Lorrie Lowes, DM

Offertory Hymn: Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow Voices United #541

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
praise God, all creatures high and low;
give thanks to God in love made known:
Creator, Word and Spirit One.

Words 1674 Thomas Ken, Music 1551 Genevan Psalter

Offertory Prayer:

God of grace, it is our delight and our devotion to offer these gifts to you.
Accept this joyful offering as a token of our abiding love.
May we use it to bring peace, justice and healing to all the world, Amen.

Sending Forth: Rev. Kim Vidal

With the blessing of God: Creator, Christ and Companion,
Sing and go into the world and share God’s love
with friend, neighbour and stranger.
Let our praises in words, in songs and in actions
witness to the Sacred in all walks of life,
knowing that Christ walks with us. Amen.

Hymn: Sleepers, Wake (verse 3 only) VU 711 (Wachet Auf)

Let all creatures sound thy praises,
now earth its voice with heaven raises,
with harps’ and cymbals’ joyful tone.

Gates of pearl swing wide before us,
thy guests who join that blessed chorus
of angels that surround thy throne.

No eye hath seen, nor ear
was yet so blest to hear such rejoicing!
Henceforth may we eternally
sing hallelujahs unto thee.

Words 1598 Philip Nicolai translation © 1970 Jay Macpherson
Music 1513 Hans Sachs adapt. 1599 Philip Nicolai, harmonization 1731 J.S.Bach

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)

Zoom Fellowship hosted by Lorrie at 11 am. Link has been emailed. See you there!

Connie Davidson

July 18, 2020

Worship services

Sunday Worship Service - July 19, 2020

Connie Davidson

July 18, 2020

Worship services

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

7TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
SUMMER WORSHIP SERVICE

July 19, 2020

The video 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: Arioso – Bach Cello: Daniel Parker

Welcome & Announcements

Lighting of the Christ Candle Acolytes: Leslie Wade, Dan and Sarah Parker

We light this candle, not to summon God but to remind us that God is always with us. Let this light ground each of us in the assurance that we are enfolded in that love and grace wherever we are, and let us carry that light and love to all we meet.

Call to Gather: Lorrie Lowes, DM

On a hot summer day in the dust of a city street,
God is there.
In a warm summer rain while running for shelter,
God is there.
On a beach by the shore where the water sparkles or the waves roar,
God is there.
In a wide-open sky filled with stars past counting,
God is there.
In a car, singing songs, when the journey’s been long,
God is there.
Wherever you are, in a crowd or alone,
God is there.
Let us worship God![1]

Opening Prayer

Holy God, here we are, ready to celebrate this day!
Open our minds to possibility.
Open our hearts to love freely.
Open our hands to each other.
Work through us, we pray,
Amen.[2]

Hymn: More Voices #131 You Creator God Have Searched Me

1 - You, Creator God, have searched me
          and you know my ways.
          You perfectly understand me.
          It’s my cause of praise.
          I cannot escape your presence
          in air, land or sea.
          Your arms of love and protection
          are always with me.

Refrain
          You know me, O God, you have made me.
          I am proud I’m the work of your hand.
          In my waking and sleeping moments,
          with my being I will praise your name.

2 - You created light and darkness
          and you love them both.
          You blessed the womb of my mother,
          you brought me to birth.
          In your image and your likeness
          wonderfully made.
          I will lift my voice to praise you,
          you are God indeed.

Storytime for the Young at Heart Erin Berard

Have you ever been curious about the way something works?

My boys have. We took some time over the past few months, while we were doing school at home, to take apart an old mini tape recorder and see what was inside. We found all sorts of parts. We found lots of springs, gears, screws and switched. We took some time to find out what some of the components did. But, really, we just wanted to get inside and see what it was like.

What got me thinking about this little investigation project was reading the psalm for today. It starts: “God, you searched me and you know me”. Now I don’t think the psalmist was writing about God searching to know all our parts like our hair and arms or our organs, like the boys did when they took apart the tape recorder, but is perhaps writing about the things that really make us who we are: our strengths, our worries, our beliefs, our feelings, our hopes, our goals. God knows these things about us, knows who we really are… better than we know ourselves. Even grown-ups are still learning what really makes them happy, or how brave they can really be. God knows us through and through, and loves our whole selves.

While the boys did learn a little bit about the components of the tape recorder, there is no way they are going to be able to put it back together again! But when we’re thinking about us and God… if we’ve fallen apart - had a bad day and made some poor choices, feel confused about what we believe in, or feeling all alone - this psalm can remind us that God knows all this and God is there to guide us towards what we are meant to do and be.

Hymn: Voices United #289 It Only Takes a Spark (Pass it On)

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.

Prayer for Illumination[3] Reader: Mary Schmieder

Your Word sheds light upon our way,
Brings healing into our souls,
And gives purpose to our lives.
Open our hearts and minds to hear
What your spirit is saying to us. Amen.

Psalm Reading: Psalm 139 (NRSV)

The Inescapable God

1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from far away.
3 You search out my path and my lying down,
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
    O Lord, you know it completely.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is so high that I cannot attain it.

7 Where can I go from your spirit?
    Or where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
    if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning
    and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light around me become night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is as bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

13 For it was you who formed my inward parts;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
    Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
15     My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
    all the days that were formed for me,
    when none of them as yet existed.
17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand;
    I come to the end—I am still with you.

19 O that you would kill the wicked, O God,
    and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me—
20 those who speak of you maliciously,
    and lift themselves up against you for evil!
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
    And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred;
    I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my thoughts.
24 See if there is any wicked way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to all of us! Thanks be to God!

Sermon: “Search My Heart” Lorrie Lowes, DM

God is everywhere!
God reaches the ends of the universe and yet, is as close to me as the air.
God is all around me God is present always!
God is in me and knows me through and through!

This concept of an ever-present, all-knowing, all powerful God, who has created the universe, continues to create and knows every intimate detail of that creation, is one of the most wonderful things about our faith and, at the same time, one the most difficult to express in a way that the human mind can comprehend. The psalmist, whose writing we are looking at today, has tried to capture this feeling. “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.”

It’s a comforting thought, isn’t it, that this God who made me and who knows me better even than I know myself, is always with me. This God created me with great care and purpose. At first read – or even many reads – this is the message that Psalm 139 gives us. “I am fearfully and wonderfully made!” This God created me with perfection in mind…

I have to admit though, that when I was a child this whole idea scared me a little bit. What about the times when I’m not as perfect as God would like me to be? And I hear that in the words of the psalmist too. “You hem me in” he writes. “Where can I flee from your presence?” he asks. It’s a little overwhelming to think that there is no place – not even in our innermost thoughts – where we are not under the scrutiny of God’s presence. As a child, it reminded me a bit of those “eyes in the back of her head” that my mother seemed to possess, that uncanny ability to sense when we were up to no good!

But, as Erin expressed in the Children’s Time today, there is no need to fear because God loves us with all of our quirks and imperfections. That is, after all, what grace is all about. We may not always be on the right path but this ever-present God is close at hand to guide us back to where we need to be.

I think the writer would have done well to add that piece to this psalm. Without it, we might be tempted to fear God rather than feel nurtured and protected. Just like I could depend on my mother to love me even if I made mistakes, I know I can depend on God to accept me in my brokenness. Neither my mother nor God just accept my mistakes and let me go, however. There may not be punishment or banishment – but there is an expectation that I will see where I have gone wrong and be willing to do the work of getting back on track to being the person I was created to be, the person my mother and my God know that I can become. There’s an aspect of humility there on my part and a desire to keep learning and growing.

Without this missing piece, it’s tempting to read this passage with a very different attitude – one that feels to me like arrogance. I don’t think I noticed this before and it made me wonder why… Well, it seems I’ve never read this psalm in its entirety before. When I look at the Lectionary, when this Psalm rolls around, we are asked to read verses 1-12 and 23-24. Well, that makes me curious! I wonder why verses 13-22 were left out? Let’s take a look…

Nothing to worry me so far. In fact, it sounds pretty familiar. I know I have heard those phrases before… “You knit me in my mother’s womb” and “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” I love those lines. I really don’t know why they would be left out of the lectionary, perhaps just to keep it short? Let’s read on…

Well, this is where the tone changes for sure! Up to this point, I looked at the psalmist’s words as words that would apply to all of God’s people – but now I am hearing a division between “us” and “them”. In fact, the language itself is hard for me to reconcile with the rest of the verses. Words like “wicked” and “bloodthirsty”, “hate” and “loathe” grate on my senses. They don’t seem to fit with everything I read up to now. They don’t certainly don’t fit with Jesus’ message to love your enemies and to love your neighbour as yourself. And now, I look back on those beautiful words that came before, and I see them in a very different light. Suddenly it seems that the psalmist is saying – I am your perfect creation. I am in the right and you should just destroy anyone who thinks differently…

That’s a challenging thought, isn’t it? Even if someone felt that to be the truth, it probably isn’t what most people want to hear on a Sunday morning in church. I can imagine the committee who was tasked with the job of choosing what should go into the lectionary, the ones who wanted to be sure that we got to hear all of the “important” parts of the Bible on a rotating basis, might just decide that this bit is just too hard to deal with so we will simply leave that bit out.

It is hard to deal with on several levels. The language takes a sudden turn from the rest of the psalm. The sentiment pits people against each other and creates division rather than community. It labels one group of people as “better than” another group… I can see where it could be used to justify violence against someone who is different from me – and therefore no good… very problematic indeed and even dangerous.

I look at this passage and I wonder who the enemy was that sparked this “perfect hatred” in the writer. As it was written after the exile, we can assume it was the Babylonian empire. We can understand, I suppose, why the emotions are so strong. But I wonder how differently this passage would be understood if it was a Babylonian reading it… who would be the god that formed him? Who would be the ones to loathe?

Well, we don’t even have to go so far back in history to ask those questions and we don’t have to look at such differing theology…

How would this Psalm be read by a Nazi in World War II…
How would it be read by a black person demonstrating in Alabama …
How would it be read by a member of the KKK…

When you read this psalm, who do you identify with – the psalmist or his enemy?

It’s tricky, isn’t it?
I guess it’s understandable that this part was left out of the lectionary.
But I decided to put it back in for us today, and here’s why…

This section points out the blatant arrogance we humans have when we decide that we know who is right, who is worthy and who is God’s enemy.

Without this section, the last few lines lose their powerful challenge.

“Search me, O God and know my heart;
Test me and know my thoughts.
See if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.”

These lines can be read in two ways, I think.

If I read it with that problematic section intact, it can seem like a challenge to God. “I am your perfect creation! You can search my heart and you will see that! I challenge you to find any wickedness in there!” I have already decided that I have the right interpretation of what God considers good or evil and have taken matters into my own hands. “I loathe those who rise up against you… I hate them with a perfect hatred.” So, the challenge is there for God to search my heart, in full confidence – or arrogance - that God will be pleased with what is found.

Or,

If I read it with that problematic section intact and my gut says, “Wait a minute! This hatred and wish for bloodshed go against everything I think God stands for, everything Jesus said about how to create God’s kin-dom here on earth,” then the challenge is made in humility. Search my heart and root out those places where wickedness hides and set me back on the right path.

I look around the world today, and especially here in North America, and I am disturbed by the violence and hatred that surrounds the Black Lives Matter movement. I wonder how differently this Psalm would be read by a black activist and a white supremacist. Would either of them see themselves as anything but justified? As anything but right in the eyes of God?

We might have a really difficult time convincing either one of them to ask God to search their hearts in humility.

But I think it’s a really good place for us to start. Not to ask God to search those hearts but to ask God to search our own.

These days there is a lot of rhetoric in the news and on television that gets people’s defenses up. “Racism is systemic,” we’re told. “It is built into the way our society has been designed to run.” Most people can accept that without too much emotion getting in the way. After all, it wasn’t my fault. I didn’t own slaves…or closer to home… I didn’t take children away from their families and put them into Residential Schools. I didn’t abuse anybody… Where it gets harder to take is when we hear this statement: “We are all racist.” That gets people really upset. It is heard as an insult, an accusation. It makes us feel that we are being labelled as evil people. We get defensive. We get angry. We “unfriend” people on Facebook. We have heated arguments with family and friends. We stop listening to each other and we shut down the dialogue. It not only slows the healing process, it stops it dead in its tracks.

Here is my challenge to you. Instead of hearing this statement as an accusation, approach it instead as a call to awareness. I think we can all agree that the experience of being indigenous or black, or even an immigrant in North America, is different from the experience of being white. It’s not something that just started this year, this reality has developed over many decades in ways that are as difficult to see as the movement of a glacier. The ways it manifests itself, even in those of us with the best intentions, is subtle. It is for instance, in the difference between the questions we ask each other when we first meet. “Where are you from?” seems like a reasonable question to ask someone who looks or sounds different, but do you ask it of a white person with a Canadian accent?

It is in the way we react to an indigenous person who has achieved great success: “She is a credit to her people!”

Of course, we mean no harm or disrespect. We are not bad people! We are being curious and friendly. We are sincere in our congratulations… But we are also pointing out the “other-ness” of them at the same time. We are placing a dividing line between us and them.

This is a hugely complex issue and I don’t mean to simplify it here. One sermon is nowhere near enough time to dig deep and this one-way communication doesn’t allow dialogue at all. My point in raising it at all goes back to Psalm 139…

It’s human nature to believe that what you are doing and how you choose to behave is justified and good. Very few people start their day with the intention of being a “bad person”. But the psalmist gives God this challenge:

“Search me, O God and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Are we brave enough to ask God to do the same for us? Are we confident enough in God’s love and grace to let our hearts be searched? Are we humble enough to accept that God might find something lurking there that we weren’t even aware of? Are we open to listening to the suggestion that we might need some guidance to get back on the way everlasting?

May it be so.

Amen

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer Lorrie Lowes, DM

Inescapable God,
You know us through and through,
Our every thought, our every joy, our every fear and worry.
And yet, we come to you in prayer to put words to all those things,
Perhaps more for ourselves than for you,
To know our own hearts as you know them.

We praise you and give thanks for all the blessings in our lives:
For the joy of summer sun and the kiss of rain,
For the love of family and friends,
For the beauty of creation that surrounds us with colour and birdsong,
Mountain peaks and rolling plains,
Sparkling lakes and vast oceans.
For the bustle of the city and the peaceful quiet of the forest,
For the wonder of technology that keeps us connected,
For the many hands that work to keep us safe and comfortable in this, sometimes frightening, world.

We hold up to you all the things that are troubling our hearts:
The pandemic that has affected every part of our lives and that makes life even more difficult for those on the margins – the poor, the oppressed, the homeless, those without employment…
The fragile state of this planet and all the ecosystems so intricately created by you…
The social upheaval that seems to be rocking the world, where hate and prejudice, racism and violence seem to be trying to drown out the message of love and community…
Help us find the courage and the strength to do the work and spread the messages that the world so desperately needs.

We bring to you our concerns for the people in our family and our community who are struggling:
Those who are ill…
Those feeling isolated and lonely…
Those who are feeling helpless when they can’t reach out to support family and friends in their time of need…
Those whose struggle with mental and emotional illnesses made even worse by the current stresses in the world…
Those who have lost loved ones… and today we especially lift up the family and friends of Reta Stinson as they mourn her passing.
Be with them.
Give them the strength and courage to make it through,

And give them the peace that comes from knowing they are loved and held by you.

Help all of us, guiding God, to find ways to continue to be the church in these unusual times. As you search our hearts, help us see the places where we are strong and the places where we need to make changes.

All these things we ask in the name of Jesus and in the words he gave his disciples so long ago…

Invitation to Offer

I now invite you to offer your 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.

“We are not alone; we live in God’s world.”
And because we do, we are greatly blessed and able to be a blessing to others.
The offering will now be received.

Offertory Prayer

Generous God, bless our gifts of time, talent, and resources. May they be used to bring hope, joy, and healing to this community and to the wider world. Amen.

Sending Forth

And now receive God’s blessing:
May the love that brought you into being fill you with hope.
May the peace that passes understanding be upon you.
May the joy that lives where justice is be alive in you.[4]
Amen.

Hymn: Voices United #384 The Lone, Wild Bird

1.    The lone, wild bird in lofty flight
          is still with you nor leaves your sight.
          And I am yours! I rest in you,
          Great Spirit come, rest in me too.

2.       The ends of earth are in your hand,
          the seas dark deep and far-off land.
          And I am yours! I rest in you,
          Great Spirit come, rest in me too.

3.       Each secret thought is known to you,
          The path I walk my whole life through;
          My days, my deeds, my hopes, my fears
          My deepest joys, my silent tears.

4.       In secret depths you knit my frame,
          before my birth you spoke my name;
          within my soul, as close as breath,
          so near to me in life and death.

5.       O search me, God, my heart reveal,
          renew my life, my spirit heal,
          for I am yours, I rest in you,
          Great Spirit, come, rest in me too.

Words v1,2 © 1925 McFadyen, Words v3,4,5 © 1991 Marty Haugen GIA publications
Music: Walker’s Southern Harmony, harmonized © 1968 Daniel Johnson, Augsburg Fortress
Song #G3538T & 17362, Reprinted with permission ONE LICENSE #A-733214.
All rights reserved

Departing: Adoration – Felix Borowski Violin: Leslie Wade

Zoom Fellowship hosted by Lorrie at 11 am. Link has been emailed. See you there!

[1] Adapted from a Call to Worship by Maggie Watts-Hammond, Gathering Pentecost 1 2017, p 28. Used with permission.

[2] Jamie Miller, Gathering Pentecost 1 2020, p38. Used with permission.

[3] Fern Gibbard, Gathering Pentecost 1 2015, p37. Used with permission.

[4] Robin Wardlaw, Gathering Pentecost 1 2017, p 41. Used with permission.

Connie Davidson

July 15, 2020

COVID-19 Screening and Mask Procedures

Connie Davidson

July 15, 2020

All individuals, including children, must be screened upon arrival or prior to their arrival to BCUC according to the following guidelines:

Exclusion criteria

Entry will be denied to any individual who:

has any of the symptoms of COVID-19,
has come in close contact with a person who has COVID-19 or symptoms of COVID-19 during the past 14 days (with the exception of healthcare workers who have worn appropriate Personal Protective Equipment), or
has travelled outside of Canada in the past 14 days, or has come into close contact with someone who has.

Screen yourself before entering

Screening must be completed either by Ontario’s self-assessment tool in advance or in-person before entering.

In-person screening: Posters listing the symptoms of COVID-19 and the exclusion criteria above will be posted at all entrances to the building.

If the result of the self-assessment tool or in-person screening recommends that the person be tested for COVID-19 or self-isolate for 14 days, they must not enter the building.

Any individual entering the building certifies that they have screened themselves with Ontario’s self-assessment tool or the described in-person screening method and that the results allow them to enter the building.

All staff and volunteers must be screened daily before starting their duties.

If, once in the building, a user begins to feel unwell, have symptoms of COVID-19, or fall under any other point in the exclusion criteria, they must promptly exit the building. If it is impossible to exit the building immediately, the user should self-isolate away from others until transportation plans can be arranged. The user should also confirm which areas of the church they visited with the office via distancing methods (phone, email).

Wear a mask

All users must wear masks that cover the nose and mouth while inside the building (as required by Ottawa’s Mandatory Mask Directive).

Users who do not bring a mask will be given a disposable mask at the door.

Users who are exempt from wearing masks are encouraged to use alternative methods of protection such as a face shield, if at all possible.

Information on masks, how to use one, and exemptions to Ottawa’s Mandatory Mask Directive can be found on Ottawa Public Health’s mask webpage.

Users who refuse to comply with the mask and screening policy will be asked to leave for the safety of other users.

Connie Davidson

July 12, 2020

Announcements, Event resources

Basic Income for Social Justice - Resources from SOSA event

Connie Davidson

July 12, 2020

Announcements, Event resources

Basic Income online presentation to BCUC June 17, 2020

Connie Davidson

July 11, 2020

Worship services

Sunday Worship Service - July 12, 2020

Connie Davidson

July 11, 2020

Worship services

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

6TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
SUMMER WORSHIP SERVICE

July 12, 2020

The video 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: What a Wonderful World – Weiss/Thiele Abe:keyboards

Welcome & Announcements

Good day everyone! Let me greet you with these inspiring verse from Isaiah 40 that most of us know: “those who wait for God shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

On behalf of Bells Corners United Church, I welcome and greet you wherever you are on this third Sunday in our Psalms sermon series as we reflect on the timeless words of Psalm 91, which is a psalm of assurance for those who are seeking refuge and safety in times of fear, grief and uncertainty.

During this time when we are not able to worship in the church sanctuary, please know that BCUC offers worship service in a number of ways. Check our website at bcuc.org, for our worship service in audio, video and text formats along with the weekly announcements, online meetings, events and other updates. You can also listen to the service via telephone by dialing 613-820-8104. I also encourage you to show that you care by connecting with each other through emails, phone calls and prayers.

Here are some announcements:

Join us for a simultaneous prayer circle every Wednesday at 8 pm. Wherever you are, you may light a candle and say a prayer.
David’s Flowers are back drive-through style and they are available every Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 am. The flowers will be displayed on tables outside the main entrance, and everyone is asked to remain in their car, bring exact change or prepared cheque for donations, and follow instructions of volunteers. Thank you for your support!
And for those of you who are able to join us via Zoom, there will be zoom fellowship every Sunday at 11 am. Link will be emailed to you or call the office for more information.

Friends, in the quiet of this moment, in the stillness of our hearts, I now invite you to seek the shelter of God’s refuge as we gather in worship.

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

Let the light of Christ draw us in: beautiful, life-giving, healing, sheltering.
Come into the welcoming light. Come into the light of grace and peace.

Call to Gather: Lorrie Lowes, DM

As a mother eagle lifts up her young,
lift up those who wait for you, O. God.
Renew us in this time of worship.
Trusting in your steadfast love, we wait for your presence.
Believing you are our source of strength,
we wait for you to empower us.
Longing for your healing touch,
we wait for you to transform us.
We wait, O God, for you.

Prayer of Praise: (by Richard Bott, 2016)

From our hearts, with our hands,
through our voices, in our love,
we thank you, God!
For every sunrise and sunset,
for every smile and tear,
for every moment that has passed,
and for every moment yet to come.
May our thanksgiving fill the world
with gratitude and joy. Amen.

Hymn: This is God’s Wondrous World – Voices United #296

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 for the Young at Heart Lorrie Lowes DM

Good morning!

Have you ever had the chance to watch a baby bird learn how to fly? In the last house where we lived, we used to have a lot of robin’s nests around in a lot of different places on the property. We would watch all summer while the eggs would hatch and the mother bird would feed those babies and they would grow and grow and eventually, about this time of year, we would watch them come out of the nest and learn to fly. Often, they hopped around on the ground for quite some time and we would worry that they might not make it back up to the nest to keep warm for the night.

In our Psalm for today, there’s a line that is probably familiar to most of us. It talks about being lifted up on eagle’s wings. So, when I heard that, I was thinking about baby eagles and about eagles’ nests. You know, a robin’s nest is pretty high – but nothing like an eagle’s nest! An eagle’s nest is usually way up high, either on a large pole or on a tall, tall cliff. So, for those baby birds, it must be very, very scary to come out of the nest and trust those wings to fly. My first image was that, perhaps, the baby eagles would come out of the nest and the mother would fly underneath them so if they really couldn’t figure it out, the mother would lift them back up into the nest. That was pretty comforting. But, I did a little bit of research and that’s not what happens at all.

I thought, I wonder then what the psalmist was trying to say to us in this line. And so, I got thinking about that baby bird falling out the nest and going down, down and down. How frightening that would be! But then I thought, I bet the air from the falling like that would eventually lift up their wings and that would help them figure out what exactly to do with those wings that would help them fly and they would be lifted up again. They would be lifted up on eagle’s wings, like the psalmist says – but not on their mother’s wings, on their very own wings! That’s pretty amazing when you think about it, and very comforting for sure.

Then I wondered, “What is it that the psalmist is trying to tell us?” We don’t have wings, so it can’t be that literal… I wonder what it means to be lifted up on eagle’s wings for us… What I’ve come up with is, that in this life, when we have to do something really scary and we have to be very, very brave, sometimes we are just like that little eagle falling out of the nest. Just like the wind lifts up those wings and helps them to rise again, I think God gives us wings to fly in some way, gives us a way that we can face that scary thing, or that need to be brave, to make it work. So, I wonder today… What are your wings? What has God given you that helps you when you are in a scary situation?

Hymn: May God’s Sheltering Wings – More Voices #214

May God’s sheltering wings, her gathering wings protect you.
May God’s nurturing arms, her cradling arms sustain you,
and hold you in her love, and hold you in her love.

Prayer for Illumination Reader: Sue Morrison

Your Word, O God, sheds light to our spirit and brings healing to our hearts. Open our hearts and minds in contemplation, in praise, in wonder and in reflection. Amen.

Psalm Reading: Psalm 91 (NRSV)

Assurance of God’s Protection

1 You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
    who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
2 will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress;
    my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
    and from the deadly pestilence;
4 he will cover you with his pinions,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
    or the arrow that flies by day,
6 or the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
    or the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the Lord your refuge,
    the Most High your dwelling place,
10 no evil shall befall you,
    no scourge come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
    so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder,
    the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.
14 Those who love me, I will deliver;
    I will protect those who know my name.
15 When they call to me, I will answer them;
    I will be with them in trouble,
    I will rescue them and honor them.
16 With long life I will satisfy them,
    and show them my salvation.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to all of us! Thanks be to God!

Sermon: “Under God’s Wings” Rev. Kim Vidal

Psalm 91 is the psalm that inspires the famous hymn, On Eagle’s Wings, that most of us love to sing, composed by Fr. Michael Joncas in 1979 for a very close friend’s father who died. This psalm is saturated with images that make us think what was the world like when the writer wrote this psalm? A “fowler’s snare” sounds like the land mines concealed under the ground to destroy the enemies in wars. A “deadly pestilence” reminds me of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Terrors in the night sound like a description of anarchy and lawlessness. Flying arrows indicate people in battlefields killing each other with all sorts of weapons. Thousands falling reminds me of mass murders or terrorist attacks. These words are pretty scary. The language is evocative even disturbing. They present a world or a situation that is violent, fearful, deadly. Not our dream of an ideal world, if you ask me.

This psalm builds on the assumption that lies at the core of the ancient Israel’s covenant with God: the assumption that faith begins with hope; and hope begins with memory. Where memory fails, the faith of a hopeful individual or a community is threatened: be it political or social, personal enticement of ease and comfort, and the painful experience of being subjected to fear, brokenness and abandonment. We are like that too. When we are in the midst of a crisis, we easily forget the power and grace of God who journeys with us. We wonder whether God’s presence has left us altogether. Psalm 91 may be interpreted to describe the times in which we live. But a description of our times is not the main focus of this ancient psalm. The message of Psalm 91 is not “we are living in a time of uncertainty and fear period” but this: “yes, there is fear and uncertainty and yes, death is very real but our faith in God assures us of God’s protection and presence.”

Biblical scholars have proposed several situations why this psalm was written. It might be a testimony of someone who has found refuge in God’s temple, or a thankful prayer by someone who has recovered from a serious illness or perhaps a liturgical prayer by a king or a warrior before going to battle. It could be an affirmation of faith of one who believes in a God who provides protection and security. The words articulate comfort, confidence, courage and hope by one who trusts God in the midst of fear and hopelessness. The writer also talks about God’s faithfulness as being “shield and buckler”. These are things worn by a warrior in the arm and hand used to protect the warrior from harm and death. The Psalmist declares through these images that God will protect God’s people like a shield who will come between God’s people and their enemies as promised in the covenant. This is the Psalmist’s source of safety and security.

The psalm’s imagery and language resonate with many of us who are dealing with fear, anxiety, pain, grief and other challenging circumstances. We may use this Psalm to give us assurance that God hears our prayers in this time of pandemic. But we must remember too that humans are not exempt from harms or dangers or pandemics or deaths. We simply live through these challenges knowing that we are not alone and that God will give us the confidence we need to face these human realities; that God is constantly available sustaining those who will seek God’s presence. I like what Paul O’ Myhre said about this Psalm: “the refuge that is found in God alone will sustain people even if the body is destroyed. This refuge will provide rescue from those things that would harm our relationship with God. The refuge is precisely that. It is a refuge of solace that can provide an inner strength to endure the harshest trials of life.”

Few years ago, a country music group called Rascal Flatts had a hit single called God Blessed the Broken Road. The words are inspiring. It goes like this: “God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you… I got lost a time or two, wiped my brow and kept pushin’ through… It’s all part of a grander plan… This much I know is true, God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you. I wondered what the singer songwriter Bobby Boyd led him to write about the broken road. Perhaps he’d experienced heartaches or pains or he might have spoken of some crisis in his life? The themes of pain and suffering, joy and renewal are not unfamiliar ones. The lyrics indeed make sense: God blesses the broken road. Some of us may find this a troubling thought or perhaps even a misguided one. But God blessing the broken road is clearly an indication that God goes with us specially in our darkest moments – in our brokenness and pain. Brokenness is not a new dimension to any of us - we’ve experienced it in our personal lives, we’ve lived through it physically and emotionally through illness, depression, or even death, we’ve seen it in our communal relationships – in a faith community such as ours or even in our homes and workplaces.

In his book entitled Is Life Fair, Rev. Charles Poole, wrote these words in a time of great personal loss: “We limp across the rugged terrain of our complex lives, until our limping becomes its own dancing, because God is at work to make us strong, even in broken places.” In the very midst of this hopelessness, God speaks. Just when you may want to give up, the Psalmist says: “You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.”

When we think we have had bad days – try turning for inspiration to the ancient people in Israel who through the ages have complained, whined or questioned God for brokenness, weariness, hunger, loss, or grief.

One of the most expressive illustrations of the divine love and care in Psalm 91, is found in verse 4 that says: “God will cover you with pinions or with feathers and under those wings you will find refuge…” In this verse, the writer pictures God as a mother bird, most likely an eagle, with large feathers and wings to protect those who are in danger. It is a beautiful image of a mother bird sheltering her young ones under her wings. This image runs through all the Scriptures as a picture of God's sheltering love. These words may have been written to the Jewish exiles in Babylon. Jerusalem had been destroyed and people were deported in 587 BCE. Their homes had been ruined in war. They have lost everything. Many had died and those who lived had been carried off to a foreign land as slaves. They were disillusioned. They were discouraged. They were weary and brokenhearted. But through memory, by remembering their covenant with God, the Psalmist reminded the people that God will be with them in their journeys, that God will embrace them under God’s wings blessing their broken roads!

Although not mentioned in Psalm 91 what kind of bird is being described, I readily thought of the eagle, a bird that is significantly important among the ancient Hebrew people. Eagles in that culture are highly respected and considered sacred. They represent strength, speed, power and freedom. As they roam the sky, they are believed to have a special connection with God. Eagle in Hebrew is ne-sher which literally means “a mighty warrior.” Given that one of the possible contexts of Psalm 91 is that of a prayer for those who were in the battlefield, I could only assume that the wings of God imaged in this psalm were likened to the wings of an eagle. To be under God’s wings like that of an eagle is an image most of us would welcome - a wonderful image when confidence has been shaken, when hope becomes foreign to our senses. The wings of God are wings of love, comfort, healing and assurance. They are wide-spreading…an expression of tender care and fierce love.

When Fr. Michael Joncas, composer of On Eagle’s Wings was diagnosed with a life-threatening paralysis in 2003, he spent months in the hospital recovering the use of his arms and legs. During that time, he said he gained insight into suffering and dependence on God and others. In an interview, he said these: “I learned that you don’t solve the problem of suffering,” You enter into the mystery of suffering. And it does change you, and it changes your world.” For a while, he could no longer play the guitar, and when he’s tired he sometimes stumbles. But in due time, he recovered and continued to write music. When asked what he learned from his experience, Father Joncas replied: “I didn’t know my faith would be as strong as it was… Now I can talk about an experience of a God of rescue, which is very different.” He continues to ponder what God was trying to teach him through his lived experience particularly his suffering. He believes it was God’s way of telling him, “You aren’t in charge, you aren’t in control. Let go.”

Maybe today you are feeling exhausted, weak and ready to give up. Maybe there are things happening or have happened in your life that you cannot understand, and you wonder why. It is common for us to be tired and weary. It is easy to be discouraged and pessimistic about the world. In any kind of difficult situation whether facing physical illness or grieving a loved one or undergoing some financial stress or dealing with difficult people, Psalm 91 assures us that under God’s wings, hope will come. To be under God’s wings means to stay in God’s presence. When we are under God’s wings we are filled up, enriched, satisfied. We gain new perspective, new direction, new vision. When we are under God’s wings, we find our strength renewed even as we journey on a broken road. Let me close with a Franciscan prayer:

Where eagles’ wings lift to that place beyond fear
and where God’s still clear calm protects all from harm
and where God walks with all year by longing year;
it’s there that God’s perfect love casts out our fear.

Amen.

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer Lorrie Lowes, DM

Protecting God,
We know that, with you, we are in good hands,
Though sometimes the world draws us away
from trusting that knowledge.
Today, we come to you, secure in our faith
That you care for this world like a loving parent,
Wrapping your love, like wings, around us for protection.
And so, we bring you our joys and our concerns,
The ones we can name, and the ones in our hearts.

The long summer days bring us joy
As many of us contemplate time for rest and renewal,
Time to leave the busy-ness of work behind for a little while,
And time to spend with family and friends.
We give thanks for the blessings that summertime in Canada brings.
We give thanks for the loved ones and neighbours
Who continue to find ways to keep us connected
In these days of social distancing.
We give thanks for all the leaders and the frontline workers
who continue to work to keep us safe.
In their actions, we feel your loving wings surrounding us.

We pray for those who are sick and those who are mourning.
Today we hold the Durst family up to you as they mourn the loss of Cathy.
We pray for those in our world who are feeling isolated and forgotten…
We pray for those who struggle to find some sense of normal
in a time that is anything but…
We pray for those who worry about the future…
We pray for all those whose lives are marred by conflict and fear…
Help us be the presence that assures them of your love and protection.

We pray for a world where the actions of humanity threaten the life of the planet…
We pray for a world where peace and community seem overpowered by acts of
violence and hate…
We pray for a world where angry voices drown out messages of reconciliation and healing…
We pray for a world where the abundance for a few outweighs the comfort of many…
Help us hear your voice amid the chaos so that we can be part of the solutions.
Help us be the voices, the hands, and the feet that spread your love and protection.

In these days when noise and fear send many of us scattering.
Help us to recognize your voice.
Help us to turn to you for protection and guidance
Help us to be the people the world needs.
We ask these things in the name of Jesus
and in the comforting words he gave his disciples so long ago…

Invitation to Offer: Rev. Kim Vidal

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: Rev. Kim Vidal

May God, our refuge,
who shelters us from every storm,
lift us up in love on eagle’s wings
to sustain us, guide us and heal us
then send us forth
that we may offer shelter and love
to others and the world.
Amen.

Hymn: On Eagle’s Wings - Voices United #808 (choral arrangement Mark Hayes)

You who dwell in the shelter of our God,
Who abide in this shadow for life,
Say to the Lord: "My refuge,
my rock in whom I trust!"

Refrain:
“And I will raise you up on eagles' wings,
bear you on the breath of dawn,
make you to shine like the sun,
and hold you in the palm of my hand.”

The snare of the fowler will never capture you, and famine will bring you no fear:
under God’s wings your refuge,
God’s faithfulness your shield. R

You need not fear the terror of the night,
Nor the arrow that flies by day;
though thousands fall about you,
near you it shall not come. R

For to God’s angels is given a command
to guard you in all of your ways;
upon their hands they will bear you up,
lest you dash your foot against a stone. R

And hold you, hold you in the palm of my hand.

Departing Music: The Wind Beneath My Wings - Larry Henley & Jeff Silbar

Zoom Fellowship hosted by Lorrie at 11 am. Link has been emailed. See you there!

2nd SUNDAY OF CREATION TIME IN THE SEASON OF PENTECOST FALL WORSHIP SERVICE

Gathering Music: Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen/All Night, All Day Mark Hayes

Welcome & Announcements

Lighting of the Christ Candle Acolyte: Calliyanna Fowler

Call to Gather

Prayer of Approach

Hymn: “God We Praise You for the Morning” - Voices United #415

Storytime for the Young at Heart Erin Berard

Hymn: “Magic Penny”

Prayer for Illumination Reader: Cathy Dowsett

The Reading: Matthew 20:1-16 NRSV The Laborers in the Vineyard

Sermon: “That’s Not Fair!”

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

Invitation to Offer

Offertory Prayer

Sending Forth

Hymn: “I Saw the Rich Ones” More Voices #127

Departing: In the Chapel De Severac

1st SUNDAY OF CREATION TIME IN THE SEASON OF PENTECOST FALL WORSHIP SERVICE

Gathering Music: Fallen Embers – Enya

Welcome & Announcements

Lighting of the Christ Candle[1] Acolytes: Chris and Kaylee Brown

Call to Gather[2]:

Prayer of Approach[3]

Hymn: “All Creatures of Our God and King” Voices United #217

Storytime for the Young at Heart Erin Berard

Hymn: “Listen, God is Calling” More Voices #97

Prayer for Illumination[4] Reader: David Stafford

The Reading: Matthew 18: 21-35 NRSV “The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant”

Sermon: “Extravagant Forgiveness” Lorrie Lowes DM

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

Invitation to Offer

Offertory Prayer[5]

Sending Forth

Hymn: “Your Hand, O God, Has Guided” Voices United #274

Departing: Puff Balls - Keats

14TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST SUMMER WORSHIP SERVICE

Gathering: When Peace Like a River – arr. Mark Hayes

Acknowledgement of Territory

Welcome & Announcements

Lighting of the Christ Candle Acolytes: Noah & Nicholas Berard

Call to Worship:[1] Erin Berard

Prayer of Approach

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

Storytime for the Young at Heart: Erin Berard

Hymn: Where Two or Three Are Gathered - More Voices #14 (Round)

Prayer for Illumination Reader: Ross Mutton

The Reading: Matthew 18: 15-20 (NRSV)

Sermon: “This Thing Called Community” Rev. Kim Vidal

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

Invitation to Offer: Rev. Kim Vidal

Offertory Prayer

Sending Forth: Rev. Kim Vidal

Hymn: May the God of Hope Go with Us - Voices United #424

Departing: Andante – Handel

13TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST SUMMER WORSHIP SERVICE

Gathering: There is a Time More Voices #165 Vocalist: Vernon Sulway

Welcome & Announcements

Lighting of the Christ Candle Acolytes: Jan & Norm Pound

Call to Gather: Nicole Beaudry

Prayer of Approach: (inspired by the prayer of Kate Crawford, Gathering 2017)

Hymn: Morning Has Broken - Voices United #409

Storytime for the Young at Heart: “The Gift of Time” Nicole Beaudry

Song: Time in a Bottle (Words and Music: Jim Croce, 1972 © BMG)

Prayer for Illumination: (Richard Bott, Gathering, 2018) Reader: Rick Morrison

The Reading: Ecclesiastes 3: 1-13 (NRSV)

Sermon: “A Matter of Time” Rev. Kim Vidal

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

Invitation to Offer

Offertory Prayer

Sending Forth

Hymn: The Day You Gave Us, God, Is Ended - Voices United #437

Departing: Turn! Turn! Turn! – Peter Seeger Vocalists: David & Lorrie

12TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST SUMMER WORSHIP SERVICE

Gathering: Reaching – Carolyn Arends Soloist: Sarah Parker, Violin: Leslie Wade

Welcome & Announcements

Lighting of the Christ Candle Acolytes: Mandy & Meighen Crow

Call to Gather: (inspired by Spacious Faith) Lorrie Lowes, DM

Prayer of Approach: (by Susan Lukey, Gathering 2019)

Hymn: Come, Let Us Sing - Voices United #222 (Words and Music: Jim Strathdee, 1976)

2nd SUNDAY OF CREATION TIME IN THE SEASON OF PENTECOST
FALL WORSHIP SERVICE

1st SUNDAY OF CREATION TIME IN THE SEASON OF PENTECOST
FALL WORSHIP SERVICE

14TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
SUMMER WORSHIP SERVICE

13TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
SUMMER WORSHIP SERVICE

12TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
SUMMER WORSHIP SERVICE

11TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
SUMMER WORSHIP SERVICE

10TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
SUMMER WORSHIP SERVICE

9TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
SUMMER WORSHIP SERVICE