Good Friday Service - April 2, 2021

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE

April 2, 2021

Moment of Reflection:  Voices United #135 Beneath the Cross of Jesus – Violin: Leslie Wade

Opening Words:[1]

Dear friends, gather round
I have a story to tell
of one who reached inside himself
and took a handful of love
like a pile of stardust
and said: this is for you
it is all you need
it is all you will ever need
there is enough here
to change the whole world
take it

many laughed at him
mocked him
and ignored the invitation

but some dared to take it
and those who did
noticed something about this love
they found they could do what the gift-giver could do
they could stand with the lost
welcome the traveler
eat with the hungry
they found themselves doing what the man first did to them
give something of themselves to others
they became like the man
offering themselves
and as they offered themselves
others took the invitation
and many still do
and many still trust
it is enough to change the whole world.

Today I invite you to listen with your heart.
Through these words and music,
may we find our hearts warmed
by a love that is stronger than our fear,
and stronger even than the finality of death. Welcome to Good Friday.

Invitation to Gather and Opening Prayer[2]

I now invite you to gather in worship:

Surely God is in this time and place.
Help me notice.
Help me notice.
Help me notice.

Never do we notice God’s presence more than today – this day we call “Good”.
Nowhere do our hearts break more than today – this day we call “Good”.
Nowhere do we experience the power the power of love more than today –
this day we call “Good”.
We bless God that we can come to this place
in the sadness of our living,
and even here, find love,
as we wait with a dear one
for the kindness of death to arrive.
Come and let us worship God. 

Let us pray. [3]

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
My Comforter, I have a need for your comforting presence.
In my troubled hours, you were always present.
Listen to my prayer.
Listen to my heart.
Holy God, you call us to walk the way of the cross,
but we choose the way that is easy,
or the one that promises us the best return.
Forgive us: open us to the faithful way,
the way of radical trust,
the way of true joy.
Journey with us as we take these final steps
of the Lenten journey.

(Moment of Silent Reflection)

On the cross, Jesus prayed, “Abba, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
That prayer is for us as well. We are loved, we are restored. Amen. 

Music: Voices United #136 O Come and Mourn with Me – Choir 2017

Gospel Reading: “The Death of Jesus”    Matthew 27: 45-50 (NRSV) Rev. Lorrie Lowes

45 From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 46 And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 48 At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last.

May these words of sorrow remind us that death is part of human condition. But God’s love assures us of life even in the midst of grief and fear. Amen.

Music: Panis Angelicus – Cesar Franck  arr. Craig Duncan -  Violin: Leslie Wade

Sermon: “The Forsaken One”              Rev. Kim Vidal

And about three o’clock, Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli lama-sabachthani?’ that is ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ (Matthew 27:46)

I don’t understand why but sometimes life is a big disappointment. People we love die. Families fall apart. Friends betray us and we too often hurt those we love most.  Life is not always a bed of roses. Or, as some would say, -- there are times when "Life sucks!" It sucks away our hopes and dreams; it steals away what is good and the beautiful; it robs us of joy and laughter; and even love itself seems to die.  Life just doesn't 'live up' to our hopes and expectations. And sometimes it is agonizingly disappointing when the pain and suffering become nearly unbearable.

And here is Jesus hanging on the cross feeling abandoned and forsaken by his dear daddy, Abba! Father, God - Why oh why have you forsaken me?

During the six hours of his dying, he expressed the full range of human anguish—from the absence of water to the absence of God. “Eli, Eli, lama-sabachthani”. In the execution of a man whose only fault is to speak truth to power, the most heart-wrenching word of the dying Jesus to God is uttered. Sabachthani, forsaken: do you know what this means? It means "to abandon, to let go, to leave." It is awful to be forsaken. We like to say that no one is an island. It isn't natural for anyone to be totally alone. We long for companionship and we need others to go through our life’s journey. But when you are forsaken, you are on your own, you become an island in the flowing stream of humanity – lonely, isolated, alone. Jesus felt abandoned and forsaken by his disciples and friends. One betrayed him, another denied him, and who knows how many of them left in hiding afraid to be identified as his friends. To be forsaken means that no one is able or willing to help you. You are totally alone and helpless.

Some years ago, a famous scholar did a comparison of the death of Socrates and the death of Jesus. When the Greek philosopher Socrates was condemned to die, he drank a cup of hemlock poison with great serenity. In the face of death—with no god to call on—Socrates discussed the pros and cons of immortality with composure and reasonableness. He died the way we would like to die. Scholars call it “death with dignity.”

When we turn to the death of Jesus, we see it was nothing like the death of Socrates. In the Garden of Gethsemane Mark says he was trembling. Matthew says he threw himself to the ground, while Luke says he was sweating and his sweat fell like great drops of blood. He doesn’t want to drink the cup of death. He doesn’t want to be alone. Can’t you watch for just one hour? When the end comes he is not in control but is calling out desperately like a child abandoned by its parent.

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?". Was not Jesus, the pious believer, simply reciting a verse he had known since childhood? After all, this was a verse quoted from Psalm 22. Dying people, amazingly, revert to prayers that formed them in their younger, healthier days—the way a person who hasn’t spoken for days may recite the Lord’s Prayer. "Now I lay me down to sleep," says the 90-year old in the nursing home, "I pray the Lord my soul to keep." O perhaps some would recite the ever-beautiful Psalm 23rd, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want…”

Was Jesus really forsaken by God or did he only feel abandoned? We have these moments ourselves. When we are plunged into a deep place and feel abandoned by God, we too, will cry out to God. We may feel we are praying—desperately, fervently, unknowingly—to an Absence, like believers left hanging in the dark. St. John of the Cross spoke of the believer’s dark night of soul. Luther spoke tremblingly of the hidden God. The German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer said that his generation might have to live as if there was no God but always in the presence of God.

Take heart. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” were spoken by Jesus to express his despair – a human emotion that is so real when one faces death. Jesus' friends knew it. His mother Mary agonizingly witnessed his son slowly dying. Can you feel it? They, too, were devastated. Their leader, their wisdom teacher, their beloved friend dies. He was supposed to be the one who would save them from their social, political and religious oppressions. Without him, their hopes die as well. And there is no one to replace him. Not in that moment of sorrow.

On this day, when death seems to take over our senses and our heart, Jesus affirms the truth about dying, of being abandoned and being forsaken by the God of love. But somehow, we forgot one thing. Others live with hope. There were the women and the beloved disciple at the foot of the cross. There was his mother who keeps on praying that he would no longer suffer. Yes, they held on to the painful disappointments of losing Jesus, but they lived to spread the good news of God’s love and his teachings to others. There was Joseph of Arimathea who came forward to wrap the body of Jesus with spices and lay it in a tomb. Deep in his heart, Joseph knew that Jesus deserves a burial fit for a decent, honourable man, And a stone is rolled in place to cover great sadness and disappointment.

When life is a painful disappointment, we do what we can. We wait. We sit on our agonizing loss and wait. It is all we can do to look at the stone in front of the tomb and to weep. Life may abandon us, forsaken us, crucify us but we are not alone. The women, the beloved disciple, mother Mary, those believers did not give up. They were with Jesus until his death. And did Jesus give up on God? I don’t think so. Jesus clung to God with all his might during the darkest hour of his life. And so must we.

On this Good Friday, we take all the unbearable failures and let-downs of our lives, wrap them up with spices and lay them in the tomb. And we wait as we cling to the God of hope. And God would seem to speak, but barely a silent whisper to those parts of our souls, a voice buried in the despair of the cross: “In this world of death, of violence, of hurts and pains, I will bring about something new. Just wait in hope. There is new life that awaits us at the tomb.”  Amen.

The Dismissal

And now receive God’s blessings:
As we go into the growing shadows of this Good Friday
into the silent unknowing of Holy Saturday,
may we carry in our hearts, the crucified Christ.
May our hearts open like a waiting tomb, a tender womb,
and in the sheltered silence, may we cradle all that is wounded, all that is broken.
We go embracing all that is touched by pain and fear until we feel the pulse of new life begin to stir. For God is not done with us yet.
Go in peace and in love. Amen. 

Blessing: May the Love of God Shine Through You – Choir 2017

[1] Roddy Hamilton, posted in Listening to the Stones blog.

[2] Bob Root, Gathering Lent/Easter 2021, Year B. Used with permission.

[3] Bev Ripley Hall & Beth W. Johnson, Gathering, LE 2017.

Maundy Thursday Service - April 1, 2021

Bells Corners United Church

MAUNDY THURSDAY

Text and Audio only

Adapted from a liturgy written by Doug Varey, while at Northminster U.C., North York, Ontario.

Maundy Thursday takes its name from the Latin ‘mandatum’, meaning commandment, in reference to the new commandment Jesus gives his disciples at the Last Supper: “I give you a new commandment that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” (John 13:34)

Please have the following prepared as you begin the service:

• A jug of water and a basin

• A towel

• Bread

• Wine or Juice

• A lit candle

Prelude: Voices United #147 – What Wondrous Love is This

The Betrayal and Arrest

Sacred silence: filled.
Holy moment: overflowing.
Haunting seconds: brimming. 

Tonight, too much happens
in the holy story to comprehend.
Too much fear and deceit, too many questions and confusion, too few words and too little space.
Heaven is teetering.
The basin is waiting.
The action is joined.
The holy one of God moves.
The darkness encroaches.
The light crumples.
Bread breaks,
and wine spills. 

Sacred silence: filled.
Holy moment: overflowing.
Haunting seconds: brimming. 

A questioning promise,
A broken covenant, a wondering band of followers, and a worried Messiah.
Won’t you wait here a while?
Won’t you wait here a while?
Long enough,
long enough, to grasp even a glimpse, and hold even a fraction, of a broken heaven.  

(silence)

Prayer

Holy God, we come to worship in the gathering shadows of Jesus’ suffering and death. We come with his friends, the men and women who have followed him in every place and generation, to live once again this story of service and betrayal, of weakness and courage. We come to witness your love in action. Be with us, we pray, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hymn: Tell Me the Stories of Jesus – Voices United #357

1        Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear,
things I would ask him to tell me if he were here:
scenes by the wayside, tales of the sea,
stories of Jesus, tell them to me.

2        First let me hear how the children stood round his knee,
and I shall fancy his blessing resting on me;
words full of kindness, deeds full of grace,
all in the lovelight of Jesus' face. 

3        Tell me, in accents of wonder, how rolled the sea
          tossing the boat in a tempest on Galilee!
          And how the Master, ready and kind,
          chided the billows and hushed the wind. 

4        Into the city I'd follow the children's band,
waving a branch of the palm tree high in my hand;
          one of his heralds, yes, I would sing
          loudest hosannas! Jesus is king! 

5        Show me that scene in the garden of bitter pain;
and of the cross where my Saviour for me was slain.
          Sad ones or bright ones, so that they be
          stories of Jesus, tell them to me. 

Water of Forgiveness; Water of Baptism

(pour some of the water into the basin – you will do this 3 more times during the prayer)

Prayer:

Servant God, kneeling, bending, serving us. Take our dusty journeys, and wrap your hands around them. Every path we have trodden in life: every word that has taken us to hurtful locations, every thought that has moved us toward the shadows, every act that has led us into rough places, wash away the pain, as we confess, and you forgive.

(during a moment of silence, pour more water)

Take the wounds of our traveling and hold them in your healing hands: every journey of remembrance that holds too many memories, every burden we carry that weighs us with anger that we cannot let go, every place we have visited that holds too much pain. Wash away the lingering, as we let go and let you heal.

(during a moment of silence, pour more water)

Take the discomfort of our values, and wash and wipe and cleanse as you serve us:

every lesson about love we have not learned, every heavenly value we have not grasped, every truth of your Realm we have ignored. Wash away the hesitation, as we accept your love, and offer our love too.

(during a moment of silence, pour more water)

Jesus says: Come you who are weary, you who are heavy laden. Come, and let my hands refresh your living. Let me be your servant, and witness heaven on earth. (silence)

Sharing the Word

Psalm 116    Voices United #836

Refrain:
How can I repay you God, for all the goodness you show to me? 

I love you, God, because you heard my voice
when I made supplication,
          because you turned your ear to me,
          when I called upon your name.
The cords of death entangled me,
and the pangs of the Grave laid hold on me;
          I suffered distress and anguish.
Then I called upon the name of God:
          'O God, I pray, save my life.'  Refrain 

How can I repay you, God,
for all the good things you have done for me?
          I will take up the cup of salvation,
          and call upon the name of God.
I will pay my vows in the presence of all God's people. Refrain

Precious in the sight of God is the death of the saints.
          O God, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the child of your maidservant.
          You have freed me from my bonds.
I will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
          and will call upon the name of God. Refrain
I will pay my vows to God in the presence of all God's people,
in the courts of the house of God, in your midst, O Jerusalem. 

Gospel - John 13: 1-17

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father.

Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him.

And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself.

Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him.

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"

Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand."

Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet."

Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me."

Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!"

Jesus said to him, "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you."

For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, "Not all of you are clean."

After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am.

So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.

Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

(If you are following the audio version, you may want to pause it here)

Hand Washing – One by one, dip your hands in the water and have the next person dry them… the towel is passed to the next person while the one who dried dips their hands, until all have taken part.

Meditation

Footsteps could be heard running through the streets toward Caiaphas’ lodging, but few heard them as bitter herbs, radish, and celery were tasted.

Soldiers’ sandals sounded as they marched the alleyways out of the city as they always did, in tens, but this time with a purpose that was different.

No one’s attention was drawn to them as roast lamb with slices of garlic was cut to make the Passover feast.

At one table, a betrayer was accused. A holy man and his followers faced each other.

Only two of them knew who had done it, and one of them was soon to leave under the noise of the shouting.

He would walk the cobbled street under moonlight, passing menorahs in each window, slithering through wafts of roast lamb and turmeric and coriander toward a secret meeting place among the trees and shadows.

But not yet.

Round the table in an upper room voices fell silent, and Jesus took the unleavened bread and, with a face drawn and tired, ripped it. “This is my body,” he said. The followers looked at each other, foreheads furrowed. “Take it and eat it, all of you.”

Twigs snapped under the trees. The high priest’s door shut. Footsteps went scurrying.

And as they ate a piece each, chewing over silent questions, Jesus took the cup of wine that every Passover meal requires and staring into it said, “This is my cup, my life poured out for you, the sign of the new covenant. Drink of it, all of you.”

And as whispers were heard around the city and religious leaders moved by stealth to the meeting place, they did drink – all of them.

If they had listened maybe they would have heard what was happening in heaven and in the streets.

But their ears were filled with the back and forth of questions and silence.

The world was turning against them, and only one person in that room could hear it.

Here is that bread, broken.

Jesus said, “The bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world.”

They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

He said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. And anyone who comes to me I will never drive away.”

Here is the cup, filled.

Agape Meal - Sharing the Bread and Wine

In remembrance of that night, tonight we take bread and share it. (share the bread at your table)

In remembrance of that night, we share the cup of grace, a symbol of the new covenant (share the wine or juice at your table)

Prayer after the Meal

God our saviour, power of loving service in the world, we thank you for Jesus, who on the night he was betrayed, gave himself to his friends in humble service, and in bread and wine. May we do the same for the whole world, as we follow his example. Amen

Living in the Shadows

God of anguish,
                    let us walk with you,
                    into the darkness. 

God, who knows the shadow is coming, hold us as we walk into the world’s darkness. 

God of passion,
                    we kneel with you, praying,
                    through the night,
while the world conspires against you and tries to put an end to love.

God, kneel with us, as we pray, too, through the night, and forces gather around us, and betray love’s future. 

God of the day and night,
                    we follow,
                    holding your cup,
                    trusting your will,
                    the shadows seem so long.  

God, who lives in us,
                    help us to keep trusting Jesus,
                    through the deep night. Amen. 

Hymn – Stay With Us Through the Night # 182

1        Stay with us through the night.
          Stay with us through the pain.
                    Stay with us, blessed stranger
                    till the morning breaks again. 

2        Stay with us through the night.
          Stay with us through the grief.
                    Stay with us, blessed stranger
                    till the morning brings relief. 

3        Stay with us through the night.
          Stay with us through the dread.
                    Stay with us, blessed stranger
                    till the morning breaks new bread.

From the Upper Room to the World

Love has moved out. The room is silent.

The table is left: broken bread still sitting there, wine half finished, herbs and lamb scattered across the table.       

In the distance you can hear footsteps moving through the olive grove, whose they are we do not know.

The room hangs, suspended in time, cushions scattered, crumbs across the floor, a basin and a towel sit by the door.

There is a rustle of leaves among the trees, a brushing of garments caught on branches, the sound of knees breaking twigs as they kneel.

The room is cold, full of questions.

The air is deep with the smell of betrayal and panic, of accusations and unfinished stories.

But something deeper is gone, and gone forever a presence, a hope.

Footsteps sound on their way past the house out of the city. The room is dull.

Shadows stretch across unfinished bread and half-drunk wine, a breeze from the empty window fills the space, and crumbs roll and tablecloth flutters as the wind searches and cools the wound of that room; a ghostly presence, filling the hole, haunting love.

There is a gathering of noise, shouts, and silence.

From the room all there is to hear is distant muttering. The trees capture the sounds and clasp the moment of betrayal.

Suddenly, all at once, the wind changes direction, the silence sinks, there is a cry somewhere in the city, and a kiss is traced on a carpenter’s cheek.

It is the moment of betrayal.

The night has truly arrived.

(pause and extinguish the candle)

Postlude: Amazing Grace/My Chains Are Gone

Sunday Worship Service - March 28, 2021

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

PALM SUNDAY Theme: “Jesus: A Movement Leader” [1]

March 28, 2021

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

Gathering Music:  Bless the Lord, O My Soul - More Voices #46 - BCUC music team

(Photo Parade prepared by Rev. Lorrie Lowes)

Welcome & Announcements               Rev. Kim Vidal

Good day everyone! I welcome and greet you wherever you are on this Palm Sunday. One year ago, on Palm Sunday last year, we posted our very first service on Youtube. So today is our first anniversary for our online worship service. I can’t believe how the year went by so quickly. And the gathering slides certainly showed us how our children have grown and some of us, older and wiser. If you were able to pick up a palm frond from the church, please make sure you use it as part of your worship centre. If not, you may use a piece of cloth or a leafy branch. Use them as symbols of Palm Sunday commemorating Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem. Join in the procession!

Since Ottawa is in the red zone, we are able to gather in the sanctuary for a modified worship service at 10 am with a maximum number of 28 people invited to gather. The Public Health strongly recommends staying at home but if you wish to attend, please call the office to register and be reminded that the usual health protocols will be in place which include masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing and staying home if you feel unwell.

We continue to offer our worship service in audio, video and text formats with the weekly announcements, online meetings, events and other updates. Check our website at bcuc.org to access the service. 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.

I would like to highlight some announcements:

• As we enter Holy Week in the coming days, please note that text of the service for Maundy Thursday on April 1st and Good Friday on April 2nd will be emailed to you and the audio recording will be posted on our website.

• We will celebrate Easter Sunday on April 4th with an Agape Meal online and a communion during the modified onsite service.

• If you would like your favourite hymn sung in memory of a loved one or in celebration of a joyful occasion, please let the office know. With a suggested minimum donation of $30, your hymn request will be featured in one of the Sunday services until May 23. Proceeds from this fundraising will help enhance our worship experience. Please send your name, hymn request and dedication to the office via email. Donations can be made by e-transfer, cash or cheque payable to BCUC with the note: “Hymn-Sing”. Thank you for supporting this initiative.

• LENTEN APPEAL 2021: This year the SOSA committee has chosen to help people from the social housing neighbourhoods of West Ottawa to experience a weekend at Camp Otterdale.

• Participants will be contributing but they will also need sponsorships of $50 per person. Please consider how you can help an individual or family to experience a much-needed break this summer.  You can send in your donation via cash or by cheque payable to BCUC or by etransfer with the note: Lenten Appeal 2021. Please call the office for more details.

• We are also receiving Memorial Flower Donations in memory of your passed loved ones.  You may offer a minimum donation of $10 and a virtual flower display with your loved ones’ names will be included in the online version of the service on Easter Sunday.  Some live flowers will be placed in the Sanctuary. Please send your donation including your memorial request to the Church Office by March 31.  For payment options, please send in cash or cheque payable to BCUC with the note Easter Flowers.

• I invite you to participate in the Prayer Circle every Wednesday at 8 pm. Wherever you are, light a candle and say a prayer for the world, your community including our congregation, your family, your friends and yourself.

• And finally, Join us for a Zoom Fellowship today at 11 am.

For all other announcements, please check our website.

Despite continued physical distancing and self-isolation, we are indeed the church! On this Palm Sunday, know that we are all connected and embraced in God’s love. Pray for each other and take comfort and inspiration from the words of Psalm 46: “God is our refuge and strength. A very present help in trouble.” Let us wave palms, branches or cloths, as we welcome Jesus, our movement leader. Let us gather in worship.

Lighting of Christ Candle       Acolytes:  Wightman Family

We light this Christ candle to remind us of the light of truth.
May this light enflame our hearts with God’s grace;
keep us in the radiance of Christ’s presence;
and fill our hearts with the Spirit of hope.

Sung Response: Don’t Be Afraid – More Voices #90   - Susan TeGrotenhuis

Don’t be afraid. My love is stronger, my love is stronger than your fear.
Don’t be afraid. My love is stronger and I have promised, promised to be always near.

Words © 1995 John Bell & Graham Maule; Music © 1995 John Bell, IONA GIA Pub
Song # 98424 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Opening Words           Rev. Kim Vidal

There was a time when Lent was a dangerous time for Jews. There was a time and still a time when Christians were incited to hatred and violence against Jews. But there was a time before time, indeed the foundation of Christian time, when there were no Christians. At this time, a charismatic Jew named Yeshua also known as Jesus, came to celebrate the Passover. Jesus drew large crowds as he popularized the teachings of the liberal, Jewish school of thought. There was a time when Palm Sunday told a different story.

The first gospel writer Mark, written about 20 years after the first Palm Sunday, gives us a sense that Jesus’ parade into Jerusalem was not a spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment event. Mark spends more time telling us about the preparations for Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem than about the event itself. My reading of the passage made me think that this parade was intended as a peasant protest against Rome, an organic movement that operates with secret codes and a network of Jesus supporters operating "under the radar."  It would seem that Jesus and his peasant followers intentionally set themselves in stark contrast with the powerful display of Roman military. It was like a modern-day demonstration or an organized protest against the powers-that-be.

Based on historical probes by some NT scholars, like Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, particularly the political and religious atmosphere when Rome ruled Judea from 31 BCE to 37 CE, they tell us that there could well have been two processions on that day in Jerusalem, on what we now call Palm Sunday. The first one, we know so well, called “the peasant procession”– the one we commemorate today with the waving of palm and leafy branches and spreading cloaks on the road. Coming from the other direction into Jerusalem, according to Mark, we remember Jesus riding a colt, accompanied by his peasant followers and disciples shouting Hosanna which literally means, “God save us!”

But Borg and Crossan reason, that, with crowds of devout Jews flowing into Jerusalem to celebrate The Passover Festival, particularly their liberation from Egypt, the Roman military led by Governor Pilate would put on a display of force, of pomp and circumstance, to deter the Jews from getting any ideas about trying to fight for liberation from Rome. Pilate’s entrance to Jerusalem would have been impressive - a visible manifestation of Imperial Roman power, a show of strength designed to prevent any thoughts of insurgency or violent rebellion against Roman rule. There would have been the sound of marching soldiers on foot, cavalry on horses, leather armour, helmets, weapons, banners, golden eagles mounted on poles, and sun glinting on metal and gold. It would have been designed to make the people feel afraid and powerless.

Scene 1 – TeGrotenhuis Family

1:  Did you hear? The Messiah is coming!

2:  Coming here?

1: Yes – coming to Jerusalem, to celebrate the Festival of the Unleavened Bread!

2: Well, let’s grab some palm branches and wave them high! Let’s give the Messiah the best welcome we know!

Call to Gather               Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Jesus, a light of the world, bringing hope for the future;
one who will set us free.
Welcome Jesus! Hosanna!

Jesus, a bearer of justice,
one who will overturn oppressive rulers and colonial powers.
Welcome Jesus! Hosanna!

Jesus, a compassionate healer, who shares our pains,
who understands and comforts.

Welcome Jesus! Hosanna!

Jesus, a movement leader,
who wipes all tears away and ushers in a peaceful kin-dom.

Hosanna to Jesus! Blessed is the One who comes in the name of God!
Hosanna in the highest!

Prayer of Approach:  (written by Ken Wotherspoon, Gathering, LEP, 1987.)

As the gates of the city swung open to welcome Jesus,
so may our hearts be opened to God’s Spirit among us.
As Jesus wept for the people, so may we weep for those
who suffer at the hands of those who have forgotten how to love.
Let our worship today express the joy and sorrow,
the laughter and weeping of that first Palm Sunday. Amen.

* Hymn:      Hosanna, Loud Hosanna  - Voices United #123 – BCUC music team

1 Hosanna, loud hosanna
the happy children sang;
through pillared court and temple
the lovely anthem rang:
to Jesus, who had blessed them,
close folded to his breast,
the children sang their praises,
the simplest and the best.

2 From Olivet they followed
'mid an exultant crowd,
the victory palm-branch waving,
and singing clear and loud;
the Lord of earth and heaven
rode on in lowly state,
content that little children
should on his bidding wait.

3 "Hosanna in the highest!"
That ancient song we sing,
for Christ is our Redeemer;
earth, let your anthems ring.
O may we ever praise him
with heart and life and voice,
and in his humble presence
eternally rejoice.

Words 1873 Jennette Threlfall; Music trad 18th century German
Song # 97922 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Scene 2 - TeGrotenhuis Family

1: I don’t know about this. Something’s making me feel a bit uneasy.

2: Yeah – I know what you mean. There’s too much hype for my liking.

1: Something always goes wrong when crowds get too excited.

2: And they’re definitely too excited!

Scene 3 – Berard Family

1: Look at this guy – he’s attracting quite a following.

2: And have you heard about what he’s teaching?

1: A bit. What have you heard?

2: He’s shown blatant disregard for the Sabbath. He even encourages his disciples to work on the Sabbath.

3: I heard that he seems to mock the laws –it’s like making fun of Moses’ teachings.

4:  He follows those liberal teachings of Hillel, you know.

3:  Hillel?

4: You know – the Rabbi who summed up the whole Torah into one sentence.

3: Ha! Oh yeah – how did that go?

4: Hillel said, “What is hateful to you, do not do unto your neighbour. This is the entire Torah, all the rest is commentary.”

1: I think I heard this Jesus say something like that.

2: Darn right. Jesus is spreading the same liberal garbage and attracting hordes of people. And look at how they practically worship him. Talk about blasphemy!

1:  It does seem to be getting pretty out of hand.

2: (Shouting) Hey, Rabbi! Order your disciples to stop!

4: Jesus said, “I tell you, if these people were silent, the stones would shout out. ”
(Luke 19:40)

1:  Well, I guess he put you in your place.

2: No one makes fun of me like that and gets away with it. These people need to know what he’s really like. It’s the only way they’ll understand.

Hymn:   Sanna Sannanina  - Voices United #128 (An African Version of Hosanna)

Sanna, sannanina, sanna, sanna, sanna, (2x)
Sanna, sanna, sanna, sannanina, sanna, sanna, sanna (2x)

Words & Music: traditional South African, arranged © 1993 Nicholas Williams
Song # 75948 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Scene 4 – Lorrie & Neil Lowes

1 – Lorrie:  Someone just told me that Jesus said you should hate your family?

2 –Neil: What?

1: Yeah, apparently, he said to turn your back on your own family,

spit on the dust and shake your sandals and leave them

if they don’t give all they have to some beggar walking by.

2: I guess there’s another side to Jesus that isn’t so angelic!

Prayer for Illumination:  Reader: Keith Bailey

God of the journey, whose Word silences the shouts of the mighty, quiet within us every voice but your own. Speak to us through your Word of hope and courage, that by the power of your Holy Spirit, we may welcome Jesus’ entrance into our hearts. Amen.

The Gospel Reading: Mark 11: 1-11 (NRSV) Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

11 When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’” 4 They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, 5 some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. 9 Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 11 Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

May these words renew us and give us assurance of hope in this time and in this place.

Thanks be to God!

Hymn:      And On This Path  -  More Voices #8      - BCUC Music team

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! 

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

Words © 2000 Lynn Bauman, Music © 2003 Linnea Good, Borrealis Music
Song # 99739 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Scene 5 – Lorrie & Neil

1: Jesus is running into some serious trouble. I don’t have a good feeling about this. He’s being constantly challenged by the scribes who are trying to discredit him and yet he’s giving incredible wise responses.

2: Yeah – today I heard Jesus sum up the Torah by saying, “Love God with your whole being, and love your neighbour as yourself.”

1: Ha! As long as that neighbour is not a scribe!

2: Maybe that was his point. How do we love someone we totally disagree with?

1: I don’t know, but he sure ticked them off at the temple yesterday. He actually sat there and watched who put how much into the treasury! I’m sure glad he didn’t watch what I put in. Anyway, all of these highfalutin professionals came up and made it fairly obvious how much money they were putting in. Then, this widow, who had nothing, came up and put a couple of coppers in. Jesus then called a bunch of us over and said, “You see that poor woman? She just gave more than the rest of them put together because she gave all she had.”

2: Gee, he’s gonna get himself killed. And I think he knows it. Wow! I’d give my life to stop that from happening.

1: Honestly, I don’t know if I can do that!

Prayers of the People            Rev. Kim Vidal

God of all times and places, our Lenten journey brought us today to enter the Holy Week. As in Jesus’ time, the people waved palms and leafy branches and spread their cloaks on the road in praise of Jesus, the movement leader who entered Jerusalem in the name of God. Like stones that won’t be silenced, we see the crowds shouting hosanna! which was replaced a few days after with “crucify him!”

What would it be like if we were among the crowd that day?  Will we offer our loud praises and recognize the leadership of Jesus? Will we offer our solidarity with the peasants and not be intimidated by the presence of political, religious and military powers? Or will we run away and hide in fear of being crucified or worst, get killed for our voices of protest? O God, help us to remember that Jesus entered Jerusalem bearing his teaching of non-violence, truth to power and love beyond the grave. Forgive us when we are lost in confusion and doubt. With the grace of Your spirit, enfold our daily lives with insight and clarity that we may know your presence within each of us. In this Holy season, help us to fast from resentment, hostility, and apathy and instead feast on love, peace and joy that you lavishly offer for our journey to Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

God of healing, gently touch the lives of those needing comfort and wholeness in distressed lives and souls, particularly those who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic especially those who lost their loved ones from this virus and from other diseases. With love and earnest concern, we pray for those carrying heavy burdens. Use us to comfort those who have suffered deep losses in their lives. Today, we remember Jean Watson and family in the death of her brother-in-law, Ken Watson this week. Heal those who are troubled and distressed. Assure those awaiting medical results with good news. Disturb us to afflict the comfortable and comfort those afflicted, particularly those who have felt discriminated, marginalized or ostracised because of the colour of their skin, or their ethnicity or religious beliefs. On a cheery note, we pray for those celebrating happy occasions and moments of joy. We ask for your blessing upon Rev. Lorrie Lowes and Nicole Beaudry who both celebrated their birthday on March 27. O God, teach us to be advocates of goodness and embrace us all with your unconditional love.

Passionate God, reach into our hearts and our minds and spark us into action. Move us to see the needs of your hurting world. Where there is poverty, help us to share our wealth. Where there is war and division, help us to share your peace. Where people grieve, help us to share your compassion. For it is in you, O God that we are changed. Through your light, we become light. Through your love, we are able to love. Through your generosity, we give.

Prepare us now to enter into the Holy Week with a heart willing to change and a heart ready to accept your forgiveness. And with grateful hearts, let us unite as we sing this prayer that Jesus taught us:

The Lord’s Prayer (Sung) - Voices United #959     - BCUC Choir

Our Father, in heaven, hallowed be your name.
your kingdom come, your will be done on earth, as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil,
for the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours, now and forever.  

Music © 1986 David Haas, GIA publications
Song #01814 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

The Offering Invitation    Lorrie

In times of stress, in times of angst, we do not know what to do.

In times of need within this world and this community, we feel overwhelmed.

In times of abundance, in times of poverty, we ask God how we can give to this church, to the wider community, to our family and friends and to the world.

I now invite you to offer your gifts of time, talents and resources as expressions of your gratitude to God’s blessings and your commitment to the work.  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:[2] (together)                                       

Like palms of rejoicing, like cloaks on the ground,
we bring these gifts and offer them here.
Let both gifts and the givers be lifted up,
blessed, and sent forth to do your will. Amen. 

Scene 6 – Berard Family

1 : He’s losing it! He’s done for.

2 : Yeah – I can’t believe he killed a fig tree. And just because it didn’t have any figs on it. It’s not even the season for figs!

1: And what he did in the temple! Whipping people and turning over their tables! They didn’t know what hit them!

2: What side of the bed did he get up on this morning?

Scene 7 – TeGrotenhuis Family

1: Jesus definitely had a bad day today.

2: You know, I think he’s going through huge stress right now. I heard him talking an awful lot about death and the end times. I think he knows that something terrible is about to happen.

1: Maybe he’s trying to warn us about something.

2: I don’t like how those temple leaders are talking. They really feel threatened by him, and I think they’re out to get him.

1: What can we do? I thought this was going to be a happy day!

2: Well, Jesus made his point. He told us to stay alert, to watch, to pray. Maybe that’s all we can do right now.

Closing Words            Rev. Kim Vidal

The image of Pilate's procession of military power and imperial control might have given us a different perspective when we read the story of Jesus and his peasant followers entering Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday.  A procession of rag-tag group of peasants and common-folk waving branches and cheering on their leader who is doing his best to keep his seat on an unbroken colt. Could it have been more than a spontaneous welcome for a beloved leader?

What are we, 21st century Christians have to do with Palm Sunday?  Why do we wave our palm fronds and shout our hosannas? Why do we continue with this tradition that started 2000 years ago? Like the first century peasants who followed Jesus’ way of life, we too must have felt the urge to join the Jesus Movement, perhaps joining a march of protest or a statement of some sort – a march offering our voice in many forms: voice against the evil of bigotry and hypocrisy of our culture; voice to question our obsession and greed for material goods; voice to advocate against hatred, injustice and violence we might inflict, or perhaps voice to support those who are affected by COVID-19 pandemic that held us helpless and isolated in many ways.

A good question to ask is this: Where is God’s grace in this Palm Sunday story? I think grace is found in the sense of freedom and liberation that Jesus offered to his first century followers that continue to inspire us today. Jesus points a way of being in the world that proclaims love in many forms– his calm, non-anxious presence that offered God’s grace to the people - his humility and his message of peace and non-violence that gave the people comfort and made them follow him.

Friends, on this Palm Sunday, Jesus, the movement leader is on his way to his death. He will be crucified few days after entering Jerusalem; after he encountered the powers-that-be; after he and his followers have voiced their protests against oppression and their “NO” to the status quo. This is why the story of Jesus riding into the center of power of his time has such resonance in our own time. The first Palm Sunday offers us a way to reshape our own stories that they may embody the same hope: hope of compassion, hope of healing, hope of genuine freedom and justice for all. In this one moment, we can make a way for Jesus, the movement leader. We can throw our cloaks on the ground with humility and sing our songs of hosannas and celebration, yes, even our songs of pain and protests. Palm Sunday allows us to entrust our uncertainties and our fears in God’s grace, in every circumstance and in every, holy week of our lives.  May this Palm Sunday be one more act of witness, one more step in our journey of following Jesus’ Way—one that leads to healing and life for all. Thanks be to God. Amen.

*Thanks to the BCUC Lectionary Group for their invaluable insights and reflections on Palm Sunday and to Borg & Crossan’s book, The Last week.

*Hymn:    I Danced in the Morning  - Voices United #352     - BCUC Music team

1  I danced in the morning when the world was begun, and I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun, and I came from heaven and I danced on the earth;  at Bethlehem I had my birth.

Refrain:

Dance, then, wherever you may be;
I am the Lord of the dance, said he,
and I'll lead you all, wherever you may be,
and I'll lead you all in the dance, said he.

2  I danced for the scribe and the Pharisee,
but they would not dance and they would not follow me; I danced for the fishermen, for James and John; they came with me and the dance went on. R

3  I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame; the holy people said it was a shame;
they whipped and they stripped and they hung me high, and left me there on a cross to die. R

4 I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black;  it's hard to dance with the devil on your back; they buried my body and they thought I'd gone, but I am the dance and I still go on. R

5 They cut me down and I leap up high;
I am the life that will never, never die;
I'll live in you if you'll live in me;
I am the Lord of the dance, said he. R

Words © Sydney Carter 1963; Music: Shaker Melody adapt. and harm. © Sydney Carter 1963
Song # 01248 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Sending Forth           Rev. Kim Vidal

The God who rejoiced with Jesus
as he was acclaimed by the Palm Sunday crowd,
celebrates with we us we journey through the Holy Week.

The God who stayed with Jesus
as he endured agony and death on that dark hill,
will stand with us in the testing times of life.

Jesus, our leader, you are eternally faithful.
With open hands, we wait on you.
With open hearts, we receive you. Amen.

Departing Music:  Sleepers, Wake  - Voices United #711    - BCUC Choir

Written in the 16th century by Pastor Nicholai during a plague in Germany
Dedicated to all COVID-19 victims and sufferers (Bill McGee) 

1 'Sleepers, wake!' the watch are calling,
their notes from Zion's watchtower falling:
'Awake, awake, Jerusalem!
Midnight comes, no longer slumber,
nor let dull sleep your senses cumber.
Wise virgins, haste, or do you dream?
The bridegroom draweth near!
Arise, your lamps show clear. Hallelujah.
Yourselves array this marriage day
to meet the bridegroom on his way.'  

2 Zion hears the sentries singing,
her heart within for joy is springing,
she wakes, she speeds with glad surprise.
For her God comes down all glorious,
in grace most strong, in truth victorious,
her light is come, her star doth rise.
Welcome! thou worthy crown,
Lord Jesus, God's dear Son, hosanna!
We join the throng that streams along
and fills thy banquet hall with song.  

3 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: Philip Nicolai 1598, trans, Jay Macpherson 1970 Music: Hans Sachs ca 1513, adapt. Philip Nicolai 1599, harm Johann Sebastian Bach 1731 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

11 am – ZOOM Fellowship

[1] The skits in today’s service is adapted from a liturgy written by Loraine Mackenzie Shepard published in the Gathering, Lent/Easter/Pentecost, 2007.

[2] Kate Crawford, Gathering Lent-Easter 2014.

Sunday school activities - March 28, 2021

Today is Palm Sunday! It is the last week of Lent and the beginning of Holy Week. If we were in the church together, we would be having a parade but, just like last year, today we are celebrating online.

When we hold our Palm Sunday parade, we are acting out the story of Jesus and his disciples entering the city of Jerusalem. They were going there because they were all devout Jewish men and it was the time of Passover, a very special Jewish celebration to remember the time when their ancestors were set free from slavery in Egypt and began their long journey home to Jerusalem – a story we read about in the Old Testament. This city was where the Temple stood and people came from all over the area to celebrate Passover in this sacred place.

In Jesus’ time, the Jewish people were ruled by Rome and not treated very well. The Romans allowed them to practice their religion – as long as they didn’t get any ideas about freeing themselves like people in the story. Many thousands of Jewish people would be in Jerusalem to celebrate in this week so the Romans would be watching them carefully to make sure there wasn’t any trouble. I don’t think Jesus and his disciples set out to cause trouble – but the people had heard about him and were excited to see him coming. Add this to the excitement of Passover itself and you can see why the crowds gathered and started a parade! Some had heard that Jesus was the Messiah and so they expected him to come and save them from the harsh Roman rule. They were cheering because they believed that Jesus was the hero that would change the world for them.

When we celebrate Palm Sunday at BCUC, we include some protest signs to remind us that life was unfair and difficult for the Jewish people at that time. When they thought about their ancestors being freed from slavery in Egypt, they would probably dream of a time they could be free from Rome. So, to remember this, we put messages on our signs to protest the things that were so hard and unfair:

“No more taxes!”

“Feed the Poor!”

“Protect the Widows and Children!”

“Give us Back our Land!”

The people in the first Palm Sunday parade probably were probably not openly protesting. They were more likely celebrating the hope that a better world was about to begin – and they put all their hope in their hero, Jesus. The parade was a hero’s welcome for him.

Can you think of some people who are heroes of hope for a better world today?

If there was a parade like this today, what do you think might be on our signs? Would they be signs of protest or signs of hope?

Response Activity Ideas

Breaking News!

Retell the first Palm Sunday parade as if you are a news reporter.  Print and use the template, or create your own by hand or on the computer.  Consider including a description of what might have been seen, made-up ‘quotes’ from different people on the street. Can you be a balanced reporter sharing the excitement of the crowd as well as the concerns of the religious leaders?

Click to print PDF

Hero ‘Palm’ Branch

Materials: green paper, scissors, glue, cardboard or paint stir stick, writing tools

Make a palm branch from your palms to recognize the helping hands who bring hope to us and our community!  Trace your hand about 4-8 times onto green paper and cut out.  On each, write the names of people or professions you consider to be ‘heroes of hope’ around you.  Cut a strip of cardboard or use a paint stir stick (or similar) to be the stem.  Glue the ‘palm’ leaves along the stem.  When dry, wave your branch proudly to thank the heroes in your life and our community!

View fullsize

Holy Week Scavenger Hunt

As a family, try finding the objects on this list (PDF) to represent the events of Holy Week.  They could be real objects or pictures or toys to signify the items.  Collect them together in a basket, box, or slideshow of images to interact with over the week.  Consider adding one or more items such as a butterfly or sprouting plant to represent Easter Sunday, too!

Illustrated Ministry Lenten Package

Jesus was seen as a hero for the people living under Roman rule.  He championed the rights of the poor and oppressed, and taught a different way.  This is explained more on pg 47-48 in the package.  The colouring sheet on pg. 51 is great celebration (like a palm parade) of children, and of Jesus’ way of turning what we think we know upside down!

Sunday Worship Service - March 21, 2021

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT – RACIAL JUSTICE SUNDAY

March 21, 2021

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

Gathering Music: Put Peace Into Each Other’s Hands – Voices United #173 – Erin Berard

In honour of Asian & Black Lives  - Charles and Eithne Barker

1.    Put Peace into each other’s hands
And like a treasure hold it,
Protect it like a candle flame,
With tenderness enfold it. 

2.    Put Peace into each other’s hands
With loving expectation;
Be gentle in your words and ways,
In touch with God’s creation. 

3.    Put Peace into each other’s hands
Like bread we break for sharing;
Look people warmly in the eye;
Our life is meant for caring. 

4.    Give thanks for strong yet tender hands,
Held out in trust and blessing.
Where words fall short, let hands speak out,
The heights of love expressing. 

5.    Reach out in friendship, stay with faith
In touch with those around you.
Put peace into each other’s hands;
The Peace that sought and found you. 

Words © 1989 Fred Kaan Music © 2004 Ron Klusmeier
Song # 106122 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Welcome & Announcements        Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Good Morning!

Since Ottawa is in the red zone, we are able to gather in the sanctuary for a modified worship service at 10 am with a maximum number of 28 people invited to gather. The Public Health strongly recommends to stay at home but if you wish to attend, please call the office to register and be reminded that the usual protocols will be in place which include masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing and staying home if you feel unwell.

We continue to offer worship service in a number of ways. Check our website at bcuc.org for our worship service in audio, video and text formats 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.

If you would like your favourite hymn sung in memory of a loved one or in celebration of a joyful occasion, please let the office know. With a suggested minimum donation of $30, your hymn request will be featured in one of the Sunday services until May 23. Proceeds from this fundraising will help enhance our worship experience. Please send your name, hymn request and dedication to the office via email. Donations can be made by e-transfer, cash or cheque payable to BCUC with the note: “Hymn-Sing”. Thank you for supporting this initiative.

LENTEN APPEAL 2021: This year the SOSA committee has chosen to help people from the social housing neighbourhoods of West Ottawa to experience a weekend at Camp Otterdale.

Participants will be contributing but they will also need sponsorships of $50 per person. Please consider how you can help an individual or family to experience a much-needed break this summer.  You can send in your donation via cash or by cheque payable to BCUC or by etransfer with the note: Lenten Appeal 2021. Please call the office for more details.

Memorial Flower Donations: To provide an opportunity for families to remember loved ones who have passed, we are providing a virtual Easter flowers memorial donation option for this year.  Funds will be used to buy flowers for the sanctuary for Easter Sunday and to create a fund for sanctuary flowers throughout the year. As in the past, you may make a minimum donation of $10. A virtual flower display with the loved ones’ names and the memorial will be included in the online version of the service on Easter Sunday.  Some live flowers will be placed in the Sanctuary. Please send your donation including your memorial request to the Church Office by March 31.  For payment, the following are options:

• Drop off your request with either cash or cheque through the mail slot at the kitchen door

• Mail in your request with a cheque to the Church Office

• Email your request to the Church Office, and pay via e-transfer – mark your transaction “Easter Flowers” in the message line of the e-transfer (not preferred since there is a charge/transaction)

I invite you to participate in the Prayer Circle every Wednesday at 8 pm. Wherever you are, light a candle and say a prayer for the world, your community including our congregation, your family, your friends and yourself.

There will be a Zoom Fellowship today at 11 am, so please join us if you are able.

For all other announcements, please check our website.

Centering for Worship:   Let us prepare our hearts and minds for worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle     Acolytes: Lynda and Neville Reed

In this world where the news seems often dark and cold, we welcome the light and comfort of a candle flame.

Today we light this candle to remind us that we are not alone; Christ is always with us.

Let it also remind us of the many forms of light that he brought into the world –

The light of love…
The light of awareness…
The light of justice…
The light of peace…
The light of hope.

As we light this flame, let us also be reminded that we are asked to shed this light wherever we go and in whatever we say or do.

Sung Response: Don’t Be Afraid – More Voices #90   - Susan TeGrotenhuis

Don’t be afraid. My love is stronger, my love is stronger than your fear.
Don’t be afraid. My love is stronger and I have promised, promised to be always near. 

Words © 1995 John Bell & Graham Maule; Music © 1995 John Bell, IONA GIA Pub
Song # 98424 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Call to Gather        Rev. Lorrie Lowes

In this place, at this time, let God call out of us what is good.
In this place, at this time, let us surrender what does harm.
In this place, at this time, let us be filled with worship.
We are an offering to God. Let us present ourselves freely.[1]

Prayer of Confession & Words of Assurance      Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Ever-Abundant God, we open our hearts to you this day, and offer these truths: Today we live in the fear that encompasses us. Today we live with the prejudice that is right in front of us. Today we live with the ignorance that dwells within us. Today we live with the doubt that holds us back. Help us, we pray, that we will find courage in unlikely places, discover the world with new and gracious understandings, move to those places where love is needed, and have faith that you are with us. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. (moment of silence)

Friends, hear the good news that God listens to our prayers, understands our concerns, and holds us close in this time of confession and truth-telling. Know that today we have been given the grace and the courage to go into the world and spread this good news. Amen.[2]

Hymn: In Christ There Is No East or West – Voices United #606 (tune Crimond)

1.    In Christ there is no east or west,
in him no south or north,
But one great family of love
throughout the whole wide earth.

2.    In him shall true hearts everywhere
Their high communion find; 
His service is the golden cord
Close binding humankind.

3.    Join hands, then, people of the faith,
Whate’er your race may be;
All children of the living God
Are surely kin to me. 

4.    In Christ now meet both east and west
In him meet south and north;
All Christ-like souls are one in him
Throughout the whole wide earth. 

But one great family of love
throughout the whole wide earth.

Words 1908 John Oxenham, Music 1915 James Macbeth Bain, Harmony 1934 Gordon Jacob
Song # 84249 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved 

Storytime           Erin Berard

Sing with me if you remember this one:

The more we get together, together, together,
The more we get together, the happier we’ll be
‘Cause your friends are my friends, and my friends are your friends,
The more we get together, the happier we’ll be.

© Ken Whiteley / Raffi Cavoukian Reprinted under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved 

Now wait a minute, I know we’re into the Red Zone restrictions here in Ottawa! Please don’t think I’m encouraging anyone to go gather and socialize with all your friends! 

That’s not what I’m getting at.  Perhaps I need to change the action word in the song to get my meaning across… what about “The more we work together… or the more we support each other…”

That’s because today I’m thinking about what it means to be an ALLY.  Have you heard that word before?   Maybe you’ve heard about countries being allies as they work together to protect each other or solve a problem when there is conflict, or, I don’t know, something like a pandemic.

We use the word ally a lot nowadays to talk about being someone who might stand up for the rights of people of colour and Indigenous peoples, even though they are not actually part of those groups.  We know these groups often have to face racism in their day to day lives and people who are allies want to do things to change that.

Jesus sets the example for us, doesn’t he, of how we should act?  Standing up for poor travelers being cheated, eating with people who were considered ‘different’, listening and talking and including all people. 

Now how do we work to become an ally? 

Listen and learn! Does your class library or online reading website have books by diverse authors?  If not, ask for them or seek them out.  Do you feel like you’re learning about the viewpoints of different cultures in history class?  If not, ask about it, or learn more on your own time. The more you know, a better ally you can be.

Listen and act! What if you see people being teased or hurt because of their skin colour or culture? If you’re not feeling comfortable stepping up and saying something in the moment, don’t just let it slide by – because that makes it seems like you agree – tell a grown-up what you saw and heard. That’s a way to be an ally. 

So let’s sing that song again, but change some of the words:

The more we work together, together, together,
The more we support others, the stronger we’ll be
Diverse voices are important,
And I can be an ally
The more we learn and listen, the stronger we’ll be. 

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

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

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

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

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

Traditional African American Reprinted under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination          Reader: Tamara Glanville

In the shadow of conflict, we gather as people seeking peace. You, O God, reach out inviting us to journey the path of reconciliation and justice. May your Word grant us courage and conviction. Amen[3]

The Reading: Psalm 51:1-10 NRSV

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
    blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
    and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
    and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
    and blameless when you pass judgment.
5 Indeed, I was born guilty,
    a sinner when my mother conceived me.

6 You desire truth in the inward being;
    therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
    wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
    let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
    and blot out all my iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    and put a new and right spirit within me.

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

Sermon: Create in Me a Clean Heart        Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Today is Racial Justice Sunday, and I think it is fitting that it falls in the season of Lent. This is a season of confession and repentance and we take that seriously each week with our prayers of confession. We take stock of our lives and our actions; we think about how our actions move us away from God and God’s purpose; we ask for forgiveness, and we commit to turning our lives around. We are assured that God forgives us and loves us, and we put ourselves on a straighter path. All this is important. It’s good to take the time to be intentional about looking at our lives as Christians and to take stock of how they fit with God’s dream and Jesus’ example. Racial Justice is certainly an issue that needs examining in this process. It’s a bit trickier than most issues, however, because it is sometimes hard to recognize in our own lives. We, as predominantly white, privileged Canadians, often think of it as a problem “out there”, as something that doesn’t pertain to us.

The Psalm that Tamara read for us this morning is attributed to David. It is certainly full of confession and repentance. In order to understand it, we need to know the story of David and Bathsheba, and the prophet Nathan. So, in a nutshell, it goes like this…

By this time, David was King – chosen by God and anointed by Nathan. He was a great military leader and well-loved by his people. He lived a life of power and luxury. His life was a far cry from his beginnings as a shepherd boy, too low in the birth order of his family to ever expect to become the head of the family or to inherit much at all in the way of land or wealth. His life had taken an unexpected turn when God chose him to lead the people, and life was good beyond his imagination. One day, we’re told, he saw Bathsheba bathing on the roof of her house. She was beautiful! He sent his servants to bring her to the palace. She would be honoured to be noticed by the king! This was not to be a one-night stand, of course; David fell in love with her and wanted to take her as a wife. The problem was that she was already married and her husband was Uriah, one of his greatest generals, and also a friend. He wouldn’t cause Uriah to be disgraced. Uriah was away, fighting battles for the king. David decided to give Uriah a job that put him into a position on the front line, leading the assault – a dangerous but important role. Uriah was killed in the battle. David took the mourning widow, Bathsheba, as his wife. What he was doing seemed reasonable and admirable – in his own eyes as well as in the eyes of most around him. By marrying Bathsheba, he protected her honour and took care of his friend’s widow. God and Nathan didn’t quite see it that way, however. Nathan tells King David a story about a wealthy man with a huge flock of sheep who doesn’t want to give up one of his own sheep to serve his important guests, so he steals the one and only lamb of his poor neighbour instead. David reacts with outrage and says the man should be put to death! Nathan points out that David’s actions are exactly the same, and so we have David’s plea to God, his confession and his request for forgiveness.

So, how does this story relate to Racial Justice? Well, I think in some ways, we are much like King David. He didn’t see that what he was doing was wrong. In his mind, taking Bathsheba in the first place, he was giving her an incredible compliment – she had won the notice and the love of the king! He didn’t take her as a mistress but as a wife. By marrying her, he was elevating her status and her lifestyle, while saving her from the difficult position of widow. Uriah died in battle, but David didn’t kill him by his own hand, it was just one of the hazards of being a brave general in the King’s army, after all. He was really quite honourable in all of this – or so he thought, until he was shown the full brunt of his actions. His position as king gave him not only great responsibility but a lavish lifestyle and a great amount of privilege. He was a good man – history remembers him as a good ruler and beloved by God – but he was blind to the harmful effect his good deeds could have on those around him – even those he considered friends, even those he loved.

He had sent his servants to bring back the woman who caught his eye. Could they have spoken up to tell him that he shouldn’t do this, that she was the wife of a man he loved and depended on? He offered himself to Bathsheba. An honour, perhaps, but did she have any choice, any power to say no? If she had refused the advances of the king, what would the consequences be for her, for her husband and his position? He gave Uriah an order to lead his troops in battle – from the front line. Could Uriah, who was actually there on the battlefield, tell him that this particular battle was a bad idea? That he was putting, not just Uriah, but all of his soldiers in grave danger? So many questions… Questions that would never be asked of David because he held the power and the privilege of his position in that society. If any of those people had voiced their concerns or posed those questions, would he even have listened? Or would have said, “Don’t be ridiculous! Look what I’ve done for Bathsheba, out of love and honour…I didn’t rape her, I love her and she loves me!... Look at how I put Uriah into the responsible and honoured role of leader… Yes, some terrible things have happened - but I didn’t kill anyone. I didn’t hurt anybody… How can you put any blame on me? I am a good person.”

When it comes to racism, we tend to think of it as a problem “out there”. It’s not a problem in our community, and certainly not in our church. “I am not a racist!” is a statement that most of us in this congregation would be comfortable with. We have friends who have brown or black skin. We welcome people of all skin colours and cultures into our midst. We are friends with the people of the Jami Omar mosque.  Horrific things are happening in the world, particularly to our brothers and sisters who don’t look like us, but we aren’t doing those things. We are good people.

Almost a year ago, a black man named George Floyd died at the hands – or rather the knee – of a police officer in Minneapolis. The footage of that knee on the neck of a restrained man for eight minutes was seen all over the world, igniting racial tensions and deeply held grief. His cry of, “I can’t breathe,” will haunt us forever. Just this past week, 6 people of Asian descent were murdered in Atlanta by a white gunman. These cities are a long way from Bells Corners and the racial strife in the United States is well-known and visible to the world. We look at what happens to people of colour to the south of us and condemn it. What does it have to do with us? We aren’t like that police officer. Things like that don’t happen here… Do they?

Or are we, like King David, seeing only from our position of privilege. Have we ever asked the people of those diverse groups that we welcome into our midst what their experience is? And if we do ask, are they comfortable enough to tell us the truth? Do we listen to understand or do we immediately go on the defense… I was only trying to help… It was only a joke… You are taking it the wrong way… Of course, I would never do something to hurt you, I care about you… You are reading more into this than is actually there… You are being overly sensitive…

We take offense at being labeled racist. Robin Diangelo, has written a book about it called “White Fragility”. For us, the term ‘racist’ comes with the connotation of wickedness. What we hear is ‘bad person’. We put up our defenses, we stop listening, we close our ears and our minds.  Anne Bishop, a Canadian author, also tackles this in her book, “Becoming an Ally”. She tries to explain racism in a different way:

Remember that everyone in an oppressor group is part of the oppression. It is ridiculous to claim you are not sexist if you are a man or not racist if you are white, and so on… all members of this society grow up surrounded by oppressive attitudes; we are marinated in it. It runs in our veins; it is as invisible to us as the air we breathe… A white person never becomes “non-racist” but is always a “recovering racist.”

A “recovering racist”… Perhaps this is easier to understand. We are familiar with this concept in terms of addiction or alcoholism. I have a friend who has been sober for close to 40 years. We would say she has licked the problem – but she can never let her guard down. In her mind, she will always be a “recovering alcoholic”. Particularly in a culture where drinking is socially acceptable, even socially expected, it would be so easy for her to slip back into old habits… Anne Bishop says recovering racists are often referred to as “anti-racist” but I wonder if this is just another way to make ourselves feel that we have licked the problem and can let our guard down. That term still sounds to me like, “I’ve fixed my problem; I’m not a racist anymore, and so now I just get to call out other people’s racist behaviour.” The temptation might be to close our ears, our hearts, and our minds once more. I think we need to stop taking offence and start taking responsibility. We aren’t bad people, but we have a lot to learn and a lot to unlearn.

In our Lenten sermon series, Rev. Kim and I have been looking at some of the identities of Jesus. In choosing an Old Testament reading this week, I do not mean to stray from this theme. So, let’s take a look at Jesus in the context of his time and place in history. The first and perhaps most important thing to remember about Jesus, the man, is that he was a devout Jew. His mission wasn’t to destroy the Jewish religion, far from it. He wanted people to look at the sacred teachings and writings with new eyes. He wanted people to hear God’s message from a new perspective. When we examine the perspective of the people of his time, we see a culture with a long history of oppression. The way society works is tied to power – whoever is at the top, has power over everyone below. That power changes hands throughout the Old Testament and I’m sure this was the case for centuries before that. A conquering tribe takes possession of the land and control over all that is in it, including the people. Eventually, there might be an uprising and another war happens – sometimes turning that power structure upside down so that a new hierarchy is in place – but there is always a hierarchy. It is accepted as “the way the world works”. In Anne Bishop’s words, they were marinated in it. They couldn’t imagine anything different. Jesus’ mission was to change that dynamic, to bring peace on earth. What the Jewish people of his time interpreted that to mean was that the oppressor – Rome – would be destroyed and so they would be liberated. But then what? Without a whole new way of thinking about how the world works, the liberated, the “good guys” would then hold the power over and the control of everything. The cycle would continue. I don’t think this is what Jesus, or God, had in mind. This Messiah was not a conquering warlord but a social activist.  His message to the people was not about who is good and who is bad. His message was about God’s love for all people and all of creation. Love your neighbour as you love yourself, love your enemy, love creation, love, love, love… Jesus’ mission wasn’t to put people who looked like him and worshipped like him in charge of the world. His mission was to break down the barriers that divide people, to replace “power over” others to “power with”. He showed over and over again that there is enough to go around – enough food, enough wealth, even enough wine for a good celebration – as long as we see each other as equal rather than in a hierarchy, as long as we see  the world’s resources as gifts for all, rather than owned and controlled by the current mightiest.  His message was one of change through love and peace, not through violence and fear. His social activism was new and creative. He didn’t use weapons or might to change things, he used stories that people could identify with. His message was one of relationship – of really knowing your neighbour, of listening with an open heart, of taking care of each other because we are all loved by God, not in spite of our differences but because of them.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God,” David implores, “and put a new and right spirit within me.”

His plea came after his eyes were opened to the problem with his actions, after he was able to hear God through the prophet Nathan, after he was willing to let down his defensiveness and admit that, even as a good person, he had a lot of work to do.

The way the world works hasn’t really changed that much over the 2000 years since Jesus walked among us. Slavery has been abolished, residential schools have been closed, apologies have been made – but still people who are different from us in some way – skin colour, sexuality, culture, faith, really anything other than white, straight, of European descent, able-bodied, and even male – are still disadvantaged. We can say we love them all and we can work toward changing that reality, but until we listen, really listen to what their experience is, until we acknowledge that we all still have work to do, the kind of change that Jesus preached may never happen.

There is so much more to say on this difficult topic of racial justice. A Sunday sermon can barely scratch the surface, but I will end here with my confession to you: I am a recovering racist. I don’t say this to apologize but to acknowledge that I have much to learn and unlearn. It is my fervent prayer that I will have the courage to open my ears and my mind to see where my life of privilege causes harm and that God will help me as I do the work to create a clean heart. I hope you will join me. Amen.

Sources:

• Becoming an Ally: Breaking the Cycle of Oppression in People” (third edition) by Anne Bishop, Fernwood Publishing Co., Halifax and Winnipeg. 2015

• “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism” by Robin Diangelo, Beacon Press, Boston. 2018

• Mission and Service, UCC, June 4, 2020.

• Grateful for the reflections, input and wisdom of the BCUC Lectionary Group

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer   

Holy One,

On this Racial Justice Sunday, we wish we could celebrate the work that has been done in the world to end racial discrimination but the news tells us that it is not yet time for such celebration. We read in the news every day, examples of the oppression of people who struggle in this world because of the importance that is placed on the tone of a thin layer of cells that are meant to protect us. This week we have been newly horrified by the murder of 6 Asian women at the hands of a white gunman. We pray for their families and their community. We pray for ourselves that we might open our eyes and our hearts to recognize our role in making the way forward so slow and difficult.

Creator of all races and peoples, who loves each of us for our uniqueness, we offer our prayers of petition:

We pray for an end to discrimination in all its forms…

We pray that each person may be respected and valued as a child of God

We pray that the church may be a witness and a universal sign of unity among all peoples…

We pray that each of us may acknowledge our part in mistakes and sins of the past pertaining to discrimination and racism…

We pray for a spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation among peoples who share a history of mutual mistrust, hatred, or aggression…

We pray that the victims of prejudice may forgive those who persecute them, and that their persecutors may have a change of heart…

We pray that the church will continue to strive to make every element of human life correspond to the true dignity of the human person…

We pray for those who have struggled in the past, and continue to do so today, for civil rights, economic justice, and the elimination of discrimination based on race, nationality, sexuality, or religion…

We pray for the conversion of the hearts and minds of those who allow another’s race to influence their relationships and limit their openness…

We pray that we may work to influence the attitudes of others by expressly rejecting racial or ethnic stereotypes, slurs and jokes, and be affirming of the cultural contributions of every racial, ethnic, and religious group in our world…

We pray that we may make a personal commitment to abolish social structures which inhibit economic, educational and social advancement of the poor…

We pray that we may work for decent working conditions, adequate income, housing, education, and health care for all people…

Holy One, source of our life, we acknowledge you as Creator of all people of every race, language, and way of life. Help us to see each other as you see us: your sons and daughters loved into being, and sustained by your parental care. Keep watch over our hearts so that the evil of racism will find no home with us. Direct our spirits to work for justice and peace so that all barriers to your grace which oppress our brothers and sisters will be removed.[4]

All this we ask in the name of Jesus, our example in social activism, and in the words he shared with his followers:

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kin-dom come, thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kin-dom, the power and the glory, Forever and ever, Amen. 

Invitation to Offer

We know that social change can only come about with open hearts that receive God’s message, open eyes and ears to witness the places in our world where there has been a straying from that path, courageous voices open hands to offer help where needed. We also know that investment of our treasure is needed for much of this work to move forward.

I now invite you to offer your gifts of time, talents and resources as expressions of your gratitude to God’s blessings and your commitment to the work.  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

When you reach out, it means the world to us, O Christ. When we reach out to the world, that outreach gives meaning to your name. bless this offering, we pray, that it may touch many in the world. Amen.  

Sending Forth             

As we go forth from this time of worship, our loving and compassionate God is with us.
As we become aware of our need to change, God supports us.
As we find courage to walk the faithful path, God journeys with us.
When we are tempted to turn back, God renews our vision.
When we joyfully follow the way of Jesus, God celebrates with us!
As we make this Lenten journey, God’s courage and peace will be ours!
Thanks be to God! Amen.[5]

Hymn: My Soul Cries Out    More Voices #120  - BCUC Choir, violin: Leslie Wade

1.    My soul cries out with a joyful shout that the God of my heart is great,
And my spirit sings of the wondrous things that you bring to the ones who wait.
You fixed your sight on your servant’s plight, and my weakness you did not spurn,
So from east to west shall my name be blest. Could the world be about to turn? 

Refrain:
My heart shall sing of the day you bring. Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears for the dawn draws near, and the world is about to turn. 

2.    Though I am small, my God, my all, you work great things in me,
And your mercy will last from the depths of the past to the end of the age to be.
Your very name puts the proud to shame, and to those who would for you yearn,
You will show your might, put the strong to flight, for the world is about to turn. 

3.    From the halls of power to the fortress tower, not a stone will be left on stone.
Let the king beware for your justice tears every tyrant from his throne.
The hungry poor shall weep no more, for the food they can never earn;
There are tables spread, every mouth be fed, for the world is about to turn. 

4.    Though the nations rage from age to age, we remember who holds us fast:
God’s mercy must deliver us from the conqueror’s crushing grasp.
This saving word that our forebears heard is the promise which holds us bound,
‘Til the spear and rod can be crushed by God, who is turning the world around. 

Words © 1990 Rory Cooney; Music: Traditional melody, Ireland
Song # 90528 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music:  “I the Lord of Sea and Sky” – Voices United #509 – BCUC Choir

In loving memory of Gail (Ross Mutton)      violin: Leslie Wade

1.    I the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry
All who dwell in deepest sin, my hand will save.
I who made the stars of night, I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them? Whom shall I send? 

Refrain:
Here I am, Lord. Is it I Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart. 

2.    I, the Lord of snow and rain, I have heard my people’s pain.
I have wept for love of the; they turn away.
I will break their hearts of stone, give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak my word to them. Whom shall I send?” 

3.    I, the Lord of wind and flame, I will tend the poor and lame,
I will set a feast for them; my hand will save.
Finest bread I will provide till their hearts be satisfied.
I will give my life to them. Whom shall I send? 

Words & Music © 1981 Daniel L. Schutte      New Dawn Music
Song #80670 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved.

11 am – ZOOM Fellowship

[1] Elaine Bidgood Sveet, Gathering Lent/Easter 2016, p28. Used with permission.

[2] Julie Hutton, Gathering Lent/Easter 2021, p35. Used with permission.

[3] Laura Turnbull, Gathering Lent/Easter 2018, p 34. Used with permission.

[4] Based on Prayers for the Elimination of Racism by the Augustinian Secretariate for Justice and Peace (midwestaugustinians.org). Used with permission.

[5] David Sparks, Gathering Lent/Easter 2020, p38. Used with permission.

Sunday school activities - March 21, 2021

Theme Discussion

Our Bible reading today is from the Book of Psalms (Psalm 51: 1-10). This psalm was written by ancient Israel’s famous King David after he had done something he knew in his heart was a very unfair and bad thing to do to one of his own faithful soldiers. The soldier had died because of David’s unfairness, and this psalm is a prayer to God in which David asks God for a new chance and for God’s help for David to be good and treat people fairly from then on.

Let’s just look at a couple of lines from this psalm.  At the start, David asks God for mercy and forgiveness. In The Message translation of the Bible, the first two verses are:

          Generous in love – God give grace!  Huge in mercy – wipe out my bad record.

          Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry.

He isn’t asking for God to put him in a bathtub, is he? He feels bad inside because of the wrong he has done, and he wants God to forgive him and make him feel like a good person again. That wouldn’t show on the outside, but it would make a difference to how David was on the inside and how he would treat people from then on. It would be a sort of inside cleaning.  In the last verse of today’s reading, David asks God to:       

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.

What does it mean to have a “clean heart” and a “right spirit”? Doesn’t it mean to act in a kind and loving way toward everyone, and to treat them all fairly?

Today is Racial Justice Sunday at BCUC. What does it mean if we say that two people are from different races? Usually, we think of people with different skin colours and maybe some other differences in how they look, like their hair or eyes. If one has dark skin and hair and the other one has light skin and pale hair, we would probably say one is a black person and the other a white person. But how many races are there? Really, there is only one – the human race. Really, people don’t have black skin or white skin, but there are lots of different shades of skin colour, from very dark brown that is almost black to very light pink or peach that is almost white, and many shades of brown in between. The idea of race is really an idea that people invented, not God.

But over time, many people have gotten some ideas that people who don’t look like they do are not as good as they are, maybe not as smart or not as hard working or not as trustworthy as people who look the same as they look. These ideas are wrong. No one can tell how good or smart a person is by what colour their skin is, and we know that God loves us all the same even though we have many differences from each other. If we ask God to put a “clean heart” and a “right spirit” inside us, how will we treat people who look different from us? Is it fair to them if we treat them as if we don’t trust them or like them or we think they are not smart just because of the way they look? How would you feel if someone treated you that way because of just your skin colour?

Response Activity Idea

Exploring skin colours

If you have some watercolour or tempera paints that you can mix, try mixing different proportions of white, yellow, pink, red, and brown paint to get several different shades that look like they could be actual skin colours that people have. Do you know anyone who has actually got pure white skin? Probably not. How about pure black? Again, probably not. Can you figure out how to mix a colour that is a close match to your own skin?

If you don’t have paints to do that experiment with, choose several colours that could be human skin colours from a big box of crayons or pencil crayons or markers. Look at each of them closely and think about whether a real person could have skin that colour. 

Print out one of the paper doll figures at the end of the text and fold the paper on the dotted line. Cut the figure out, cutting through both sides of the folded paper at once and making sure not to cut the hand and foot where it touches the fold, so that when you unfold the paper you have two figures that look like they are holding hands and have their foot touching. Like this, except they will be blank until you colour them your way:

Use a pencil or pencil crayon to draw in a face on the paper person on the right side, and the lines of the clothes. The left side is the back of the paper person, so don’t put a face there. Using the skin-coloured paints or crayons, colour in the face and skin, and use whatever colours you like for the clothes and hair.  After you have drawn the back and front of the person on one side, turn it over to see the plain white side. Put a shiny bright heart on one side, and if you want, you can write the words from the psalm around or opposite the heart: “Create in me a clean heart, O God.”  You can make a few of these paper people if you want, either using the pattern or drawing your own on a plain piece of paper.  Give each one a different skin tone, and give them all different hair styles and clothes.  But put a shiny bright heart inside each one, like this, and fold it so the heart is on the inside:

Click this image to print BOTH figures (PDF)

Illustrated Ministry Lenten Package

This week’s activity reminds us that the kingdom of God is like finding a treasure so valuable that a person is willing to give up all their possessions or other treasures to obtain it.

Think about what a racially just society would be like and what we would have to let go of to have it. On page 41 there is a paragraph about social justice movements around the world and how hard people have worked to change their world in different countries. In what ways is our society today unjust? What needs to change to create a racially just society today? Make a list of the ways that we would all benefit from a racially just society. Make a list of what we would have to give up to make those things happen. Would a racially just society be more like the kingdom of God as we imagine it? What would you be willing to give up or risk to make it a reality?

Sunday Worship Service - March 14, 2021

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT

March 14, 2021

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

Gathering Music: I See a New Heaven – Voices United #713 (verses 1, 3, 4) – BCUC Choir

In loving memory of our parents (Rev. Angela & Keith Bailey)

Refrain:

I see a new heaven. I see a new earth
as the old one will pass away,
where the fountain of life flows
and without price goes
to all people who abide in the land.  

1 There, there on the banks
of a river bright and free,
yielding her fruit, firm in her root,
the Tree of Life will be. R  

3 There, there where the darkness
brings visions from above.
There where the night, bearing new light,
reveals the promise of love. R

4 There, there where we work
with the love of healing hands.
Labour we must, true to our trust
to build a promised new land. R  

Words & Music ©  Carolyn McDade
Song # 117685 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Welcome & Announcements       Rev. Kim Vidal

Good day everyone! On behalf of BCUC, I welcome and greet you in the name of Jesus Christ on this Fourth Sunday in Lent. About one year ago today, we made a big decision to close our building due to the declaration of COVID-19 as a world pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. So today, we remember all those who have been affected by this pandemic, particularly those who lost their loved ones. We also pay tribute to the many first responders, essential workers, health people and personal care workers, leaders in all sectors and all those who have been doing their part in supporting, promoting and implementing the health protocols.

Since Ottawa is in the orange zone, we are able to gather in the sanctuary for a modified worship service at 10 am with a maximum number of 28 people invited to gather. The Public Health strongly recommends to stay at home but if you wish to attend, please call the office to register and be reminded that the usual protocols will be in place which include masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing and staying home if you feel unwell.

We continue to offer worship service in a number of ways. Check our website at bcuc.org, for our worship service in audio, video and text formats 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.

If you would like your favourite hymn sung in memory of a loved one or in celebration of a joyful occasion, please let the office know. With a suggested minimum donation of $30, your hymn request will be featured in one of the Sunday services from February 28 until May 23. Proceeds from this fundraising will help enhance our worship experience. Please send your name, hymn request and dedication to the office via email. Donations can be made by e-transfer, cash or cheque payable to BCUC with the note: “Hymn-Sing”. Thank you for supporting this initiative.

LENTEN APPEAL 2021: This year the SOSA committee has chosen to help people from the social housing neighbourhoods of West Ottawa to experience a weekend at Camp Otterdale.

Participants will be contributing but they will also need sponsorships of $50 per person. Please consider how you can help an individual or family to experience a much-needed break this summer.  You can send in your donation via cash or by cheque payable to BCUC or by etransfer with the note: Lenten Appeal 2021. Please call the office for more details.

I invite you to participate in the Prayer Circle every Wednesday at 8 pm. Wherever you are, light a candle and say a prayer for the world, your community including our congregation, your family, your friends and yourself.

There will be a Zoom Fellowship today at 11 am, so please join us if you are able.

For all other announcements, please visit the website.

Friends, in this season of Lent, we know what God desires of us:
To remind ourselves that the message of Jesus is love.
To remember that now is the right time to put love into action.
So with grateful hearts, let us gather in worship. 

Lighting of the Christ Candle    Acolytes: Susan & George Young

We light this Christ candle as a sign of God's love at work in the world.
Through the warmth of this light, let us celebrate God’s presence among us.
And may the light of Christ shine through us as we brighten the world.

Sung Response: Don’t Be Afraid – More Voices #90   - Susan TeGrotenhuis

Don’t be afraid. My love is stronger, my love is stronger than your fear.
Don’t be afraid. My love is stronger and I have promised, promised to be always near. 

Words © 1995 John Bell & Graham Maule; Music © 1995 John Bell, IONA GIA Pub
Song # 98424 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Call to Gather [1]         Rev. Lorrie Lowes

From darkness and despair,
from being lost and lonely,
God calls us home.
Even though we have been selfish
and let God down,
we are still called beloved.
Remember the welcoming love of God
which has been poured out for us.
Our hearts rejoice at the wondrous ways
in which God loves and cares for us.
Remember that in all your ways you can
trust in God’s compassion.
Let us gather in worship. 

Prayer of Confession & Words of Assurance        Rev. Kim Vidal

Holy God, who is Creator, Redeemer and Guide, we come before you
in prayer, in praise and in quietness. May we welcome your holy presence
among us and within us. Inspire our minds that we might hear your Word.
Lift our voices that we might praise you.   
Quieten our souls that we might find you.
Forgive us the many times we listen to the noise and clamour of the
world above your voice; the times we complain rather than give you
thanks; the times we are too preoccupied to be still.
Holy One, grant us the wisdom to listen for your voice and to follow
in your Way. Amen. (Moment of Silence)

Hear now the words of God’s assurance:
As we walk with God, we are transformed day by day.

God’s never-ending love journeys with us,
making us new, again and again. Thanks be to God!

Hymn: Bathe Me in Your Light – More Voices #82    - BCUC Choir

1.       Bathe me in your light, O God of All, Creator;
          let it shine upon my soul with healing and with grace.
          Be to me a beacon bright through shadows of life’s wounding
          showing me the way to live in faith, in your embrace. 

2.       Bathe me in your love, O Source of Awe and Wonder;
          help me walk the sacred path of harmony and peace
          May I be attentive to the musings of your presence,
          drinking from the well of hope that brings the heart release. 

3.       Bathe me in your grace, O One of Spirit’s longing;
          teach me of your gentle ways that fill the soul with strength.
          Guide me on the pilgrimage that leads to truth and wholeness,
          Fill me with your promise of a love that knows no length.

Words © 2002 John Oldham; Music © 2002 Ron Klusmeier
Song # 54178 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Storytime         Rev. Lorrie Lowes

     Hi Everyone! Well, today’s scripture reading sure gave me a lot to think about! It’s one of those readings in the Bible that we might call “problematic” because it is difficult to understand or because it is easy to misinterpret. It’s one of those passages that almost makes your head hurt when you try to figure it out!

     I bet most of the adults in our congregation know parts of this reading by heart – maybe some of the kids too! We even see people holding up signs at big sporting events that read “John 3:16” Have you ever seen that and wondered what it was about? I know I did when I first saw one of those signs. So, I looked that verse up. It goes like this: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

     My first thought was, “What the heck does that have to do with baseball?” Once I realized that it has absolutely nothing to do with baseball, or any other sport for that matter, I guessed that those folks were Christians who just wanted to get Jesus’ message out to as many people as possible, and that a big sporting event is a great way to reach a lot of people.

     But I wonder why they chose that particular verse. To me, it doesn’t really tell us the most important parts of what Jesus wanted people to hear. It doesn’t say anything about the changes we need to make so that the world is more like what God wants for creation, nothing about love or justice. If this was the only verse you ever heard from the Bible, it might sound like a magical promise: “If you believe in Jesus, you will live forever!” Is that what the writer of the book of John really meant?

     When I was reading today’s scripture passage this week, this line reminded me of a book called, “Tuck Everlasting” by Natalie Babbitt. It’s a novel (written for kids about 10 or older) about a girl who meets a boy in the woods whose family has discovered that, if you drink the water from a particular spring on the property, you will live forever. She has to decide if she should drink from that spring or not. It may surprise you to hear that it wasn’t an easy decision!

     When we read the whole story about Jesus, we know that he didn’t come to the world to wave a magic wand and make everything better. He came with a message about loving God, your neighbour and yourself, and living in a way that is good for everyone and everything in creation. He left us with a lot of work to do – and he didn’t give us forever to do it, just one human lifespan at a time. This makes me think that the author of John was talking about something totally different from what “Tuck Everlasting” means by eternal life. 

     In just a few weeks, it will be Easter and we will celebrate that, even though Jesus was put to death because of his teachings and the way he lived his life, he continues to live through us if we follow in his example! I am pretty sure none of us have met Jesus, the actual man who lived more than 2000 years ago, but I do think that we can meet him in the stories of the Bible and that we can also meet him in people who live in the way that Jesus taught – not only through Christians, but people who come from many different faiths and cultures.  I wonder if this is what John was talking about? Maybe “believing in” Jesus means a whole lot more than just being sure he actually exists. 

     So much to think about! One verse in the Bible can’t tell us everything we need to know about God’s dream and our part in making it come true. I think we need to keep reading, and discussing, and living into, the whole story, don’t you?

Let’s say a short prayer together:

Challenging God,

We want to be the kind of people you can count on to make the world live up to your dream. Sometimes we wish it could be as easy as just making a wish or saying a magic word, but we know that there is a lot more you need us to do. Help us as we do our best to learn from the writings in our Bible and from the example and wisdom of those who love you. Amen.

Hymn:  Lead Me, God – Voices United #662   - BCUC Choir

Lead me, God,
lead me in your righteousness;
Make your way plain before my face.
For it is you, and you, God only,
who makes me to dwell in safety. 

Words based on Psalm 4 & 5; Music 1861 Samuel Wesley
Song # 126117 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination         Reader: John Boivin

We come to your Word, O God, seeking inspiration, courage, and possibility.
Open our eyes to see the truth in your Word. Amen. 

The Reading: John 3:14-21 (NRSV)    “God So Loved the World”

14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.17“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”

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

Sermon:   “Jesus: A Beacon of Love”           Rev. Kim Vidal

The light at the opposite end of the street turned green and I crossed too hastily and almost bumped into a man at the street corner with a big poster attached to his body on front and back. The front screamed at me with the words JOHN 3: 16 in a supersized font and the back poster says “Jesus is coming! Are you saved?” I cringed! I always do when I see a poster like that! I’m fed up with one-liners that do not have any explanations at all especially when it is being fully broadcasted to the public. Even if I knew by heart the verse that I have memorized since I was 9 years old, the verse that says “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life”, I still have a thousand and one questions to this poster man. Why did God give his only son? Do we really need someone to die for us in order to be saved? What is your understanding of salvation? What do you mean by eternal life? Who is this Jesus that is coming again? Why do you do this? Who made you do it? Have you fully thought about these questions yourself? Why here? What is the catch?

I bet you that if there is one particular verse in the Bible that has been overly recited, used, abused, misused, misinterpreted, or misunderstood, it is this verse in John 3:16. Over the years, we’ve seen it displayed at sports events; on posters during rallies & protests; on bumper stickers; on fridge magnets; on T-shirts; or even framed for wall decoration. But NT theologian Marcus Borg warns that, taken literally, “this verse turns Christianity into a religion of requirements and rewards, particularly in the afterlife. The reward is eternal life.  The requirements, of belief or behaviour or both, are a means of reaping the reward.   Christianity, understood this way, becomes contractual.  To emphasize the afterlife as opposed to life here and now turns Christianity into a religion of self-preservation.  It also divides people into saved and unsaved.  The verse puts a mark on all non-Christians, even many Christians, who are suspected of being unsaved.”

But have we really thought why John wrote, not only this verse but the whole gospel of John that seemed to be at odds with Matthew, Mark and Luke? Have we thought about the danger of extracting one particular verse from a whole series of discourse without even knowing the context or the story behind it? I almost did not preach on this text today. Why? Because it made me very uncomfortable. I believe that this text not only divides or puts people off but it also reduces the real meaning of God’s love and Jesus’ message for us. It diminishes Christianity to a mere slogan, contract or formula that is divisive and offensive to people of other faiths and religions. It makes Christians blind followers of a religion that promotes triumphalism. John 3: 16 has become a sort of bad publicity: read this verse, believe in it and you will be saved.  Easy-peasy. Done.  But God cannot be reduced to a formula or an idol. This is my position and you don’t have to agree with me. John 3:16 is an insufficient guide for healing and salvation. The verse is not enough to form a fully mature Christian life. Instead, we need an authentic encounter with the Mysterious, Loving, Divine and Gracious Presence that we call God — and concrete actions transforming one’s life by following the message of Jesus which is love.

Written around 95-100 CE, almost 70 years after the crucifixion of Jesus, the writer John, whose readers and audience were primarily Greek Christians, had a different way of looking at the relationship of God and Jesus. He certainly believed that God and Jesus are cut from the same cloth. John declares that “Jesus and God are one.” Think about how John started his gospel, not by a birth narrative of Jesus but by his profound theology: “In the beginning was the logos, transliterated as the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John is the proponent of an “incarnational theology” which emphasizes that God became “human” with flesh and blood in the person of Jesus. John is also the master of dualism and irony. For John, there is no grey area. It’s either you are in the dark or in the light; either you are in the Jesus’ club or in the devil’s club. John wove his themes to opposite polarities: cosmic or worldly; heaven or hell; spirit or flesh. He divides the world between believers and non-believers, saved and unsaved, rewarded and punished. But this problem is not only with John 3:16. Most people still interpret a large portion of the Biblical texts literally without verifying their historical, social, religious, cultural or political contexts of the passage. We tend to attach meanings to individual words or the whole sentence that may have little to do with what it really means for the author and for his readers in a particular time and place.
     And here’s what we need to know. Most biblical scholars agree that today’s gospel reading is actually a continuation of the encounter of Nicodemus and Jesus. Not about a requirement for people to show off that they are better than others. It would be good to revisit this story so we can fully understand the meaning of today’s text. Nicodemus was identified as a Pharisee, a well-known leader in his religious community. But he was kind of torn between two worlds. He witnessed Jesus of Nazareth made some good points in his sermons and teachings, perhaps saw Jesus did some healing miracles. But for Nicodemus, Jesus was just too risky and a threat to the established powers. So he met Jesus at night for his questions to be answered. He met Jesus in the evening, in the dark, when no eyes can see nor ears can hear so he can keep his faith secret separated from the rest of his public life. This is the gospel writer John giving us a clue, because John borrows a lot from Isaiah contrasting darkness with light and proclaims Jesus as the light of the world.
     Nicodemus came from a place of confusion. He met Jesus with his assumptions and his proud knowledge of what he thought he knew was the truth. He has to hear first-hand from Jesus about his mind-boggling dilemma: “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus responds rather amusingly, without being distracted by his praise or his compliments. Nicodemus was surprised at Jesus’ recommendation. That he needed to start his life over - to undergo a “rebirthing process”.  The original Greek word closest to the English translation is “born from above” but other versions translated it as “being born again!” Jesus’ response is direct to the point: “I’m introducing you to something that transcends your curiosity. You’ve come asking for a sign to help you control your life or to validate what you already know. I want to put you in touch with a whole new world. I want to turn your world upside down to where you will see reality as it really is. It is a world totally out of your control. You’ve got to be born again, anew from above, if you are to enter that new world.” Jesus here offers a whole new possibility. It requires a radical reorientation and transformation of his life.
     It is indeed ironic that some Christians have been brought up around Nicodemus’s defensive mis-hearing of Jesus in this passage. They have made it into a ritual of “receive Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour and you will be saved” that has very little to do with radical internal transformation and justice-oriented missiology. The “born again” brand of Christianity really does not require a change of name and identity.  Peter Woods calls it “an arrogant label by which others who are not in the Jesus club are made to feel less than equal”.  Jesus did not tell Nicodemus to be converted to Jesus’ way. Instead, Jesus told Nicodemus, "Check your heart Nicodemus. Is it God and what God stands for who’s in there – is it true love, compassion or justice consuming you or is it your own religious, political and social biases and affiliations that make you who you are?” Being born again is a breaking free of twisted beliefs to transformative grounding. It is a breaking free of restricted, prejudiced, judgmental life into life-giving, welcoming, abundant life preached and lived by Jesus.
     There’s another puzzle – a gap in today’s text, for it’s not at all clear that Nicodemus remains on the scene by the time we get to Jesus’ words in today’s reading.  Verse 14 opens up with an ambiguous analogy between a bronze serpent being lifted up for the healing of the Israelites in the book of Numbers and Jesus being crucified, lifted up on a cross so that people will receive God’s love, forgiveness and healing. Traditional view of this kind of theology makes Jesus a scapegoat not only for the early followers’ wrongdoings but continues in this day and age. Not only this concept is problematic for me but also the big words that John uses in his gospel. Words like condemnation, judgment and punishment—words that exclude and divide. If interpreted literally, this passage requires people to believe in Jesus, otherwise, you will die and go to hell and those who believe in Jesus will be rewarded with eternal life. In addition to John’s favourite word, “love”, the verb “believe” appears more often in John than anywhere else in the New Testament, but it’s worth noting that the word “faith” never appears in John’s gospel. Believing for John is about relationship. It is not about making Jesus an idol but trusting that Jesus’ message of love is a way to transform people’s heart. Jesus for John is a beacon of love and light. If you believe in, if you trust Jesus, then you must live your life following the message of Jesus which is love.
     One way of thinking about this whole passage is to re-translate it to: “this is how God loves the world through the message and life Jesus”. God so loved the world—that God became human through Jesus, God’s message of love for the world. The passage offers us to reflect on our images of God. Is God a God of love or a condemning, judgmental, punishing God? Should we follow Jesus’ life-giving message? Or should we choose to follow those things that lead us to waywardness and death? And this thing about eternal life, I believe this is not a reward when we die. Eternal life is what we experience here and now if we live in God’s love.
     Dear friends, as we continue to witness the senseless deaths of millions of people due to COVID-19 pandemic, as we experience the rise of racism, homophobia, gun and domestic violence, the marginalization of the poor and the mentally-challenged, the treatment of immigrants and those who do not worship in the same way like us, we prevent ourselves, our institutions and our communal life from flourishing, from living an abundant life, from living into our full potential. God loves the world, God loves us. God offers us, as we follow Jesus’ message of love, justice and compassion, a different way, a different possibility for transformed living. John calls us to look up to the cross, not to see God’s judgment, condemnation and punishment but to see God’s love – a possible way to experience healing and hope. NT professor Lance Pape contends that this passage in John is about an encounter with Jesus that left Nicodemus scratching his head in bewilderment as he went back out into the darkness. This is a story about how any one of us might reject the light offered to us because of the way it exposes what is dark in us. To “believe” this Good News requires more than “believing;” it requires “trusting in Jesus” and to let our own lives be transformed by the Jesus we encounter in John.
     So the next time I run into the poster man again, I know I have several ways to answer his question, “are you saved?” But for sure, this is what I will respond to him: “Being saved is not about beliefs or doctrines or creeds. It is not about making Jesus an idol but it is about allowing his message of love to transform me through God’s grace and leading, in this life, here and now. So- yes, I am saved in many ways than I could ever imagine.” Thanks be to God. Amen.

Sources:

• Grateful for the reflections, input and wisdom of the BCUC Lectionary Group

• Jonathan Grieser’s sermon, This is How God Loves the World, March 11, 2018 https://jonathangrieser.com

• Marcus Borg, Convictions, 2014, Harper One.  Chapter 4: Salvation is More About This Life than an After Life

• Rev. Carl Gregg, “John 3:16 — The Rest of the Story”, patheos.com

• Lance Pape, workingpreacher.org.

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

Holy One,
It has been a year since the pandemic first took hold of us,
A year of masking and hand washing and isolating,
A year of missing the hugs, and handshakes, and uncovered smiles,
A year of virtual meetings and virtual school,
A year of losses – of loved ones and friends for many of us, of employment and security for some, of access to services, of the ability to both grieve and celebrate together.
We are tired.
Help us find hope in the lengthening days and the warmer temperatures.
Help us find hope in the promise of vaccines and the careful re-opening of businesses.
Give us the strength, the wisdom, and the patience to see us through this next phase of the journey safely.
Help us to turn our thoughts from the troubles this year has brought, to the blessings that have also been there – the reaching out of our community, the support of friends, the generosity of strangers, the creativity and the technology that have helped us connect, and the time to reflect on what is important.
Help us see reasons for gratitude, even in the reality of our struggle. 

We know, even in the midst of pain and sorrow and frustration, there are many in the world and even in our local community for whom the pandemic has added just another layer to their struggle, and so we pray to you…

We pray for those who lack the bare necessities of life…
We pray for those who suffer from illness and injury
We pray for those who are isolated and for those who are lonely…
We pray for those who are faced with violence every day…
Help us find ways to be a blessing to those in need. 

We pray for the world, our community and our leaders,
We pray for this faith family,
We pray for ourselves,
That we might see, in spring’s promise of rebirth, a glimpse of brighter days to come. 

All this we ask in the words that Jesus gave to us so long ago:

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kin-dom come, thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kin-dom, the power and the glory, Forever and ever, Amen. 

Invitation to Offer              Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Seedtime and harvest, summer and winter, day and night, God’s love has always been abundant, in every age. We are grateful to a generous and loving God for every sign of new life.

On this winter morning, we come together to thank God and to offer our gifts so that the ministry of this church will continue to grow and be a blessing to the world.

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

Offertory Prayer

God of great wonders, we join with you in the joy of giving.
You give us life and breath, you fill the world with beauty,
our hands with bounty, and our hearts with the desire to give.
Accept these gifts, and ourselves in your service. Amen. 

Sending Forth           Rev. Kim Vidal

As you continue your Lenten journey,

look up, look down, look out, look all around,
seeking those who need love;
love that you may show them,
love by which they may know of God’s love.
We are called to be God’s people.
Let us follow in love, hope and trust.

Go in peace. Amen.

Hymn:   Though Ancient Walls  - Voices United #691   - BCUC Choir

1      Though ancient walls may still stand proud and racial strife be fact,
though boundaries may be lines of hate, proclaim God's saving act!

Refrain:
Walls that divide are broken down;
Christ is our unity!
Chains that enslave are thrown aside;
Christ is our liberty!  

2      When vested power stands firm entrenched and breaks another's back,
when waste and want live side by side,
it's Gospel that we lack. R

3      The truth we seek in varied scheme,
the life that we pursue,
unites us in a common quest
for self and world made new. R  

4      The church divided seeks that grace,
that newness we proclaim;
a unity of serving love
that lives praise to God's name! R 

5      This broken world seeks lasting health  and vital unity.
God's people by God's Word renewed, cast off all slavery! R

Words © 1974 John Farquharson; Music © 1974 arr. 1995 Ron Klusmeier
Song # 80510 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music:  When Peace Like A River      - BCUC Choir

In loving memory of Young Hoon Kim (Kim Family)

1 When peace like a river attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
"It is well, it is well with my soul."

Refrain:

It is well with my soul;
it is well, it is well with my soul.

2 Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come
Let this blest assurance control
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate
And has shed His own blood for my soul. R

3 O Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend;
even so, it is well with my soul. R 

Words: Horatio Spafford, 1865, Music: Philip Bliss, Arr. © 1985 Dale Grotenhuis
Song # 97950 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

11 am – ZOOM Fellowship

[1] www.ministrymatters.com

Sunday school activities - March 14, 2021

Theme Discussion

John 3:16

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

Although the scripture reading for this week is John 3:14-21, we are going to focus on just this one verse in the middle, verse 16. This is a verse that is well-known by Christians and even many people around the world who have different beliefs have heard it. It is a verse that is often used all by itself and, taken out of the whole story of Jesus, it can be hard to understand or it can seem to say a lot of different things.

There are a few phrases that are important for us to unpack:

“God so loved the world…” Right from the start, this verse tells us that God loves the whole world, not just those who think or look or live the way we do – and not even just people but the whole world. Can you think of some of the messages that Jesus gave us that remind us of this?  Who does Jesus ask us to love? How can we show love to all of creation?

“…everyone who believes in him…” What do you think it means to believe in someone? It could mean believing someone or something is real, even if you can’t see them; or it could mean trusting that someone or something is right and good because you trust them. What do you think we mean, then, when we say we believe in Jesus?

“…may have eternal life” This could mean to live forever, but does that make sense? We know that human beings and animals don’t live forever. When someone we love dies, people often say they will live on in our hearts. There is also a song we sing in our church sometimes that says, “We rise again in the faces of our children.” How might those ideas change the meaning of eternal life? Can you think of some ways that you keep someone you love “alive”, even after they have died? How can we keep Jesus alive in the world?

Some people put the words of John 3:16 on a poster for everyone to see and to help them understand about Jesus. If you were going to pick one verse or make a poster to tell the world about Jesus, what would it say?

Response Activity Ideas

Scripture Word Art

What verse or idea about Jesus did you choose to tell the world about Jesus and his message?  On the computer or by hand, using fancy lettering and shapes, lines, and other designs, make a word art poster like the colouring sheets we sometimes do from Illustrated Ministry.

Younger children could print and colour this poster instead.

Click to print PDF

Wave a Magic Wand

During the children’s message in today’s service, Rev. Lorrie talked about how John 3:16 seems like a magical promise!  But really our good deeds are the ‘magic’ needed to bring about God’s dream for our world.  In each star on the worksheet, draw or write about ways you can do the work we need to do to follow through with Jesus’ teachings about loving God, our neighbours, ourselves, and the world.

Click to print PDF

Illustrated Ministry Lenten Package

This week’s activity reminds us to remember God loves the whole world, as discussed above, and that God provides enough for everyone – if we share and take only what we need.  It reminds us to believe in that promise and to trust God’s love and grace. 

Read the scripture on pg. 35 and reflect on “What’s in your barn?” following the activity on pg. 37.

(Note:  If you have not yet received a Lenten Package and would like one, please contact the church office)

Sunday Worship Service - March 7 2021

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT / INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

BCUC Annual General Meeting     March 7, 2021

*Check the audio recording and link to video recording of this service at bcuc.org
You can also dial-in by phone to listen to the audio recording at 613-820-8104 

Gathering Music: You Raise Me Up - BCUC Choir

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   Rev. Kim Vidal

Good day everyone! On behalf of BCUC, I welcome and greet you in the name of Jesus Christ on this Third Sunday in Lent and the Celebration of International Women’s Day. We are also gathering for our Annual General Meeting today, March 7 at 11 am via Zoom.

Since Ottawa is in the orange zone, we are able to gather in the sanctuary for a modified worship service at 10 am with a maximum number of 28 people invited to gather. The Public Health strongly recommends to stay at home but if you wish to attend, please call the office to register and be reminded that the usual protocols will be in place which include masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing and staying home if you feel unwell.

We continue to offer worship service in a number of ways. Check our website at bcuc.org, for our worship service in audio, video and text formats 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.

If you would like your favourite hymn sung in memory of a loved one or in celebration of a joyful occasion, please let the office know. With a suggested minimum donation of $30, your hymn request will be featured in one of the Sunday services from February 28 until May 23. Proceeds from this fundraising will help enhance our worship experience. Please send your name, hymn request and dedication to the office via email. Donations can be made by e-transfer, cash or cheque payable to BCUC with the note: “Hymn-Sing”. Thank you for supporting this initiative.

LENTEN APPEAL 2021: This year the SOSA committee has chosen to help people from the social housing neighbourhoods of West Ottawa to experience a weekend at Camp Otterdale.

Participants will be contributing but they will also need sponsorships of $50 per person. Please consider how you can help an individual or family to experience a much-needed break this summer.  You can send in your donation via cash or by cheque payable to BCUC or by etransfer with the note: Lenten Appeal 2021. Please call the office for more details.

I invite you to participate in the Prayer Circle every Wednesday at 8 pm. Wherever you are, light a candle and say a prayer for the world, your community including our congregation, your family, your friends and yourself.

Due to the AGM, there will be no Zoom Fellowship today at 11 am but we will resume next Sunday, March 14. For all other announcements, please visit the website.

Centring Words 

Friends, in this season of Lent, we know what God desires of us:
That we do justice, and love kindness, and walk humbly with God.
We gather this morning to remind each other about that,
To remember that now is always the right time to do these things.
So with thanks in our hearts, let us worship God.

Lighting of the Christ Candle:   Acolytes: Jan & Norm Pound

Light and warmth are returning to the land wherever we are.
Light and warmth are represented in the light of Christ that glows from this flame.
May the symbol of this lit candle remind us of the reality of the land and the light and warmth of our presence with God.[1]

Sung Response: Don’t Be Afraid – More Voices #90 Susan TeGrotenhuis

Don’t be afraid. My love is stronger, my love is stronger than your fear.
Don’t be afraid. My love is stronger and I have promised, promised to be always near.

 Words © 1995 John Bell & Graham Maule; Music © 1995 John Bell, IONA GIA Pub
Song # 98424 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Call to Gather: [2]   Erin Berard

On this Annual General Meeting Sunday,
we are summoned here by our Holy God,
Who calls us each by name, and gathers us together
in the unity of Jesus Christ.
Young and old and middle-aged,
Individuals and families,
Soft-spoken and outspoken,
We hear our names being called to join in worship.
This sanctuary of love is a place
To pursue God’s vision for all people:
unity and joy and faith expressed through different gifts.
Let us worship together.

 Prayer of Confession & Words of Assurance:   Rev. Kim Vidal

Gracious God, we confess that we do not always follow your will. We do not reach out to those in need because we see no connection between their need and our faith.  We have often failed to listen to your whispers which call us to build a community where freedom, equality and dignity for all, especially women, are assured. Forgive us. Restore us. Open our eyes to your truth. Amen.                    

(Moment of Silence)

Hear now the words of God’s assurance:
As we walk with God, we are transformed day by day.
God’s never-ending love journeys with us,
making us new, again and again. Thanks be to God!

Hymn: Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness (Souffle, vent doux du Saint-Esprit) - Voices United #375  BCUC band (June 2020)

Refrain:
Spirit, spirit of gentleness, blow through the wilderness, calling and free,
Spirit, spirit of restlessness, stir me from placidness, wind, wind on the sea.

 1-Tu touchas la terre Esprit créateur
Tu dressas les montagne, en gloire et splendeur;
à travers les âges, tu crias à tous vents:
“déployez vos ailes, sortez du néant.”

 Refrain:
Souffle, vent doux du Saint-Esprit;
Tu grâce me conduit hors du desert.
Souffle, grand vent du Saint-Esprit,
secoue notre apathie, vent, vent sur la mer.

 2-You swept through the desert, you stung with the sand,
and you goaded your people with a law and a land;
and when they were blinded with idols and lies,
then you spoke through your prophets to open their eyes. R (English)

 3-You sang in a stable, you cried from a hill
then you whispered in silence when the whole world was still;
and down in the city you called once again,
when you blew through your people on the rush of the wind. R (French)

 4-You call from tomorrow, you break ancient schemes.
From the bondage of sorrow all the captives dream dreams;
our women see visions, our men clear their eyes.
With bold new decisions your people arise. R (English)

Words & Music © 1978 James K. Manley; Translation © 1995 Andrew Donaldson
Song #44816 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Storytime:  Erin Berard

What makes you really mad or upset?  

Are you okay with your siblings playing with your stuffies… as long as they stay away from your very special teddy you sleep with!  That’s too far!  You don’t mind too much if your sister borrows your bike, but when it comes back scratched… too far!  Maybe you're fine with some teasing or smack talk on the soccer field, but when some pushing or shoving gets in the mix… not cool!

What is just NOT OK?  Where do you draw the line?

In our Bible passage today, we hear about a time when Jesus saw that things were NOT OK and just lost it on the people at the Temple in Jerusalem.  The merchants who were there selling animals were overcharging and the money changers were cheating people - they were taking advantage of the people who had come to the city to celebrate Passover. 

Seeing all this, Jesus decided, I guess, that it wasn't enough to do what he was usually doing: modelling how to love one another, welcoming the outcasts of society, healing, and teaching about God's love... NO - this went too far!! 

He went in and started throwing things around and yelling at people.  STOP!  God's house is not for making money, it was a holy place for the Jewish people to come to feel one with God and refocus themselves on their faith.  This is NOT OK!

I wonder… what would Jesus get super-upset about nowadays?  What issues would get Jesus so riled up that he'd start throwing stuff around and yelling?

This week we celebrate International Women's Day.  I wonder what modern-day Jesus would say about women's rights? This is a great time to recognize the great accomplishments women have made - to celebrate progress and lift up inspirational women so they may be role-models for young people around the world. But it's supposed to be more than just a time to say "Thanks, women!" as if it were a "Mother's Day" for all women… It's a time for all of us to remember to, not just be thankful for what’s been done, but, like Jesus, to put our foot down, and say “NO, it’s NOT OK” when we see things that aren’t fair or right, like rude name-calling, treating girls like they’re less able than boys, or when girls aren’t given equal opportunities as boys.  To remember to DO something about it and make change.  

I'm sure there are other issues that REALLY bother you, too. When Greta Thunberg saw how climate change was not being taken seriously, she got mad and did something about it!  When Malala saw how limits were being put on girls' education, she got mad and did something about it!  It might seem hard when you're just a kid, but you can do it.  Like Jesus showed us, it's okay to get mad sometimes, if you're getting mad about something really important.  You can stand up for those who you see or hear are not being treated right. You can say, "No, that's NOT OK!"

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the story about Jesus and how he taught us about a good kind of anger. Make us brave to stand up for those who need help. Teach us to say “no, that’s not OK” and do something about it with love and fairness.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Hymn:  O God, Send Out Your Spirit - More Voices #25 v3 & 4  Erin Berard

Refrain:

O God, send out your Spirit; renew the face of the earth.
O God, send out your Spirit; renew the face of the earth. 

 3. Ev’ry time a person reaching out is turned away
by the racist prejudicial attitudes of hate,
We are called to break the silence, sanctioning the shame,
stepping cross the lines of this sometimes unholy game. Refrain:

4. Sources of oppression that we haven’t really faced;
Human inhumanity upon the human race.
Spirit ever faithful, Spirit ever true,
Rain down all around, and ev’ry heart renew. Refrain

Words & Music © 1996 Jesse Manibusan; Ref: The International Commission on English in the Liturgy
Song # 83176 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination:   Reader: Mary Schmieder

God of the Scripture, may your Word grant us courage and conviction
to listen and to act in faith. Amen.

The Reading: John 2:13-22 (NRSV) Jesus Cleanses the Temple

13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 15 Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” 18 The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking of the temple of his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

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

Sermon:   “Jesus: A Social Prophet”                   Rev. Kim Vidal

A man by the name of Theo spent three years working in the poor sector of an urban city. He was confronted with issues of poverty, homelessness, addiction, racism, sexism and the misery of people who live in desperate situations. One day Theo decided that he was going to go to a theological college to be a minister. The Church Board asked him to be interviewed by the Regional Council Education and Students Committee. On his interview day, the chair asked him, “What is your call?” And he responded “outrage”. The chair responded, “No, no, what’s your real call?” And, again, Theo responded “outrage.”

For most Christians, being angry, especially in church is not acceptable. We were taught even at a young age that anger is the very opposite of the virtues of love, patience, gentleness, and forgiveness. Some of us have great difficulty with the idea of an angry, wrathful, violent God depicted in the Hebrew scripture. And if we have difficulty with the idea of an angry God, it is even more ludicrous for us to think of Jesus as someone who lost his temper in an angry fit.

Over the centuries, artistic depictions of Jesus were intentionally devoid of humour or negative emotions such as anger. They were usually sombre, serious and solemn: Jesus praying in the garden; Jesus holding the little lamb; Jesus knocking on a door, to name a few. So when we encounter an angry Jesus in our gospel story today, with some kind of a “temple tantrum” as Lorrie puts it, when he overturns the tables and driven out the money changers and animal vendors. we were overwhelmed, surprised, shocked – with a possible reaction of “I can’t believe Jesus could have done this!” After all, we were taught that Jesus was supposed to be meek and mild, soft-spoken, kind and gentle. He taught us to turn the other cheek and love even our enemies. To be honest, I feel a sense of relief when I hear this particular story in John. For here is Jesus reacting as anyone might react in a situation where justice is the demand of the day and requires something must be done rather than being silent. He was outraged! This story makes me say. “Bravo Jesus!! You are a human like us after all!!” This passage, known as “Jesus Cleanses the Temple” is, I think, a misrepresented title. The truth is, it’s about anger—a holy and righteous anger, according to Jan Pound,  that was his motivation for his action. It was the prophetic side of Jesus that compelled him to claim his values and live them out—thus making it a powerful story.

Jesus' disruption that day in the temple was a sign of Jesus' disagreement of the way things were. But what made Jesus angry? Didn’t he realize that when he entered Jerusalem – it was the holiest time of the year for the Jewish people? It was the Passover Festival which drew thousands of pilgrims to pay their homage in the temple; people in the temple courts were only doing what was required of them to do under Jewish law. They were buying and selling animals for the purpose of offering God a sacrifice in the temple. It was inconvenient for the pilgrims to bring their own animal sacrifices, as they travelled from far distance to Jerusalem for the Passover. The money changers were necessary because the people couldn’t use the Roman money, which had the inscription of the emperor on it. They needed to exchange the Roman currency for the Jewish shekel, which was used to support the temple priests as well as the maintenance of the temple with a temple tax. 

In spite of the temple priest burning incense and other scented elements, nothing could mask the stench of slaughter and blood. Jesus’ anger fuels his actions. As a social prophet, he then proceeds to make his political and religious statement. As Reza Aslan states in his book, Zealot, “Think of the Temple as a kind of feudal state employing thousands of priests, singers, porters, servants, and ministers while maintaining vast tracts of fertile land tilled by Temple slaves on behalf of the high priest and for his benefit.” If one looks at the Temple Tax along with the profits made from the money changers (which enabled the Temple to take a cut) …it is easy to catch a glimpse of just how threatening Jesus was to the whole system. Remember the Reformation father Martin Luther who nailed the 95 theses against the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century? Of how he was outraged of the indulgencies people have to pay in order for them or their loved ones to go to heaven or be spared from going to purgatory or hell when they die?

So if you are still thinking what made Jesus angry? Here’s a good answer.  BECAUSE THE PEOPLE HAD LOST THE ORIGINAL SENSE OF WHAT THE TEMPLE STOOD FOR.  According to two well-known NT scholars Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, the temple developed a theology connecting this world to its source in God. As the mediator of forgiveness and purification, the temple mediated access to God and became a centre of devotion. This was what the temple originally stood for. When Jerusalem fell into the hands of the Roman Empire in 63 BCE, Rome ruled through the high priest, the temple and a local elite group, mostly wealthy patrons. With Herod’s power, the temple became the centre of a domination system that oppresses the people: rule by a few, economic exploitation and religious legitimation. A very angry Jesus drove them out, overturned tables with a whip of cords because he objected to the outward show of loyalty to Rome, or offering animal sacrifice without the corresponding purity of heart. The Temple for Jesus represented Israel's identity and spiritual dignity; it was not merely a place to worship, but a powerful, proud symbol of the spiritual and physical existence of the people. Now it became a marketplace, a consumers’ paradise devoid of any pure intent of worshipping God.  It is no wonder that Jesus came up with the kind of righteous anger he expressed. It was an appropriate response to the presence of injustice boiling in the heart of Jesus.

Like Jesus, can we be justified in our righteous anger? I think of those protesters who voiced their grievances to then US President Donald Trump and his cohorts against children being separated from their parents and families. What about those who were angry because of what this pandemic has brought to them – death of loved ones, the rise of mental issues, unemployment and sense of fear and hopelessness? What about the anger displayed by those seeking justice for murdered indigenous and black people? Do they have a right to their anger and to expressing it in the ways they do? What about us here in church- when we display our remorse or disagreements over some issues? Do we have a right to express anger despite the fact that church people are taught to be nice and loving? And what about the display of anger by women of the Democratic Republic of Congo and other places in Africa when women and young girls were targets of violent rape, and school girls were taken and used as sexual slaves? Ought women not to display such emotion because anger makes them wild and un-Christian? How then should women defend themselves? Beverly Wildung Harrison wrote an essay about the power of anger and this is what she says: “Where anger rises, there the energy to act is present....We must never lose touch with the fact that all serious human moral activity, especially action for social change, takes its bearings from the rising power of human anger.  Such anger is a signal that change is called for, that transformation in relation is required.”[3]

I strongly believe Jesus as a social prophet taught us that anger for anger's sake is worthless. But anger, if it is holy and righteous and motivates us for justice, love and compassion, is a valuable expression of our hope for a new, whole, and healed community of God's people. Jesus' display of anger was a holy and righteous response because he was one whose whole being is illuminated in God's light, and who therefore naturally acts with justice and compassion.  When we are angry as a righteous response to evil or injustice, then anger may become the work of liberating grace in our relationships and in our relation to the injustice of the world.

When asked to justify his violent actions with a sign, Jesus responded with an enigmatic saying: "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." Traditional interpretations taught us that: “He’s talking about the new temple, his own body, which will be killed but will rise again in three days.”  But here’s another way of looking at this text:  God chose to localize love and justice in a human body. John’s theology of an incarnated God is present here.  God becoming human through Jesus leads us to profess that the new temple is not made of bricks and mortar but one with flesh and blood. Rev. Dr. Peter Samuelson inspires us with his words: “Jesus came/ to not just destroy the temples we build to serve ourselves / but to raise up a new temple for us,/ a temple in which we can truly be reconciled to God. / God's divine love lives in each one of us through the grace which is extended to us today, even as that grace blessed the righteous angry Jesus as he turned over the tables for the sake of justice and compassion.

On this Annual General Meeting when we gather as the body of Christ, remember that we are called to embody God’s love, compassion and justice in the places we are called to be. Be bold. Be vigilant. Express your righteous and holy anger and make the world tremble with love, compassion and justice. Thanks be to God. Amen.

*Grateful appreciation for the BCUC Lectionary Group for helping me
with their reflections and input on the gospel text.

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

Good caring presence within us, around us, and above us. Hold us in a sense of mystery and wonder. Let the fullness of your goodness inspire and empower us in our daily living. Let the world know your ways of caring, justice and compassion through us. As Jesus have modeled for us in the gospel story, let righteous and holy anger help us connect with the world especially in those places that need healing.

O God of hope, on this our Annual General Meeting, give our church - vision, commitment, and passion for your love and justice. Strengthen our ministries, our leaders, our life together as a faith community. Bless all of our dreams in bringing about transformed lives and healed relationships. Instill in us your spirit of compassion so that we can share your message of abundance with others. As a compassionate community, we continue to pray for our sisters and brothers who long to seek recovery from illness, for comfort and for wellness. We pray for those who have lost their way, physically, emotionally and spiritually. We pray for those who know loneliness, want. or grief. And now in silence, we pray for those we name in our hearts… <Silence>

On this International Women’s Day, we pause and pray for all women in the world to reclaim voices against all kinds of issues that dehumanize them: acts of injustice, domestic violence, poverty, lack of education, human rights violations, unemployment, rape, wars, to name a few. Remind us that a challenged world is an alert world and from challenge comes change. Help us forge a gender equal world by celebrate women and their achievements; by raising awareness against bias; and by being an advocate for equality.

Dear God, 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. We pray for our world which teeters on the challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Give us leaders who are less interested in being powerful and more interested in being caring and doing right. We pray for ourselves. Help us to not forget your ways. Let us walk with you. Incline our hearts to your steadfast and upright understanding. May we treasure your words in our hearts in whatever we say and do, so that our lives may reflect your way of light and love to others. These we ask in the name of Jesus who taught his disciples this prayer 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

The Holy Scripture contains stories about God’s own generosity. We are recipients of the gifts of a beautiful creation, the good green earth and all living things that live here with us. On this winter morning, we come together to thank God and to offer our gifts so that the ministry of this church will continue to grow and be a blessing to the world.

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

Offertory Prayer: 

God, we have learned that when we give away, we are enriched;
and when we let go, we receive. Bless what we give and let go this day. Amen.     

Sending Forth:               Rev. Kim Vidal

As we leave this place, God says to you and me:
I am with you. I hold you. I care for you.
I am on this journey with you.
My steadfast love is always with you. Go in peace.
This is Lent. This is the journey. Amen.

Hymn:   My Love Colours Outside the Lines – More Voices #138   BCUC band (May 2020)

1 My love colours outside the lines,
exploring paths that few could ever find;
and takes me into places  where I’ve never been before,
and opens doors to worlds outside the lines.

2 My Lord colours outside the lines,
turns wounds to blessings, water into wine;
and takes me into places where I’ve never been before
and opens doors to worlds outside the lines.

 Bridge:

We’ll never walk on water if we’re not prepared to drown,
body and soul need a soaking from time to time.
And we’ll never move the grave-stones if we’re not prepared to die,
and realize there are worlds outside the lines.

3, 4 My soul longs to colour outside the lines,
tear back the curtains, sun, come in and shine;
I want to walk beyond the boundaries
where I’ve never been before, throw open doors
to worlds outside the lines.   Bridge

Words and Music © 1995 Gordon Light; arr. © Andrew Donaldson    Common Cup Company
Song #119027 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music: What A Friend We Have in Jesus – Voices United #664 - BCUC Choir
In loving memory of Bill, Larry & Grant (Pat Atkinson)

 1 What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer!

2 Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer!

3 Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge--
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Do your friends despise, forsake you?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he'll take and shield you;
you will find a solace there.

Words: Joseph Medlicott Scriven, 1855; Music: Charles Crozat Converse, 1868
Song #94919 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

11 am – ZOOM Annual General Meeting

[1] Peter Chynoweth, Gathering, Lent/Easter 2021. Used with permission.

[2] Celebrate God’s Presence. A Book of Services. Used with permission.

[3] "The Power of Anger in the Work of Love: Christian Ethics for Women and Other Strangers", pp. 13-14.

Sunday school activities - March 7, 2021

Theme Discussion

Read this week’s scripture lesson here.

Younger ones may prefer this video:

Wow! It isn’t often that we hear stories about Jesus being angry! Do you think he was just having a bad day? Was he at the end of his rope?

It’s important to understand the context of what was going on there in the Temple. In those times, people traveled a long way to worship at the Temple in Jerusalem. There weren’t temples in every town or city - this was the one holy place for the Jewish people. They would have synagogues in other places but not a temple.

When people visited the temple, they were expected to make a sacrifice to God. They might not be able to carry live animals there from home so they were available there for them to buy. The money of the Roman Empire wasn’t accepted at the Temple, so they needed money changers to buy the proper currency as well. All of this was fine and accepted practice. Jesus wasn’t upset that these people were there selling what the worshippers needed. He was upset because they had stopped just providing a necessary service. They were cheating the people and pocketing a big profit. He was upset because they were taking advantage of people who couldn’t afford it. Many people who traveled to visit the Temple did so because they felt they needed to ask God for special prayers. Perhaps someone in their family was very sick, maybe they had other problems they wanted to take to God. The sellers in the marketplace were taking unfair advantage of very vulnerable people. This is what made Jesus so angry. This holy place of worship was being used to cheat people out of their money.

We often sell things at our church - bake sales, garage sales, silent auctions, gift cards, soaps… Do you think Jesus would be angry if he came to BCUC and saw us having a bake sale or a Christmas bazaar? Why/Why not?  What does our church do with the money it raises from these events?

We know that we are very blessed to live where we do. We have warm homes, plenty to eat, and clothes to wear. As followers of Jesus, we know it is important to use our gifts to help others. This makes Jesus proud of us, not angry.

Response Activity Ideas

“That’s NOT OK” Anti-Bullying Poster

Sadly, we see people being put down for a lot of reasons – because of their looks, gender, skin colour, strengths and abilities, etc. In today’s Children’s Story, Erin asked us to call out when we see things that aren’t right, and to respond with love and fairness.

Make a poster digitally or by hand using the phrase “It’s…” or “That’s NOT OK!” and include some positive messages or images about the rights of others.

Spending our money

Materials: envelopes/containers, play money ($450 in small bills), sticky notes, writing tools

What do you think the money collected at BCUC get spent on?  What are things you think we should prioritize as a church?  As you think of the things BCUC needs money for (building maintenance, staff salaries…) or gives money to (SOSA…), label the containers or envelopes with a sticky note for the different budget needs you come up with.

Using the $450, (pretending it’s $450 thousand), share the money between the containers as you see fit.  What are things you think we should prioritize as a church? Do you and other family members agree with each other?

Today is the Annual General Meeting to review the church budget and other issues.  If you received the budget information (emailed to congregants Feb. 26), have a look at the BCUC Budget Summary for this year.  What similarities and differences from your containers?  What did you miss? Are there different things the church should be prioritizing, in your mind?

Illustrated Ministry Lenten Package

Sometimes it’s hard to make decisions about tough questions of right or wrong, and it helps to talk it through with someone with more experience.  Follow the ideas on page 30 to gain some wisdom from older people you know, and enjoy colouring this week’s colouring sheet on page 33.

(Note: If you have not received a Lenten package and would like one, please contact the church office)

Sunday Worship Service - February 28, 2021

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT

February 28, 2021

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

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

In memory of Vernon Sulway - a dedicated husband , a loving family man, a powerful singer and "a pilgrim in this barren land" 

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

2.    Open now the crystal fountain,
whence the healing stream doth flow;
let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.

Strong deliverer, strong deliverer,
be thou still my strength and shield;
be thou still my strength and shield.

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

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

Welcome & Announcements             Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Good day everyone! On behalf of BCUC, I welcome and greet you in the name of Jesus Christ on this Second Sunday in Lent. Lent is an opportunity to reflect inwardly, a time of renewal, a time of cleansing. For some, it is a time of confession and repentance; for others a time of contemplative fasting or giving up of something; for all of us, I hope it is a time to reflect on the life and teachings of Jesus and their place in our lives today. We are grateful that you have joined us in this Lenten period.

This Sunday, we are able to gather in the sanctuary for a modified worship service at 10 am A maximum number of 28 people are invited to gather. The Public Health strongly recommends to stay at home but if you wish to attend, please call the office to register and be reminded that the usual protocols will be in place which include masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing and staying home if you feel unwell.

We continue to offer worship services 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 on your telephone by dialing 613-820-8104. Please continue to reach out by connecting with each other through emails, phone calls and prayers.

Our Annual General Meeting will take place via Zoom on Sunday, March 7th at 11:00 AM.  The purpose of this meeting is to review and receive the 2020 Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements and to approve the 2021 Annual Activity Plan, Budget and Nominations Report, and various other items of importance. The proposed Agenda and other documents will be circulated to the congregation by Sunday February 28th. The link to the Zoom meeting will be emailed to the congregation on the Friday prior to the AGM. There is room for everyone in the congregation who wishes to attend and we hope to see you there.

Would you like your favourite hymn sung in memory of a loved one or in celebration of a joyful occasion? With a suggested minimum donation of $30, your hymn request will be featured in one of the Sunday services from February 28 until May 23. Proceeds from this fundraising will help enhance our worship experience. Please send your name, hymn request and dedication to the office via email. Donations can be made by e-transfer, cash or cheque payable to BCUC with the note: “Hymn-Sing”. Thank you for supporting this initiative.

This week we are saddened to share the news of the passing of Vernon Sulway. His death was an unexpected shock to us all and he will be missed by many, including all of us here at BCUC where Vernon was active in many capacities and so often shared his love of music and talent for singing. Please hold Desna, Nicola, Christopher, and their extended families in your thoughts and prayers this week as they mourn their incredible loss.

I invite you to participate in the Prayer Circle every Wednesday at 8 pm. Wherever you are, light a candle and say a prayer for the world, your community including our congregation, your family, your friends and yourself.

And for those of you who are able to join us via Zoom, there will be zoom fellowship every Sunday at 11: 00 am. Link has been emailed to you or call the office for more information.

For all other announcements, please visit the website.

Let us now welcome Barbara with a reminder from SOSA about this year’s Lenten Appeal.

SOSA Lenten Appeal:     Barbara Bole Stafford for Peggy Aitchison

It is almost a year since the corona virus started impacting our lives. Recently I have heard people talking about cabin fever. Have you?
According to the dictionary it is not a medical condition but the symptoms can include loneliness, restlessness, anxiety and even depression. Covid 19 has certainly increased the number of those suffering from this condition, particularly among those on low income who seldom have the chance to leave their homes and go for a drive in the country or visit a nearby town. OWECC is hoping to provide an antidote for this by offering a weekend at Camp Otterdale either in the summer or the fall depending on public health guidelines.
Two years ago the Chaplaincy organized an overnight at this camp which was greatly appreciated. In faith, we are planning a full weekend away this year so that a bus load of people from the social housing neighbourhoods of West Ottawa can enjoy a weekend of great food, boating, walks, sing songs and games in a relaxing beautiful setting.
Participants will contribute to the cost but each person will need an additional sponsorship of about $50. If you would like to give this rewarding experience to someone you can do so by writing a cheque to BCUC with Lenten Appeal on the memo line or put some cash in a clearly marked envelope and drop it through the slot in the door at the side entrance to the church. Any amount will be much appreciated.
Thank you.

Centering for Worship

Friends, as we gather today wherever we are, let us ask God’s presence to journey with us in this season of Lent. Let us gather in worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle      Acolytes: Ian and Ruth Howes

Lent can be a journey, together and alone.
Lent can be temptation for each and every one.
Lent can be a challenge to see with more than eyes.
Lent can be a pathway, through sunset to sunrise.
We light this Christ candle to guide us on our Lenten journey.[1] 

Sung Response: Don’t Be Afraid – More Voices #90 - Susan TeGrotenhuis

Don’t be afraid. My love is stronger, my love is stronger than your fear.
Don’t be afraid. My love is stronger and I have promised, promised to be always near. 

Words © 1995 John Bell & Graham Maule; Music © 1995 John Bell, IONA GIA Pub
Song # 98424 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Call to Gather                Rev. Kim Vidal

Sarai… Sarah.
Abram… Abraham.
God… I Am.
What’s in a name?
Baptizer… Elijah… a Prophet… the Christ!
What’s in a name?
Christian, One of the Way, Jesus follower, Disciple.
What’s in a name?
Quite a bit: relationship… identity… promise.
Then, whatever you name yourself, whomever you may be,
Come to this place and meet the One who is both Nameless and Name-Above-All.
We come to worship God![2] 

Prayer of Confession & Words of Assurance        Rev. Kim Vidal

God of promise and hope, you call us to trust in your way and set before us paths of faithfulness. Sometimes we hesitate to follow you and to make changes in our lives.

Sometimes our priorities and commitments reflect personal interests more than your desire for our lives and world. Free us, O God, that we might be faithful to you.

In the name of the Christ, we pray. Amen[3]

As we walk with God, we are transformed day by day.

God’s never-ending love journeys with us,
making us new, again and again. Thanks be to God!

Hymn: “I Have Called You by Your Name”  -  More Voices #161 – BCUC choir

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

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

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

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

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

Storytime       Rev. Kim Vidal

Good morning!  Have you ever wondered where your name came from? Or why your mom and dad called you by that name or names? You all know that my first name is Kim. But being born in the Philippines where most of girls’ names were Spanish in origin like Maria or Candida or Barbara, my name stood out like a sore thumb. I learned later on that my dad named me after an American actress, Kim Novak. When I went to high school, my name was listed under the boys’ name which irritated me more. Naming me Kim was a total mistake! How could my Dad named me Kim when it could also be a boy’s name? But through the years, I learned that the name Kim from its English roots means “a leader or a chief or a royal fortress”. In Chinese or Korean language, it means “gold”. So, I learned to love my name - after all, Kim has good meanings. Over the years, I was described with many words: Kim, the teacher, the guitar player, the mom of Justin and Jacob, the preacher.  I wonder if you know the meaning of your name? If not, go ask your mom or dad!

And all of these remind me of the classic movie, Wizard of Oz. There was a particular scene where Dorothy pulls back the curtain and unmasks the Wizard as an ordinary man using smoke and mirrors to deceive others. Remember that? And Dorothy discovered that the Wizard was a fake and called him a very bad man! And the wizard cried out, “No, I am a very good man, but I am a very bad wizard!” And then the Wizard proved he was a good man by helping the Scarecrow, the Lion and the Tin Man. The Scarecrow had no brains, he said, and the Wizard gave him a diploma and taught him to be confident. The Lion says he was a coward and the Wizard gave him a medal and encouraged him to be brave. The Tin Man says he lacks a heart, and the Wizard gave him a certificate of generosity so he can win people’s love. Everything ended well because the Wizard helped each of the characters find their dreams and made them come true.

In the Gospel stories, Jesus was known for giving people names. He called Simon, “Peter” from the Greek word petros meaning the “rock”. Jesus also called James and John, boanerges meaning “the Sons of Thunder.  Jesus called Mary ‘Magdala’, which scholars now say means “the Tower” in Aramaic not the town where Mary came from because that town does not exist. It’s no wonder Jesus liked giving meaningful names, because he had received a number of them all his life. He was named “Jesus” by the angel meaning Saviour. He was also called Prince of Peace, The Anointed One, Son of God, Lamb of God, Emmanuel and many others.

One day, Jesus was traveling with his disciples, and while they walked, Jesus asked them, "Who do people say that I am?"  Jesus knew that the crowd might be confused about him.  Stories were getting around about Jesus--that he healed the sick; that he argued with the religious leaders; that he preached about things and told parables about God.  The people must have been wondering, "Who is this Jesus, anyway?"

The disciples shared some of their guesses they had heard from others.  "Some say you're John the Baptist.  Others think you're Elijah and still others think you're one of the prophets."  Then Jesus asked what he really wanted to know.  "But who do you, my disciples and closest friends, say that I am?"  Peter jumped in and said, "You are the Messiah sent from God."

Then Jesus told the disciples what it meant for him to be the Messiah. He told his friends that he would undergo some hardships and challenging stuff and that he might even be killed.  Being a leader, being a Messiah was not an easy job!  It wasn't all about healing and traveling and miracles and good times.  There were going to be some really hard times ahead, too and lots of work involved.

What about you? Who do you say Jesus is? And your name is…?

Great name! And whatever other names you may have collected over the years, don’t forget one important name that God has given to all of us including Jesus. And that name is “Beloved.” Live up to that name!
Let us pray.  Dear God, we thank you for Jesus and his willingness to spread your love to all.  Help us to be true to our calling as followers of Jesus’ way. Give us the strength and courage to be his faithful disciples when it's easy and when it's not so easy, too. Thank you for naming us your beloved.  Amen.

Hymn:  O God, Send Out Your Spirit - More Voices #25 – Erin Berard & Abe

Refrain (2X)

O God, send out your Spirit;
Renew the face of the earth. 

1.    We bless you, O God, for you are so great.
Your Spirit uncovers hidden beauty and grace.
Though times we deny all the pain and the tears,
Your Spirit empowers us and soon we face our fears.R 

2.    Ev’ry prayer we pray, sacred word, sacred rite,
is for the ones who are left waiting outside.
Ev’ry sermon we preach, ev’ry Spirit-filled tune;
Love says, “Remember why we do the things we do.” R 

3.    Ev’ry time a person reaching out is turned away
by the racist prejudicial attitudes of hate,
we are called to break the silence, sanctioning the shame,
stepping cross the lines of this sometimes-unholy game. R

Words & Music © 1996 Jesse Manibusan; Ref: The International Commission on English in the Liturgy
Song # 83176 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination           Reader: Sue Morrison

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

The Reading:   Mark 8:27-38 NRSV

Peter’s Declaration about Jesus
27 Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29 He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” 30 And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection
31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37 Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 38 Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

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

Sermon: “Jesus: A Radical Leader”         Rev. Lorrie Lowes

“Sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me!”

Do you remember this little sing-song phrase that we were taught to use as children when someone called us a mean name? Back in the 1950’s, when I was a child, this seemed like a good snappy comeback, but we know better now. We know that names can have a huge effect both immediately and in the long run. At their best, a label you give someone can encourage them or build up their confidence. We might call a child a good reader, a big help, or a hard worker, for instance. Labels like that can not only build self-esteem, they also set an expectation for future positive behaviour. On the other hand, labeling someone as useless, or careless, or stupid has the opposite effect of lowering self-esteem and might even keep someone from trying. These effects can last a lifetime. So, perhaps the phrase we used as children had it all wrong. Broken bones may hurt, it seems, but they have a better chance of healing than a broken spirit.

In today’s lectionary readings, names play a prominent role. The Old Testament reading is about how, when making a covenant with Abram and Sarai, God gives them new names. This elderly, childless couple have been told they will bear a child and will give rise to a multitude of generations – as numerous as the stars. Abram, which means “exalted ancestor”, becomes Abraham, “Father of Nations”. Sarai, meaning “my princess” becomes Sarah, or “the source of nations and kings”. God has given them the seemingly impossible promise of a child when they are in their 90’s and he has sealed this promise with new names that will match their legacy.

Name changes aren’t just something that happened in ancient times; we still have this practice today. Traditionally – and even presently, though not as often - a woman changes her name upon marriage. Education might lead someone to become “Doctor”, a vocation might give one the title of “Father” or “Reverend”. An endorsement by the electorate might make someone “President” or “Prime Minister”. Each of these titles changes the role of the person it is given to, and it changes our expectations of them as well. Each of those new names comes with added responsibilities and changes in the way, or even the place, where one lives. These are just a few examples. I know you can think of others.

In the New Testament, the changing of names comes up again. Simon, the fisherman, becomes Peter, the rock on whom Jesus will build his church. Jesus himself is known by many titles, right from the time of his conception. The angels call him the “Son of God” and “Prince of Peace”, God calls him “Beloved Son”, he is known to the people as “Rabbi”, “Teacher”, “Healer”, even “Lord”… and through it all, he remains unflustered – until this day when he asks, “Who do you say that I am?” When Peter calls him “Messiah”, everything changes.

“Don’t tell anyone this!” he tells them – sternly, we read in the book of Mark. Why is this such a bad thing?

“Messiah” is a title we are comfortable using in speaking of Jesus. In fact, it’s a title we would not usually think of using in any other context. Messiah is a word that means “saviour”, a word that is often interchanged with “Christ” by Jesus’ followers. It is a title reserved for him alone. When the word is used, Jesus is the first, and usually the only, example that comes into our minds. But what did that title mean to the people of that time? It wasn’t a new word, coined just for this man. The word, “Messiah” already had a definition – as “saviour” and it also had a connotation, especially to a people who were oppressed by a mighty military power.

All throughout the Bible, Old Testament and New, there are stories of war. Power is held by force. Power only changes hands through military might. If you are going to be in charge of the way the world works, you need the biggest army and the strongest weapons - first to win the battle, and then to keep people in line with your vision through fear and threat.

All the power in Jesus’ time was held by the mighty Roman Empire. They had won war after war. Their show of power and influence was so great at this point that fighting wasn’t even necessary. They proudly claimed a time of peace, the “Pax Romana”. But that peace was maintained by the constant threat of the incredible power the Romans held – politically, economically, and militarily. The people were hurting and the only hope of salvation they could imagine was to raise an army powerful enough to beat back the Romans. They needed a messiah, sent from God, who would be an amazing commander of a magnificent army.

So, when Jesus asks his disciples, “What are people saying about me? Who do they say I am?”, he seems ok with the comparisons to John the Baptist, Elijah, and the prophets – men who preached the importance of changing the way people conducted their lives, who warned people of the need to repent and start fresh. But then he asks them, “Who do you say that I am?” and Peter responds, “You are the Messiah.”

Jesus doesn’t rebuke him at that point, or deny the title. Perhaps he thinks that, coming on the heels of the comparison to John and the prophets and the messages of change, that his disciples are beginning to understand his message of using love instead of might to change the balance of power. He warns them, however, not to tell anyone else this. I think he knows that, until everyone understands his message, that title of Messiah will bring with it the expectation that he will overpower the Roman machine and take over the control of the land and its people. The expectation that it is something he can do on his own.

He begins to tell them that the road ahead will not be an easy one, that he will suffer, that he will be rejected not only by Rome but by their own religious leaders, even to the point of execution but that his death will not be the end of this story.

But Peter blows it by rebuking Jesus. “Don’t say such things! God forbid it! This must never happen to you!”

And Jesus realizes that the title “Messiah” still carries that more common connotation of the mighty saviour with a God-given power to destroy the enemy, to topple the Roman Empire and lead the nation in a way that turns that balance of power upside down with the Jews at the top and the Romans at their mercy – even to Peter, the one he called the Rock, the one on whom he placed his hopes of building a new, peaceful and just world for all. Even Peter expected God’s kingdom to prevail through conquering the enemy, through a leader empowered and protected from harm by God, a leader who would defeat the enemy and put the faithful in their rightful place of power over all.

And Jesus, who gave Simon the new and strong name of Peter, now calls him Satan.  I can’t imagine anything more harsh. Why would Jesus equate his loyal friend with Satan?

Let’s think back to last week’s reading. Jesus was baptized by John, commissioned by God, and immediately sent out into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. In the gospel of Mark, we don’t hear the details of that temptation, but we know the story from Matthew and Luke. If you are the son of God, turn these rocks into bread. Jump from the highest tower and let the world see how God will save you from harm, or join your forces with me and you can have total power over the world to make it just the way you want. Was Satan suggesting that he do anything evil? Not really. He was giving him solutions to the very human problems of hunger, and pain or injury. He was telling him that he could have enough power of to force the world to change. These were called temptations because they were easy solutions, right at his fingertips, solutions that would make everything better immediately. He would no longer be hungry. The world would see that he would be saved by God and so they would worship him, and that he could make the laws that forced people to behave in the way he saw fit. They were tempting because they were a way of looking at the problems through the eyes of a human rather than through the perspective of God.

“Get behind me, Satan!” he shouts at Peter, “For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” He heard in Peter’s words, that same reasoning that Satan had used to tempt him in the wilderness: This doesn’t have to be a painful process! You can just march in there and tell them who’s boss! God will make sure you - and all of us – will come to no harm.

Tempting… there would be no war, no pain or injury, at least not to Jesus and his friends, and the brutal power of the Romans would be defeated. No fuss, no mess, just a smooth and glorious transition of power from Caesar to Jesus. But… was that what God was looking for? Was this the divine plan? Would the transformation that God was looking for follow? Or would the human desire for power and riches just go underground until the very human son of God came to the end of his life on earth?

Jesus was certainly a leader – but his style of leadership bore little resemblance to that of Caesar or any emperor, or king, or any leader the world had seen. He didn’t lead from the top, he empowered from the bottom, from the midst of the margins of society – in the company of the poor, the sick, the ostracized members of society. He had a large and growing following, but he didn’t attract them with promises of power and wealth, he used wisdom and insight. He was building a force that had the potential to destroy the Roman Empire, certainly, not with weapons of destruction or force however, but with love and justice for everyone – even the oppressors. He didn’t set out to destroy but to build in a new way. It was a radical way of looking at the suffering and inequities in the world. He wasn’t out to lead his followers in a bloody takeover, but to head them into the slow and difficult process of transformation, from seeing creation as something to own and control, to seeing creation as a gift and a responsibility. He wasn’t leading in hopes of a quick fix but in the vision of an entirely new way of relating to each other, to the world, and to God. He knew that he was on a divine mission, but he also knew that he was dealing with humans. God may have been able to say, “Let there be light” and make it so, but that same God had said, “Let there be people and let them have minds, and hearts, and free will.” Jesus’ style of leadership was radical for the time. I think it is still radical by today’s standards. Its power doesn’t lie in the speed of change but in the slow and thorough transformation of thinking. Jesus was a transformational leader.

What does this term mean? Well, a search through Google and the dictionary offered this:

A transformational leader is someone who:
- has a vision and articulates that vision clearly and appealingly,
- explains how to attain that vision,
- acts with confidence and optimism,
- expresses confidence in their followers,
- emphasizes values with symbolic actions,
- leads by example, and
- empowers followers to achieve the vision. 

When I think of the most powerful transformational leaders of our time, I think of Martin Luther King, Jr. I think of Ghandi and Nelson Mandela. All inspirational men who began the process of change during their lifetimes – not change that had happened completely but a vision and an example that influence our thinking even today. Transformation is slow, it has to be if it is to be thorough and lasting.

When I checked with Google to see if I was on the right track and to add other examples to my list, these names were sometimes mentioned – but the first and most touted examples were men of power in the business world – Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Elon Musk…  MLK, Ghandi, and Mandela share a place on the more comprehensive lists – and so do Ivan the Terrible, Hitler, and Donald Trump. What does this say about the human mindset? The human understanding of successful change most often involves individual power.

Jesus’ understanding of leadership was radical for the time. It is still seen as radical today. He wasn’t the Messiah that the people thought they needed – and I daresay he isn’t the hero we wish would show up to fix the world today.

From the beginning of the creation story, Satan has always been there to offer temptation. It began with a piece of fruit and the power of knowledge to Eve and Adam. We humans find those temptations difficult to resist, perhaps because, just like Peter, we set our minds on human things rather than divine. We want change to happen quickly, without confrontation or pain. We want to see the results in our own place and in our own lifetime. We don’t want to love the opposition, we see them as our enemies and we want them to be silenced.

The mission of Jesus to transform the world didn’t fail. It is still a work in progress. It didn’t die with his death on the cross but rises again and again in the efforts of those who are willing to face the cost. Jesus understood fully the power of temptation over the human mind. He didn’t banish Peter from the group. He, later, even acknowledged that Peter would give into temptation again by denying that he even knew Jesus after his arrest, but he trusted him to carry on where he left off.

We all fall prey to temptation from time to time. It is part of being human. However, God loves us still; Jesus has faith in us to carry on the work, understanding full well the power of the temptations we face in this human existence. He knew it would be hard. He included it in the prayer his followers recite together all over the world: “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” Perhaps we need to realize that Satan is not a being separate from ourselves, nor an outside enemy that needs to be beaten. Perhaps we need to see Satan as something that resides in each of us, in our human drive for survival and in our fears. Falling into temptation is not a reason to give up; it is a reminder to us all to say, “Get behind me Satan!” and then renew our efforts to bring God’s vision to fruition in the world. Perhaps only then, will we be able to love one another - even those we view as enemies – as we love ourselves. A radical vision from a radical, transformational leader! Amen.

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

God of many names, whose love surrounds all creation – thank you.

For this walk of life, and all we meet on it, for the days and the nights, and for your presence in it all – thank you.

Help us to share our burdens and our joys with you and with each other, knowing that you are our God and we are your people, forever.[4]

Today, in this season of Lent, we pray for transformational change in this suffering world.

We pray for all those in need, for those who suffer, for those who live with the results of the struggle for power and material possessions that permeate our world.

We pray for our leaders, that they might set their minds on your divine vision in spite of the human temptation to look inward.

We pray for ourselves, that we might recognize that temptation within us and that we have the will and the courage to put it behind us, that we might carry your vision in all that we do.

We pray for our community as we continue to struggle with the reality of the pandemic and with the changes it demands in our ability to reach out to one another. We pray for those who are isolated, those who are ill or injured, those who have lost employment, those who have lost loved ones. Today, we pray particularly for the family and friends of Vernon Sulway as we mourn his passing.

Help us to recognize your presence in the joys and in the struggles of our earthly lives. Help us to continue the divine mission Jesus began.

All these things we ask in the name of Jesus, a Radical, Transformational Leader who calls us to recite this prayer together.

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kin-dom come, thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kin-dom, the power and the glory, Forever and ever, Amen.

Invitation to Offer              Rev. Kim Vidal

For the love of the world, Jesus offered everything he had, even life itself. In response to this powerful gift of love, let us offer our gifts and our lives to God, as we share in our offering.[5]

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 

Caring God, may we offer not only our material gifts, but our whole selves, to you and to all those who need our support in the quest for justice.[6] We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ who led by radical example. Amen

Sending Forth    Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Child of God, Follower of Jesus, Christian,
Member of the Church…
these are your names.
Live fully into your identity.
Go with boldness into this new week,
knowing that God’s blessings,
the strength of Christ,
and the guidance of the Holy Spirit go with you. Amen.

Hymn:   “Jesus Christ is Waiting” -  Voices United #117 – BCUC choir

Jesus Christ is waiting, waiting in the streets;
No one is his neighbour, all alone he eats.
Listen, Lord Jesus, I am lonely too.
Make me, friend or stranger, fit to wait on you  

Jesus Christ is raging, raging in the streets,
Where injustice spirals and real hope retreats.
Listen, Lord Jesus, I am angry too.
In the Kingdom’s causes let me rage with you.  

Jesus Christ is healing, healing in the streets;
Curing those who suffer, touching those he greets.
Listen, Lord Jesus, I have pity too.
Let my care be active, healing just like you.  

Jesus Christ is dancing, dancing in the streets,
Where each sign of hatred he, with love, defeats.
Listen, Lord Jesus, I should triumph too.
On suspicion’s graveyard let me dance with you.  

Jesus Christ is calling, calling in the streets,
“Who will join my journey? I will guide their feet.”
Listen, Lord Jesus, let my fears be few.
Walk one step before me; I will follow you. 

Words © 1984 John L. Bell; and Music French Carol, 15th Century Song # 3647JesusChrist Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music: In the Bulb, there is A Flower Voices United #703 – BCUC choir

In loving memory of Ian & Ruth Howes’ parents.

In the bulb there is a flower;
in the seed, an apple tree;
in cocoons, a hidden promise:
butterflies will soon be free!
In the cold and snow of winter
there's a spring that waits to be,
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.

There's a song in every silence,
seeking word and melody;
there's a dawn in every darkness
bringing hope to you and me.
From the past will come the future;
what it holds, a mystery,
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see. 

In our end is our beginning;
in our time, infinity;
in our doubt there is believing;
in our life, eternity.
In our death, a resurrection;
at the last, a victory,
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.

Words and Music © 1986 Natalie Sleeth
Song # 52456 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Bonus Amens by the Valleymen 2002

Zoom Fellowship

[1] Walter Murray, Gathering, Lent/Easter 2018, p28. Used with permission.

[2] Richard Bott, Gathering, Lent/Easter 2018, p 29. Used with permission.

[3] Celebrate God’s Presence, p154. Used with permission.

[4] Richard Bott, Gathering Lent/Easter 2018, p 29. Used with permission.

[5] Frances Flook, Gathering Lent/Easter 2021, p37. Used with permission.

[6] Celebrate God’s Presence, p51. Used with permission.

Sunday school activities - February 28, 2021

Focus: “What’s in a Name?” (Mark 8: 27)

All of us have names or nicknames. Have you ever wondered where your name came from? Why did your mom and dad call you by your name or names? Do you know the meaning of your name?

Read the gospel story from The Message here.

What about Jesus? What names was he given? Some say he was the Son of God, others call him Saviour. In the gospel reading, some people thought he was John the Baptist or Elijah. Peter called him Messiah. 

There are also many hymns, songs, and Bible stories that talk about Jesus being 'like' something or reminding us of something else (you may have learned about similes and metaphors at school!).  What do you think about when you hear: "Jesus the Good Shepherd"?  What qualities or characteristics does that suggest?  How about when He's called "the Light of the World"? What about you? What's your favourite image or name for Jesus? Who do you say Jesus is?  

Who are you?  How would you describe yourself to someone - maybe a friend you've only met virtually and doesn't know you beyond the screen?  What is important to you?  What defines you?  Who or what do you want to be?

Do you know that God calls each of us, including Jesus, with a wonderful name? That name is “Beloved.” It is a good name. It means 'Loved by God'. In the Children's Story for today's service, Rev. Kim asked us to 'Live up to that name!'  How would someone who is 'loved by God' live and work and interact with others and the world?

Response Activity Ideas

Jesus is like…. I am like…

Gather colouring tools and print out the worksheet (or use blank paper).  At the top, draw a picture that represents the name or image you have for Jesus, and fill in the sentence to explain what you drew.  At the bottom, think about yourself.  What skills, qualities, gifts can you share with others?  What are you like for the people around you?  Again, draw a picture and explain with words.

Click to print PDF

Jesus I AM statements

Grab a Bible and look up the verses on the handout.  Can you match them to the descriptions in the second column?

Click to print PDF

Illustrated Ministry Lenten Package – Week 2 – Sharing our hearts

The reflection for this week discusses how Jesus’ parents, Mary and Joseph had to learn about who Jesus was and was to become.  Sometimes parents and kids don’t always understand each others’ point of view or who they are and want to be.  “Curiosity helps us remain open to each other, continue learning about each other, and respect each other.” Try out the activity on pg. 24 to learn more about your family!

(If you have not yet received a Lenten package in your mailbox but would like one, please contact the church office.)

Sunday Worship Service - February 21, 2021

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT / AGAPE MEAL (COMMUNION)

February 21, 2021

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

Gathering Music: Silent and Soft and Slow Descends the Snow – Benjamin   Abe:piano

Welcome & Announcements        Rev. Kim Vidal

Good day everyone! On behalf of BCUC, I welcome and greet you in the name of Jesus Christ on this First Sunday in Lent with an Agape Meal. We are in the Lenten season - that 40-day period named after an old English word meaning ‘lengthen’. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday until Holy Saturday. Lent is an opportunity to reflect inwardly, a time of renewal, a time of cleansing. For some, it is a time of confession and repentance; for others a time of contemplative fasting or giving up of something. I invite you join us in this Lenten period.

This Sunday, we are able to gather in the sanctuary for a modified worship service at 10 am including the celebration of communion. A maximum number of 28 people are invited to gather. The Public Health strongly recommends to stay at home but if you wish to attend, please call the office to register and be reminded that the usual protocols will be in place which include masking, social distancing, hand sanitizing and staying home if you feel unwell.

We continue to offer worship service in a number of ways. Check our website at bcuc.org, for our worship service in audio, video and text formats 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.

Our Annual General Meeting will take place via Zoom on Sunday, March 7th at 11:00 AM.  The purpose of this meeting is to review and receive the 2020 Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements and to approve the 2021 Annual Activity Plan, Budget and Nominations Report, and various other items of importance. To ensure the congregation is informed, and that new business items are given an adequate amount of time for deliberation, please notify the Board of your intent to introduce any new items of business, or new motions by sending an e-mail to John MacFarlane before noon on Monday, February 22nd.  A mover and a seconder for motions, as well as any background material that can be distributed to the congregation at least one week before the meeting, will also be appreciated.  The proposed Agenda and other documents will be circulated to the congregation by Sunday February 28th. Link to the Zoom meeting will be emailed to the congregation few days prior to the AGM.

Would you like your favourite hymn sung in memory of a loved one or in celebration of a joyful occasion? With a suggested minimum donation of $30, your hymn request will be featured in one of the Sunday services from February 28 until May 23. Proceeds from this fundraising will help enhance our worship experience. Please send your name, hymn request and dedication to the office via email. Donations can be made by e-transfer, cash or cheque payable to BCUC with the note: “Hymn-Sing”. Thank you for supporting this initiative.

I invite you to participate in the Prayer Circle every Wednesday at 8 pm. Wherever you are, light a candle and say a prayer for the world, your community including our congregation, your family, your friends and yourself.

And for those of you who are able to join us via Zoom, there will be zoom fellowship every Sunday at 11: 00 am. Link has been emailed to you or call the office for more information.

For all other announcements, please visit the website.

Friends, as we gather today wherever we are, let us ask God’s presence to journey with us in this season of Lent. Let us gather in worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle          Acolytes: Katrina TeGrotenhuis

We give thanks for the light of Christ,
strong and unafraid, persistent and unrelenting.
May this light enflame our hearts with God’s grace. 

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

Don’t be afraid. My love is stronger, my love is stronger than your fear.
Don’t be afraid. My love is stronger and I have promised, promised to be always near. 

Words © 1995 John Bell & Graham Maule; Music © 1995 John Bell, IONA GIA Pub
Song # 98424 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

*Call to Gather[1]                Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Here, at the outer limits of Lent, we are called to walk:
to the paper-thin edges which cut us to the soul;
to the workplaces which weary us;
to the people who confuse us;
to the faith which threatens us.
Here, at the corner of Steadfast Love and Faithfulness,

we are called to wait:
when our clenched stomachs awaken us;
in the moments of unbearable sorrow;
with the angels who would carry us.
Here, where time is fulfilled, where God's Kin-dom is as near to us
as our neighbour, we begin Lent:
with the Beloved, whose tears wash away our fears,
with the God who will not let go of our hands.

Come, let us worship and break bread.

Prayer of Confession               Rev. Lorrie Lowes

God of all blessings, we turn toward you on this Lenten journey aware of our human frailties that tempt us from your path. Sometimes we worship you not with joyful hearts but in a spirit of obligation. Too often, we turn to our own selfish acts rather than reach out to others. In this hurting world, we sometimes forget to call on your Spirit in our times of trouble. Forgive us, O God and bless us with renewed resolve, purer intent and stronger faith. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.  

Hymn:    Jesus Tempted in the Desert - Voices United #115

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

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

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

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

Words © 1990 Herman Stuempfle; Music 1844 The Sacred Harp; Harmony © 1978 Ronald Nelson
Song # 09669 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Storytime/Lenten Appeal       Rev. Lorrie Lowes

We started a new season in the church this week! Did you notice? Maybe you had pancakes on Tuesday. Pancake Tuesday or “Shrove Tuesday” is the signal that the season of Epiphany is ending and the new season of Lent is about to begin.

Lent is a season that can be a tricky one for us to understand. It is kind of a dark and dreary season without any fun celebrations. It is a time to think and reflect on our relationship with Jesus. It lasts until Easter, when the light of Christ enters the world again. In many traditions, people give up something they like for the 40 days (plus Sundays) that make up the season of Lent. Some adults give up things like chocolate or coffee, some kids might give up candy or video games… It’s supposed to be something hard to give up. I think it is a way to remind us of the blessings we take for granted and how hard it might be for others who don’t have all the blessings we enjoy.

Here at BCUC, we like to turn that “giving up” into a way to give a blessing to someone in need. We call it our Lenten Appeal. This year we want to give a blessing to people living in social housing here in the west end of the city.

Have you ever been camping with your family or to a sleep away camp with other kids? It’s a fun activity for many of us in the summer. It’s a time to get out and enjoy nature, to get out of the busy-ness of the city and spend some time where the air is fresh and the beauty of creation is around us. It’s a chance for us to do new things like swimming in a lake or hiking in the woods. It might be a chance to be alone with your family, or maybe a chance to meet new friends. For many of us it is just the break we need to refresh after a long dark winter.

Did you ever think that there are families who never get to leave the city? Most of the families served by OWECC - the Ottawa West End Community Chaplaincy - could never afford to send their children to camp. Very few of them own a car, so not even the adults ever get the chance to leave their crowded neighbourhoods to spend even a few hours in nature.

A couple of years ago, OWECC teamed up with Camp Otterdale to give some of these folks a chance to get out of their apartments or small townhouses, to leave the city and spend some time at camp. They arrived on a schoolbus on Saturday afternoon and stayed in cabins overnight. They enjoyed campfires and games and crafts, and some wonderful meals. It was fall so they couldn’t swim in the lake but they were able to walk along the shore and follow the trails in the woods. They had time to relax, to chat, to sing, and to enjoy each other’s company in a safe and quiet setting. It was a treat that many of them had never experienced before and they are still talking about it!

One of my favourite stories from that trip was of a young girl whose family had recently come to Canada from Syria. She was about 12 years old and she had never been out of the city. We walked down to the farm area of the camp and she was amazed to see vegetables actually growing in the gardens! She was so excited to pick tomatoes and beans, squash and peppers right off the plants and then help cook them for our dinner. She even took home a big zucchini so she could show her class at school on Monday that she had picked “real food”! Can you imagine being 12 years old before you ever saw a vegetable growing in a garden?

This year, we are planning another trip to Camp Otterdale for our neighbours living in social housing – this time for a whole weekend - and we will use the money raised through our Lenten Appeal to help make this possible. This is a way to make “giving up” something for a few weeks less about depriving ourselves and more about giving someone else a gift to last a lifetime.

Your family can find more information about this Lenten Appeal in the announcements and there will be more stories and ideas of how you can help in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

Hymn:  O God, Send Out Your Spirit – More Voices #25

Refrain (2X)

O God, send out your Spirit;
Renew the face of the earth. 

1.       We bless you, O God, for you are so great.
Your Spirit uncovers hidden beauty and grace.
Though times we deny all the pain and the tears,
Your Spirit empowers us and soon we face our fears. 

2.       Ev’ry prayer we pray, sacred word, sacred rite,
is for the ones who are left waiting outside.
Ev’ry sermon we preach, ev’ry Spirit-filled tune;
Love says, “Remember why we do the things we do.”

Words & Music © 1996 Jesse Manibusan; Ref: The International Commission on English in the Liturgy
Song # 83176 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination           Reader: John MacFarlane

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

The Reading:   Mark 1:9-15 (NRSV)    The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus

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

12 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

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

Sermon:   “Jesus: A Spirit Person”       Rev. Kim Vidal

We begin the journey of Lent with these words from Mark: “After his baptism, the Spirit immediately drove Jesus out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.” Was it just me or did you notice it too? That immediately after his baptism, Jesus was driven into the wilderness by the same Spirit that earlier had descended upon him at his baptism and installed him as God’s instrument of love.

Why wilderness? I think there is something in the “wilderness” that draws one closer to the holy and sacred. Surrounded by darkness at night and wild beasts roaming around, in the wilderness, we discover our own true selves. We discern who we really are when we go outside of our comfort zones, outside of our established routines, beyond the ease of what we know, in the hopes for us to appreciate the true meaning of life. In this story, Jesus went on a wilderness retreat, to contemplate on whatever call or mission he should be doing after his baptism. He commenced his journey through a very focused and intentional time of discernment where he fasted and prayed, and prepared his total full human self for what lays ahead. His wilderness experience opened the doors for him to be a spirit person.

This is the first Lenten sermon in the series of who Jesus is. This series has been significantly shaped by the late NT scholar Marcus Borg who described Jesus among other descriptions, as a spirit person, as a wisdom teacher, as a social prophet, and as a movement founder. You might have different views about Jesus but these characteristics offered by Borg shaped my own understanding of who Jesus was. It formed the bases of my Christian faith. Through Borg’s description of Jesus, I definitely gravitate to a faith that challenges the presence of evil and acts of injustice in the world: a faith that challenges damaging conventional traditions and prejudicial cultural values and social norms that reinforce an unjust society; a faith that challenges economic and political structures that oppress rather than offer life; a faith that is as much a movement as a way of life – a movement for change. Borg proposed that who Jesus was does in fact shape the Christian faith as a faith that challenges what is wrong in the world – and that Jesus calls you and I to be a part of that faith.

I am glad that the United Church of Canada where we belong, is consistent with what Borg defined Jesus to be. One might say, I don’t need religion like Christianity to understand who Jesus is or to experience transformation in my life. I just need to be spiritual. But I have a stake in this conversation not because I am a paid accountable minister and this is my bread and butter, but because I believe that practicing a religion, having a faith community that nurtures and sustains my spirituality is imperative in becoming a spiritual person. I am a follower of Jesus because I believe in his teachings and his sense of God’s presence in the world. I continue to practice my Christian faith because I am nourished by a faith community that supports and nurtures my spirituality. My religious experience gives me the language, the images, the rituals and the acts of life-giving needed for right relationships. My faith taught me how to relate to God, to experience the presence of the Holy Spirit through acts of love, justice and compassion for learning and to understand fully the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Some argue that a ‘Spirit-filled’ person has to be engaged in happy-clappy singing, shouting at the top of one’s voice, foot-stomping, body-swaying, head-bobbing, knees-shaking, amen-responding, speaking in tongues, candle-lighting, cross-signing, you name it. Notice that Jesus is “full of the Holy Spirit” and none of this happens. Borg used this phrase “spirit person” to mean a spirit-filled person, a person through whom the power of the Holy Spirit flows. As a spirit person, Jesus had an experiential awareness of the reality of God. Jesus was an advocate of spiritual practices. He often went off on his own, in a secluded place, away from the crowd and prayed. It is quite possible that he practiced both wordy and wordless prayers. He addressed God as Abba, his Daddy – a very intimate and personal way of relating to God. For Jesus, God was not just an outside source. God was in him and he lived his life connected to God. While wrestling with his own demons, Jesus spoke with authority that flowed from his spiritual experience. And he left the wilderness with renewed vigour and a sense of purpose. As a spirit person he lived to question the conventional wisdom of the world and taught people to be centered in life-giving endeavours. Jesus himself as a spirit person did not abandon his religion. He was a Jew until his death. Jesus as a Spirit person revolutionized a movement to transform lives. Marcus Borg said, “Jesus’ relationship to the Spirit of God was the central reality in his life, the source of all that he was.”

This rings true for those of us who know the presence of God in our lives. But beyond being a truth about Jesus, it is also an invitation to us - to make our relationship to the Spirit of God the central reality in our lives. God’s Spirit sustains and inspires us for whatever we might be and do. Christine Hassler author of Expectation Hangover, recently wrote: “Being a person of the spirit is a commitment to walking the spiritual path from the head to the heart. It’s a choice to free yourself from letting your ego take the lead in your life so you can surrender your ego’s attachments and instead, let your soul take the wheel. It’s the decision to choose love over fear — to withhold judgment of yourself or others, to stop labeling everything as “right” or “wrong,” to transition from a black and white “dualistic” world to a non-dual perspective that is comfortable with paradox. It’s the willingness to make your life an offering to the Divine in whatever form you resonate with a Higher Power, whether it’s God or some other deity or just the Divine within yourself which others call “inner light”.

A spirit person undergoes wilderness experience on a daily basis. As Jesus was put to test, we, too are not exempt from this reality. Wilderness could also be understood as a state of existence. Such discoveries only come after arduous wrestling with our own questions, our fears and moments of anxiety and uncertainty. We feel vulnerable and always on the alert; wondering if our life is in danger or worse, that we have been abandoned by God’s presence. This week, wilderness loomed over Ontario when more than 1000 positive cases of COVID-19 and the deaths of more people were reported on a daily basis. We are still in the wilderness of this pandemic and we remain cautious but hopeful.

Wilderness swept many states in the US after a deadly blast of winter this week that left millions without power and shivering in the cold. But the crisis was far from over, with thousands of people still in need of safe drinking water.

Wilderness captures the ongoing sentiments and struggles of indigenous people, the black communities, the Asians and other people of ethnic and religious backgrounds, the LGBTQ against racism, acts of violence and injustice.

Some of us here at BCUC are in wilderness these past few days due to illnesses and deaths that brought us anxiety, stress and grief.

For all the fear and terror – the uncertainty and hopelessness the wilderness can hold, I believe, that God's promised protection – God’s angels are there for us even when we feel hopeless, even in the face of death. We are not alone.

As we gather around God’s table of grace, as we share the broken bread and the cup of blessing, remember what Jesus as a Spirit person remind us: to keep our hearts open for the hope that comes in the wildernesses of our lives. Let these poetic words of spirit person Jan Richardson inspire us in our Lenten journey:

“I am not asking you/ to take this wilderness from me,/ to remove this place of starkness/ where I come to know/ the wildness within me, / where I learn to call the names/ of the ravenous beasts/ that pace inside me, /to finger the brambles/ that snake through my veins,/to taste the thirst/ that tugs at my tongue./ But send me tough angels,/ sweet wine,/ strong bread: just enough for the journey.” Amen.

Rev. Dr. Luke A. Powery, “Full of Spirit”, February 14, 2016
Marcus Borg – Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time
Rev. Kelly Love, “Jesus’ Spirituality” February 1, 2015 , Davis United Methodist Church Jan Richardson, Desert Prayer.
Christine Hassler, Expectation Hangover.

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

As we journey through Lent, I offer this prayer, some parts of which were parts of a prayer written by Rex Hunt - for strength and for hope and blessing from these days. Let us pray.

This moment of quiet is an invitation
to be calm in the midst of the noise of the world and our over-busy lives,
to bring together thought and feeling, mind and spirit,
and to find some center, some still point, of perspective and peace.

Holy God, we come to you with hope and promise. We thank you for the stories which have empowered your people through the ages and given them hope. You remind us that through the baptism and temptation of Jesus, the world will be transformed anew and cleansed by the waters of your grace. May we know your promise of transformation, of hope and of your everlasting love with your people. May we know the promise of Jesus, whose spirit invites us to become people of the Way.

We draw near to each other in the presence of a Holy Weaver.
That we may see afresh.
That we may hear anew.
That we may act again with vigour.

May there be many new patterns woven among us:
patterns of peace between strangers,
patterns of love between friends,
patterns of hope among the hopeless,
patterns of joy among the sorrowful.

We pray O, God, for all who live and work in the wilderness: for our congregation which seeks to speak good news in a hostile world.  In this time of pandemic, when most people are beset with anxiety, fear and uncertainty, help us to be resilient and hopeful. We continue to pray for those whom aging is a trial and a burden; for those who suffer illness, loneliness, depression; for those who mourn the loss of loved ones. We pray for the Webster Family in the passing Allan and for the Ritcey family in the passing of Gord. Let your healing spirit flow through all of us that we may become a healing presence to others.

Let the symbol of the dove – symbol of the Holy Spirit continues to guide us as we pray for the world where violence and persecution abound.  Let our voices join those who have raised their voices in outrage to demand action from lawmakers, political and religious leaders or from those with power who can do something to stop racism, human rights violations and other acts of injustice and human sadness here in Canada and many parts of the world.

And may we be brokers of a spirit of new hope with all people,
to the ways we cope with life,
to the ways we embrace the present,
and the ways we think about the future.

We long for peace.
We seek to work for peace.
We invite all to vote for peace.

In the deserts of war, in the streets, and in the homes,
may there be a growth of the human spirit
and all affirmations of goodness.

In the councils of the nations,
in bureaucracies and offices,
in universities and schools,
may there be a liberation of the human spirit
and all affirmations of tolerance.

May we all in our own small way, come to discover
there are resources within ourselves and beyond us
that are as hidden but as real
as our secret doubts and fears.

As we celebrate agape meal/communion together on your table of grace, may the symbolic elements of bread and wine strengthen our resolve this Lent. Build up our faith, renew our hope, defeat despair and lead us through this Lenten time with true generosity of your spirit. These we ask in the name of Jesus, a Spirit Person who call us to recite this prayer together.

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kin-dom come, thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kin-dom, the power and the glory,
Forever and ever, Amen.

Communion Hymn: Bread for the Journey - More Voices #202

Bread for the journey, food for the way.
Cup of God’s blessing, tomorrow today. 

Pain pour la rou-te, pour nos che-mins.
De Dieu la cou-pe, au-jourd’-hui, de-main.

Words & Music © 2000 Bruce Harding; French trans. © 2005 David Fines
Song # 117953 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

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

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

Proclamation (inspired by 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). (Kim)

We enter the story when a meal has been shared,
when prayers of thanksgiving have been spoken, when fellowship shared.
This is the place and this is the time. Here and now,
God waits to break into our experience.
On the night when Jesus was betrayed, he took a loaf of bread,
and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said,
“This is my body broken for you. Do this in remembrance  of me.”
In the same way, he took the cup, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim Jesus who gives us Lenten hope.

Prayer of Consecration (Lorrie)

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

The Sharing of the Bread and the Cup (Kim)

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

Prayer after the Meal (Lorrie)

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

Invitation to Offer         Rev. Lorrie Lowes

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

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

Offertory Prayer

Through the generosity of your people, stones become bread O God.
We find the purpose of our lives through serving others.
We live faithfully through trusting and risking.
Receive now these gifts we offer.  Amen. 

Sending Forth     Rev. Kim Vidal

We have begun the Lenten journey.
May our eagerness to follow the cross keep us faithful
despite the temptations and distractions all around us.
And may our hearts be open
to the presence of God in wilderness places.
Accompanied by the Holy Spirit,
transformed by Jesus’ ways,
and blessed by God’s unconditional love,
Let us go in peace to serve and share God’s good news! Amen. 

Hymn:   Spirit God, Be Our Breath – More Voices #150

Spirit God: be our breath, be our song.
Blow through us, bringing strength to move on.
Our world seems inward, defensive, withdrawn.
Spirit God, be our song.

Patient God: soothe our pride, calm our fear.
Comfort us. When we know you are near
we grow more certain, our vision is clear.
Patient God, calm our fear.

Loving God: be our voice, be our prayer.
Reaching out, joining hands as we share,
we seek your guidance through friendship and care.
Loving God, be our prayer.

Spirit God: be our breath, be our song.
Blow through us, bringing strength to move on.
Through change, through challenge, we’ll greet the new dawn.
Spirit God, be our song.

Words & Music © 1997 Bruce Harding
Song # 117764 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing: Andante Op 5– Merkel   Abe:organ         -         Zoom Fellowship

[1] Thom Shuman, http://lectionaryliturgies.blogspot.ca/

Sunday school activities - February 21, 2021

Theme Discussion

Today’s Bible story is one we heard just after Christmas. It’s about the time that Jesus went to be baptized in the River Jordan by John. If you remember, Jesus went down under the water and when he came up again, the sky split open and the Spirit descended on him like a dove. He heard a voice saying, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” And then the story says the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness for forty days where he was tempted by Satan. This is the part we want to talk about today.

Have you ever been given a job that scared you a bit? Maybe it was a special job that you were honoured to be given - but it was something you had never done before and you were a bit nervous about whether you could really handle it. Maybe it was the first time your Mom sent you to the store by yourself to get some things for her… Perhaps someone asked you to take care of their pet when they went away… 

Jesus knew at his baptism that God had given him a huge job to do! I’m sure he wanted to do it but I’m also sure it was a pretty scary proposition. We think of that time in the wilderness as a time when Jesus was struggling to figure out just how he could answer God’s call. It might have been easier to just do part of it. It might have been easier to just tell everybody that he was God’s son so they had to listen to him. It might have been easier to just ask God to make some kind of a big show that would shock the people into being better. But God really wanted Jesus to be an example of how a human person really could make a difference in the world. And Jesus decided - after struggling with the ideas for 40 days - that he would put his whole life into doing what he was asked. (Just like in the Hokey Pokey, it’s better when you put your whole self in!)

We talk a lot at church about how we can be good followers of Jesus. Sometimes that’s easy, but sometimes it’s really hard! Can you think of some times when it’s difficult and how you might find a way to still do the job?

• It’s easy to be nice to someone you like. What about when it’s someone you don’t like very much?

• It’s not hard to be kind to others when you’re in a good mood. What about when you’re feeling grumpy?

• It’s easy to share with someone who shares with you. What about when they seem to be greedy?

What are some things you can do to help you remember to be a good follower of Jesus ALL the time? (Tie a string around your finger? Prayer? …)

Response Activity Ideas

Click to print PDF

Whole Self In

Draw a picture of yourself in the centre of a piece of paper, or colour in the template.  Next, add labels to the person describing how you might use the different parts of your body to do God’s work in the world following Jesus’ example (e.g. hands: pick up trash, mouth: say kind words, etc.).

Lenten Goals

Click to print PDF

Jesus took 40 days to focus himself on what God was asking him to do.  Now we set aside 40 days+ leading up to Easter to focus ourselves on God’s message, too.  As Lorrie mentioned in her Children’s Story this morning, some traditions focus on giving things up for Lent, but others instead look for ways to BE giving and do the work Jesus set out to do. On this first Sunday in Lent, set yourself some goals for things you want to do and be in order to try to follow Jesus’ lead.  Finish the sentence starters in each box on the print-out with ways you can be a more loving and giving person, or create your own goals on a separate paper. Post the page on your fridge or another place where you will see it each day.  Consider adding stickers to decorate the poster as you work towards or meet your goals!

Illustrated Ministry Lenten Package – Week One – Invisible Treasures

Read the Activity Story on pg. 19.  Talk about what some of the invisible treasures you and your family have.  Use the activity page (pg. 21) to record invisible treasures you use this week!

(If you have not yet received a Lenten package in your mailbox but would like one, please contact the church office.)

Ash Wednesday Service - February 17th, 2021

ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE

February 17, 2021 – 6:00 PM

You can also dial-in by phone to listen to the audio recording at 613-820-8104

 (Tap/click on the triangle below to listen to the full service while you follow the text)

PREPARATION FOR THE JOURNEY

Hymn: In the Quiet Curve of Evening – Voices United #278

(Words & Music: Julie Howard, 1993)

1 In the quiet curve of evening, in the sinking of the days,
in the silky void of darkness, you are there.
In the lapses of my breathing, in the space between my ways,
in the crater carved by sadness, you are there.
You are there, You are there, You are there.

2 In the rests between the phrases, in the cracks between the stars,
in the gaps between the meaning, you are there.
In the melting down of endings, in the cooling of the sun,
in the solstice of the winter, you are there.
You are there, You are there, You are there.

3 In the mystery of my hungers, in the silence of my rooms,
in the cloud of my unknowing, you are there.
In the empty cave of grieving, in the desert of my dreams,
in the tunnel of my sorrow, you are there.
You are there, You are there, You are there.

Opening Invitation & Welcome:        Rev. Kim Vidal

As we enter into this sacred space, put away the pressures of the world that ask us
to perform,
to take up masks,
to put on brave fronts.
Silence the voices that ask you to be perfect.

This is a community of compassion and welcoming.  
We bring all that we are and all that we yet can be, to this safe and ordinary place.

Welcome to our Ash Wednesday service -  a time to begin the season of Lent, a time to remember that from the dust of the earth, the ashes of stars long burnt out, we were created, and to the earth we return. Ash Wednesday invites us to come back to earth, to wonder at the gift of life, my life, our life with the earth, the shared body of our existence. Ashes were once trees and shrubs, and places where life was lived to its fullest. Once they were full of life. Now they are black and grey. Dry. Lifeless. But mixed with the waters of our baptism make good fertiliser: it will help the seeds of the gospel take deeper root in us and bring forth the fruits, the harvest of justice, peace, and generosity. These are ashes worth wearing. May we accept this gift.  And be blessed. And be assured we will be different at the end of this season. Our faith journey rises and falls with each season, as we experience our own times of joy and pain, wellsprings full and wilderness deserts. On Ash Wednesday, we recognize our own season of wandering from God, where we feel distant, aloof. God desires to draw us back into God’s embrace. In this time of Lent, we reflect on our faith journey, we confess and repent of our own shortcomings, what we have done to separate us from others and from God, and we seek forgiveness and reconciliation with God and others. We seek healing and hope. We seek renewal of our faith life. Just as spring is waiting deep in the ground beneath us, so we know that what seems lost will be found, and will be restored.

The Invocation:                         Rev. Lorrie Lowes     

We come, God.
We come as we are. We can come in no other way.
Our heart holds our joys, our burdens, our hopes,
our dreams, our successes, our failures.
We come to meet you and have our hope renewed.
We come to you seeking life in all of its fullness.
Grant that the symbol of ashes, the dust of once-joyous palms,
may remind us of our mortality,
but more than that, may they remind us of the life toward which you call us.
Bless us and help us prepare ourselves for the journey. 

As we sing the next hymn, I invite you, if you wish, to light a candle as a symbol of Christ journeying with us in the season of Lent. 

Hymn: “Dust and Ashes Touch Our Face” – Voices United #105

(Words: Brian Wren, 1989; Music: Ron Klusmeier, 1995)

1 Dust and ashes touch our face, mark our failure and our falling.
Holy Spirit, come, walk with us tomorrow,
take us as disciples, washed and wakened by your calling.

 Refrain:
       Take us by the hand and lead us, lead us through the desert sands,
       bring us living water, Holy Spirit, come. 

2 Dust and ashes soil our hands -- greed of market, pride of nation.
Holy Spirit, come, walk with us tomorrow
as we pray and struggle through the meshes of oppression. R      

3 Dust and ashes choke our tongue in the wasteland of depression.
Holy Spirit, come, walk with us tomorrow,
through all the gloom and grieving to the paths of resurrection. R 

Invitation to Confession:                   Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Lent is a journey of deepening reflection and renewal, an opportunity to make new commitments in faith. We now prepare for the journey by setting aside burdens that would weigh us down. Let us turn to God in confession.

Prayer of Confession:                          

O God, in this quiet place of prayer and humility before you, the tears of our regrets fall on the ashes of truth. We listen to the grief in the sighing of your longing people reaching hopefully towards compassion and justice. And we hear, in our minds’ memories, reminders of many missed moments for the announcing of prophetic truth, when our courage and commitment failed us. (Silence) 

As life reaches out to hold us into good, we often let it pass and turn our faces from the costly road on which Christ walked. (Silence)

 And now, O God as your children, our hearts weep, when we remember the divine dreams and visions shining before us in Jesus the Christ. We remember our claiming of your name as God’s people and the many betrayals of the great hope in which we are called as your children this day. (Silence). 

 We look at the cross and the light of your life in all the world. We acknowledge that this longing is often reduced to ashes, and becomes a burnt sign of our lost aspirations. In sadness we know who we wanted to be and who we really are. (Silence)

Words of Assurance:

God who loved you in the beginning loves you still.
Be assured that God stays with you,
in all the twists and turns of life. Amen. 

CALL TO THE JOURNEY 

Sung Response:     “Don’t Be Afraid” - More Voices #90

(Words; John bell & Graham Maule, 1995; Music: John Bell, 1995)
Don’t be afraid. My love is stronger, my love is stronger than your fear. Don’t be afraid. My Love is stronger and I have promised, promised to be always near. 

Reading 1:     Selected Verses from Isaiah 58 (NRSV)            Reader: Ross Mutton

Is not this the fast that I choose: 
to loose the bonds of injustice, 
to undo the thongs of the yoke, 
to let the oppressed go free, 
and to break every yoke? 

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, 
and bring the homeless poor into your house; 
when you see the naked, to cover them, 
and not to hide yourself from your own kin?

Then your light shall break forth like the dawn...
The Lord will guide you continually, 
and satisfy your needs in parched places, 
and make your bones strong; 
and you shall be like a watered garden, 
like a spring of water, 
whose waters never fail.  

Sung Response:     “Don’t Be Afraid” - More Voices #90

Don’t be afraid. My love is stronger, my love is stronger than your fear. Don’t be afraid. My Love is stronger and I have promised, promised to be always near. 

Reading 2:   Blessing the Dust  (Jan Richardson)   Reader: Barbara Bole

All those days you felt like dust,
like dirt, as if all you had to do
was turn your face toward the wind
and be scattered to the four corners
or swept away by the smallest breath
as insubstantial— did you not know
what the Holy One can do with dust?

 This is the day we freely say we are scorched.
This is the hour we are marked by what has made it through the burning.
This is the moment we ask for the blessing that lives within
the ancient ashes, that makes its home
inside the soil of this sacred earth. 

So let us be marked not for sorrow.
And let us be marked not for shame.
Let us be marked not for false humility
or for thinking we are less
than we are but for claiming
what God can do within the dust,
within the dirt, within the stuff
of which the world is made
and the stars that blaze in our bones
and the galaxies that spiral
inside the smudge we bear. 

Sung Response:     “Don’t Be Afraid” - More Voices #90

Don’t be afraid. My love is stronger, my love is stronger than your fear. Don’t be afraid. My Love is stronger and I have promised, promised to be always near.

Reading 3: Marked by Ashes (Walter Bruegguemann)   Reader: Jan Pound

Ruler of the Night, Guarantor of the day . . .
This day — a gift from you.
This day — like none other you have ever given, or we have ever received.
This Wednesday dazzles us with gift and newness and possibility.
This Wednesday burdens us with the tasks of the day, for we are already halfway home
     halfway back to committees and memos,
     halfway back to calls and appointments,
     halfway on to next Sunday,
     halfway back, half frazzled, half expectant,
     half turned toward you, half rather not.

This Wednesday is a long way from Ash Wednesday,
   but all our Wednesdays are marked by ashes —
     we begin this day with that taste of ash in our mouth:
       of failed hope and broken promises,
       of forgotten children and frightened women,
     we ourselves are ashes to ashes, dust to dust;
     we can taste our mortality as we roll the ash around on our tongues.

We are able to ponder our ashness with
   some confidence, only because our every Wednesday of ashes
   anticipates your Easter victory over that dry, flaky taste of death.

On this Wednesday, we submit our ashen way to you —
   you Easter parade of newness.
   Before the sun sets, take our Wednesday and Easter us,
     Easter us to joy and energy and courage and freedom;
     Easter us that we may be fearless for your truth.
   Come here and Easter our Wednesday with
     mercy and justice and peace and generosity.

We pray as we wait for the Risen One who comes soon. 

Sung Response:     “Don’t Be Afraid” - More Voices #90

Don’t be afraid. My love is stronger, my love is stronger than your fear. Don’t be afraid. My Love is stronger and I have promised, promised to be always near. 

Moment of Intentional Silence           Rev. Kim Vidal

"Silence is God's first language," wrote the 16th-century mystic John of the Cross. And silence is the normal context in which contemplative prayer takes place. But there is silence and then there is silence. There is an outer silence, an outer stopping of the words and busy-ness, but there is also a much more challenging interior silence, where the inner talking stops as well. I invite you at this moment to open yourself to God through intentional silence, as we let go, as we lay down what is past and look to the future. In silence, we take into our daily life signs of hope and healing. In silence, we reach beyond ourselves to share the lives of others
and touch a wider world.                                       Silence

Affirmation of Faith:  As we share this day of commencing our Lenten journey, let us affirm our faith together. We believe in Jesus Christ who, even on the lonely way towards Jerusalem, holds us fast, as we dare to enter and stay with our realities. Here, within the ashes of our lost hopes, the Holy Spirit will be found, inviting us again to a true encounter with our past and present and joining us as we face what has been and moving us toward a new day. Amen. 

Hymn:  “Stay With Us”  - Voices United #182

(Words: Walter Farquharson, 1988; Music: Ron Klusmeier, 1989)
 1.     Stay with us through the night. Stay with us through the pain.
Stay with us, blessed stranger till the morning breaks again.
 2.     Stay with us through the night. Stay with us through the grief.
Stay with us, blessed stranger till the morning brings relief.
 3.     Stay with us through the night. Stay with us through the dread.
Stay with us, blessed stranger till the morning breaks new bread.

PLANNING FOR THE JOURNEY

Blessing of the Ashes & Prayer for the Journey:   Rev. Lorrie Lowes

May these ashes be blessed. May they be for us a symbol of our return to the earth.
May we be blessed. May we be earthed in your everlasting love, as forgiven and forgiving people.

Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return.

Know that God’s love will bless you in your journey.

Let us pray.

God our Creator, you have formed us out of the dust of the earth. May these ashes be to us, a sign of our humanity so we may remember that only by your gracious gift are we given abundant life; through Jesus Christ our Saviour, who taught us this prayer…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kin-dom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kin-dom, the power and the glory, Forever and ever, Amen.

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

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

(Words: Sylvia Dunstan 1989; Music: Basil Harwood 1898)

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

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

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

Sending Forth:     Rev. Kim Vidal   

Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.
Let the memory of your incomplete humanity awaken you to the wonders, joys, sorrows, and pain of life.

Let the ashes we wear be the ashes of transformation; of awakening to the beauty and love of seizing the moment and living it to the fullest.

Let it be said of you that here in this little part of eternity that you lived fully, loved extravagantly and helped humanity evolve into all that God dreamed we can be!

We affirm that we are fearfully and wonderfully made In the image of God: Creator, Christ and Spirit One.
Amen.

Sunday Worship Service - February 14, 2021

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

TRANSFIGURATION SUNDAY / ALL-AGES SERVICE

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

February 14, 2021

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

Gathering Music: Hallelujah Time – Oscar Peterson                Piano: Abe

Welcome & Announcements         Rev. Kim Vidal

Good day everyone! On behalf of BCUC, I welcome and greet you in the name of Jesus Christ on this All-Ages Transfiguration Sunday when we once again reflect on that story of Jesus being changed into a radiant form on top of a mountain. Today we are also celebrating Black History Month as we honour the legacy and contributions of black Canadians and their communities. This is also our way of showing our solidarity with all black peoples in their continuing struggles against racism.

Due to the provincial lockdown, we will not be offering in-person worship service until further notice but we will continue to offer 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.

Our Annual General Meeting will take place via Zoom on Sunday March 7th at 11:00 AM.  The purpose of this meeting is to review and receive the 2020 Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements and to approve the 2021 Annual Activity Plan, Budget and Nominations Report, and various other items of importance. To ensure the congregation is informed, and that new business items are given an adequate amount of time for deliberation, please notify the Board of your intent to introduce any new items of business, or new motions by sending an e-mail to John MacFarlane before noon on Monday February 22nd.  A mover and a seconder for motions, as well as any background material that can be distributed to the congregation at least one week before the meeting, will also be appreciated.  The proposed Agenda and other documents will be circulated to the congregation by Sunday February 28th. Link to the Zoom meeting will be emailed to the congregation few days prior to the AGM.

Today is the last Sunday in the season of Epiphany and we are entering the Season of Lent. I invite you to join us for an Ash Wednesday Service on Wednesday, Feb 17th at 6 pm or anytime after. The service will be offered in both text and audio formats. It will be posted on our website. And for the first Sunday in Lent on February 21, we will be celebrating an agape meal so join us for that service as well.

I invite you to participate in the Prayer Circle every Wednesday at 8 pm. Wherever you are, say a prayer for the world, your community including our congregation, your family, your friends and yourself.

And for those of you who are able to join us via Zoom, there will be zoom fellowship every Sunday at 11: 00 am. Link has been emailed to you or call the office for more information.

For all other announcements, please visit the website.

Friends, as we gather today wherever we are, let us ask the Divine Presence to lead us into that radiant light, where God’s love is revealed to all who follow the transfigured Jesus, light of the world. Let us gather in worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle      Acolyte: Calliyanna Fowler

The light of Christ shines on us and in us.
The light of Christ leads us.
The light of Christ transforms us.
We light this candle in the certainty
That Christ’s presence is with us. 

Call to Gather                Raven Miller

Who is Jesus for us?
The continuation of the covenant.
The promise of something new.
The presence of God’s love.
Who are we for him?
The continuation of the covenant.
The promise of something new.
The presence of God’s love.
In God’s love – Jesus was changed, transfigured, and transformed.
In God’s love – we are changed, given hope, made new.
As people changed and changing,
as followers of Jesus’ way,
we worship God![1]

Prayer in Movement: “I Wanna Be Ready!”     Wendy Morrell & Sacred Dancers

Recorded live in February 2020

Hymn: A Light is Gleaming - Voices United #82        Erin, Abe, Kim: guitar

Refrain:
A light is gleaming,
spreading its arms throughout the night,
living in the light.
Come share its gladness,
God’s radiant love is burning bright,
living in the light. 

1 When light comes pouring into the darkest place, it hurts our eyes to see the glow.
Sometimes a word of hope reminds us of our fears, our memories and tears. R

2 When night is round us and every shadow grows, a star is there to light our way.
It tells a story of Jesus who came near to say: “God’s light will ever stay.” R

3 And Jesus showed us a brighter path to walk. He showed us things we hadn’t seen.
Now we, like Jesus, can help creation shine,
and this will be a sign: R

4 So let us live in the brightness God has giv’n, and let us rise to see the dawn.
We trust that God is here a sparkle and a blaze, warming all our days. R

Words & Music © 1992 Linnea Good, Borealis Music
Song # 96918 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Storytime: Rev. Lorrie Lowes       “The Big Orange Splot” by Daniel Manus Pinkwater

Mr. Plumbean lives on a street where all the houses look the same, and everyone likes it that way. Everything changes when a seagull splashes orange paint on Mr. Plumbean’s house. He decides to paint his house to reflect his colorful dreams. Although the neighbors are upset at first, one by one they talk to Mr. Plumbean. He convinces them to use their imaginations to transform their own houses to reflect their dreams.

This might seem like a strange story to read to you on Transfiguration Sunday, but I was trying to find a new way to explain that word “transfiguration”. It’s a little bit like “transformation”. Both mean that something changes. A caterpillar, for instance, transforms into a butterfly or maybe it makes you think of a toy transformer that can change from a car into a giant robot. Those are certainly big changes – big transformations. I think “transfiguration” is a little bit different though… to me it is more about changing the way something or someone is seen.

In our Bible reading today, three of the disciples are alone with Jesus on a mountain. Suddenly they see Jesus in a whole new way – shining with light and talking with Moses and Elijah – important men in our Old Testament scriptures who had died a long time before… Jesus looked totally different to the disciples in that moment and they heard God’s voice telling them that Jesus was God’s beloved son.

I wonder… Did Jesus really change?... or did the disciples change the way they saw and understood who Jesus was and what he was trying to tell the world.

Mr. Plumbean in our story certainly changed the way his house looked, didn’t he? It was a brand-new idea to the people on his street and they weren’t very comfortable with it. They thought he was a bit of a nuisance. But when each person got to really know him by talking with him, they saw him in a whole new way. He helped them realize what their own dreams were and they realized that they could change the whole street by sharing their dreams and listening to the dreams of others.

I don’t think Mr. Plumbean was the one who was transformed, do you?

I think it might have been the same with the disciples. We know that Jesus had a brand-new way of looking at the world. Some people were really uncomfortable with his new ideas – but those who really listened and really got to know Jesus, saw him in a whole new light. He was transfigured in front of them!

Just like Mr. Plumbean’s new and different way of painting his house transformed the street, Jesus’ new and different way of thinking began to change the world. Jesus’ dream was bigger than transforming his small group of friends. He knew that if we all learn to listen to each other and share our hopes and dreams, the people around us will be transfigured. We will see each other in a whole new light - and then, the whole world might be transformed! Do you think can we help make Jesus’ dream come true?

Children’s Song: The Light of God’s Love           CGS/Bell Canto – Director: Erin Berard

Words & Music © Mark Burrows; This Little Light - traditional
Song Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination           Reader: Samantha Jones

In this time together, we invite you, O God,
to open our hearts as we receive your word of life.
And through these words, may we know your presence with us. Amen.                          

The Reading:  Mark 9: 2-10 (The Message)

The Transfiguration of Jesus

2-4 Six days later, three of them did see it. Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. His clothes shimmered, glistening white, whiter than any bleach could make them. Elijah, along with Moses, came into view, in deep conversation with Jesus.

5-6 Peter interrupted, “Rabbi, this is a great moment! Let’s build three memorials—one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah.” He blurted this out without thinking, stunned as they all were by what they were seeing.

7 Just then a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and from deep in the cloud, a voice: “This is my Son, marked by my love. Listen to him.”

8 The next minute the disciples were looking around, rubbing their eyes, seeing nothing but Jesus, only Jesus.

9-10 Coming down the mountain, Jesus swore them to secrecy. “Don’t tell a soul what you saw. After the Son of Man rises from the dead, you’re free to talk.” They puzzled over that, wondering what on earth “rising from the dead” meant.

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

Sermon:   “Whose Transfiguration?”             Rev. Kim Vidal

Every year, just before the beginning of Lent, the church goes mountain climbing.  The congregation that gathered up on the mountain with Jesus that day was a small one. Only five were present. Peter, James and John were regulars. They never missed. Also present were two visitors who had not attended a worship service on earth in centuries. Neither Peter, James nor John had ever met these two men face to face before, but they had heard of them from their parents and grandparents. Even without the customary, "passing of the peace," they knew their names. Moses and Elijah - two giants of the Jewish faith - and they were talking with Jesus.  Quite impressive. Mountains, you may well know, in Greek, Hebrew, Roman and Asian religious literatures, were believed to be places where the human could touch the divine. Sure enough, on top of that mountain, a wonderful thing happened. Jesus' appearance changed–his clothes became dazzling white and he actually glowed. I confess I have been puzzled over this transfiguration story and how to bring this particular story relevant for us today. This was something out of the ordinary.

On top of the mountain, Peter was so impressed by what he had seen. Peter was so awed by the radiant light emanated from Jesus. "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here." Peter exclaimed. Peter wants to stay there forever to immortalize such radiant moment. He didn't know where he was or what was happening but this much he knew, this moment was very good. He was in the ‘light’ and it was ‘good.’ The aura surrounding them – is it bursting from Peter’s heart? Peter is in pure bliss. And he wanted to build permanent booths or shrines and make an idol of the moment. Peter attempted to build dwellings for Moses, Elijah and Jesus - to capture that moment and immortalize it, hoping to make it last forever. I interpret this as Peter opting for a religion of temples, brick and mortar, institutions and shrines. And before Peter could even finish speaking, the voice of God coming through a mass of cloud interrupted and said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" These very words were the same pronouncements we heard at Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River. In the words of theologian Marcus Borg: “Jesus in that moment becomes a metaphor of God – he is the heart of God made flesh”.

The three disciples, fell to the ground and were overcome with fear. But I’m sure they saw Jesus in a new, different way. They were presented with a brand-new insight who Jesus really was -- dazzling, overwhelming, literally enlightening. If they were confused before, now they almost get it! This was a moment of epiphany – a revelation – an “aha” moment for the three disciples. Mark told this story to remind us that whatever else we think of Jesus, and no matter how we feel about these coming weeks of Lent, when we focus on his journey toward death, there was, in Jesus’ life, a radiant truth of his person and character; that Jesus is all about transforming lives!

A black teacher and activist from Montreal, Sabrina Jafralie, is inspiring her students to transform the world. Sabrina was one of the many black changemakers in Montreal featured in CBC Quebec this year highlighting people from the Black communities who are giving back, inspiring others and helping to shape the future. Born and raised in Montreal, Sabrina holds a doctorate degree in education and currently teaches at Westmount High School and a lecturer at McGill University in the faculty of education. She says she can almost see the raw, untapped potential radiating off her students the moment she walks into a classroom. She believes it is her job to “harness those potentials, to bring them out and to make sure that they just blossom in the world.” As a history teacher, Sabrina believes that most of her students don't connect with the material in Quebec's history curriculum, so she focuses on the stories that are under-represented — Black history, Indigenous culture, the stories of Asian people who came to Canada, for example. She was transformed at a young age and was introduced to the concepts of working for the community and giving back to transform others. She tells her students that if they want change to happen, they must get involved and be bold enough to push themselves beyond their comfort zones. She tries to ensure that when they leave high school, they're critical thinkers who are ready to make the world better, one step at a time. Sabrina said she is only a changemaker because her students help her make change.[2]

The story of Sabrina Jafralie made me think of the word transfiguration. Transfiguration –sounds like a lofty word. But really, it’s just another word for change or metamorphosis - to transform inwardly radiating into changed outward appearance, to morph into something. It is not a popular word we use these days. A block of ice is transfigured into a beautiful sculpture. A caterpillar morphs into a dazzling butterfly. A seed grows into a tree. A young person is transformed into a changemaker. Jesus was transfigured before his three disciples. His appearance was changed - transfigured in a blazing light, in a dream-like space talking with those who lived centuries before.  Jesus turned from the ordinary Jewish man into someone who is extraordinarily special. He shone with the glory that caused old Moses to shine that day on Mount Sinai, when the 10 commandments were given to him. Jesus shone with the glory that carried old Elijah up in a chariot to heaven's heights - gone from this world - but alive in the memory of those who followed his teachings. The transfiguration of Jesus revealed God’s nature to his three disciples and to us. Jesus disclosed both the character and passion of God. In that moment, he became the Word of God, the Light of the World.

Some scholars understood that this transfiguration event is Mark's resurrection story, the only resurrection picture we have in this gospel because the risen Jesus did not appear at the end of Mark's story.  Like the disciples who were dazzled by the transfigured form of Jesus, there is something in us that want us to stay up on the mountain forever where we can taste and touch and see and hear and even smell the presence of God. Have you ever had a transfiguration experience? Has a light entered the room and suddenly illuminated your life? Has a cloud descended upon you and wrapped you up and then released you and suddenly you know exactly what you are called to do? There are times when we feel lifted up, taken up to a place a little closer to God and God's glory. There are times when we feel we are hearing God speaking to us, telling us things, giving us direction, comfort, or joy.

I don’t know about you but my personal experience of transfiguration comes to me in discovering that the ordinary is laced with the sacred and that my daily ordinary rituals call me towards God. It is more like life on the plain than life on the mountaintop. I feel God’s presence here among us in the ordinary life on the plain. And I can proclaim too, down in this plain, it is good for us to be here!  It could be those times when we listen to each other’s stories or when we are moved to put together ordinary pieces of cloth made into an exquisite quilt or weaving milk bags made into mats for the poor of Haiti and Africa. Through our hearts and hands, the hungry will be fed, the homeless will have roof over their heads, refugees will have a safe place to call home. In this time of pandemic, through our prayers and social distancing, love, safety and connection will be offered to our neighbours and friends, especially those who are lonely and those who are grieving. These are moments of grace that transfigure us day by day. 

Transfiguration isn't just about a “shining moment” of going up the mountain, it is also a “shining moment” about Jesus coming down, all the way down into our brokenness, fear, grief and loss. Because below the mountain, reality awaits - the world is waiting. And some experiences are not pleasant at all. We might like to stay up on top of the mountain forever but life on the plain is as equally powerful and filled with meaning, surprise and the possibility of transfiguration as life on top of a mountain - for God’s presence surely is everywhere! 

Just when the three disciples were enjoying their “peak” moments, Jesus brushed off the sleeves of his garment and said “Guys, it’s time to go. Roll up your sleeping bags. Our camping is over. Let’s get down to work!”  Work? What work? Where? Jesus himself does not want to stay up on the mountain forever. He had to come back down to the plains. Jesus comes back down where real transformation takes place. Not in the high places but down in the plain. Down into the mundane nature of everyday life. Down into the nitty-gritty details of misunderstanding, squabbling, disbelieving people. Down into the religious and political quarrels of the day. Down into the jealousies and heartaches that colour our relationships. Down into the poverty and pain that are part and parcel of our life in this world. Down. Jesus came down. He asks his disciples to roll up their sleeves and get down to work. He showed them how to heal the sick. He led them down to the bottom of that mountain to the hurting people, unbelieving religious and political leaders, the bureaucratic institutions and the realities of suffering below. Through this puzzling event called transfiguration, Jesus has set the example that true religion is not about building temples and keeping shrines. It is about healing hurts, speaking for and being with the poor, the helpless, the voiceless and the forgotten who are at the silent bottom of every pinnacle, every hierarchy and every power. True religion, is not about transcending life; it is about transforming life.

Friends, as we follow the way of Jesus, remember that we are the transfigured people of God. We are the transfigured followers of Jesus. We, too, are to wear robes that shine with Jesus' presence in our lives. We are to wear robes of love and compassion, garments of justice and peace. Moments of transfiguration change us, sustain us, prepare us, encourage us, and guide us regardless of the circumstances we face. We are called to be changemakers - to transform people, situations and places and make the world a haven of shalom, healing, justice and love. Thanks to be to God. Amen.

*Thanks to the Lectionary Group for their insights, comments and reflections on Transfiguration.

Prayers of the People     Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Radiant God,
It is good that we are here
It is indeed right and good that we give you thanks for the many blessings you bestow upon us.
We thank you for this amazingly diverse world with its kaleidoscope of colour and texture and culture. Open our minds to see how everything in Creation is interconnected according to your plan. Open our hearts to fuller understanding and our eyes to see Jesus in the many ways he comes to us – through people, known and unknown, familiar and different, near and far - through the beauty and abundance of Creation - through the love and generosity of others.
Give us the courage to radiate the beauty of the transfigured Jesus in all that we do.

God of Light,
We bring to you the week we’ve had with all of its mountain-top highs and deep valley lows.
We offer to you the week ahead with our excitement of anticipation as well as our fears and worries. We bring to you all those in our hearts who are suffering through these days in many ways and circumstances – named and nameless, expressed, and in the silence of our hearts.
Give us opportunities to be your hands, feet and heart in the world.
Give us the clarity to see that you are with us in all that we do and experience.

Illuminating God,
Help us to cope with the disturbing and sometimes frustrating events in our world.
Give us patience to deal with a pandemic that seems to go on forever.
Give us hope that the new vaccines will soon allow us back into community with each other.
Give us bravery to speak up for those whose voices are not heard and whose needs are great.
Give us the vision to see the places where your light shines in the darkness.
Help us to be that light for those around us. 

All these things we ask in the name of the transfigured Jesus who helped the world to see the way to fulfill your dream for Creation, and who left us this ancient prayer which will be offered through a liturgical dance. Amen.

Dance Movements: “The Lord’s Prayer”   Wendy Morrell & the Sacred Dancers

Invitation to Offer           Rev. Kim Vidal

We, the United Church of Canada, have made a commitment to becoming an anti-racist denomination. Another way of saying this is that we are committed to developing healthy relationships with individuals and communities, especially those experiencing marginalization, because this was a focus of Jesus’ redemptive work. Thank you for being invested in this transformative work, and thank-you for being dedicated to living out this incredible vision for our community and the world. Your time, talents, and gifts make a huge difference, and we are forever grateful to see what God is doing in you and in our community.[3]

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. Let us now gather our gifts together and offer them to God in gratitude and praise.

Offertory Prayer

Here is the work of our hands,
the love of our hearts,
our desire to make a better world.
Bless our gifts, our giving and our hopes
for a world in which your will is done. Amen.[4] 

Sending Forth     Rev. Lorrie Lowes

As we prepare to leave this time of worship,
May we be transformed so that we might embrace our calling:
To see with new eyes,
Reach out with gentle hands,
Imagine with transformed minds,
Be still with hallowed presence,
And be filled with grateful prayers,
Knowing that the wisdom of the Spirit,
the light of Christ, and the unending love of God
Bless us in our work each and every day.[5] Amen. 

Hymn:   Siyahamba (We Are Marching in the Light of God) - Voices United #646

We are marching in the light of God; (4X)
We are marching, marching,
we are marching, oooo -
we are marching in the light of (the light of) God. (2X)

Siyahamb' ekukhanyen' kwenkhos' (4X)
Siyahamba, hamba,
siyahamba, hamba, oooo -
siyahamb' ekukhanyen' kwen(khanyen' kwen) khos'. (2X)

Nous marchons dans la lumière de Dieu (4X)
Oui, nous marchons, marchons;
oui, nous marchons, marchons; oooo-
nous marchons dans la lumière de (lumière de Dieu) Dieu. (2X)

Repeat verse 1

South African – traditional; trans & arr. © 1984 Anders Nyberg
Song #96978 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music: Hymn to Freedom – Oscar Peterson             BCUC men

Join us for Zoom Fellowship at 11:00 am

[1] Richard Bott, Gathering, ACE 2020-2021. Used with permission.

[2] Black Changemakers, cbc.ca, February 2021.

[3] Rev. Adam Kilner. Black History Month Service 2021, United Church of Canada website.

[4] Kate Crawford. Gathering, ACE 2017-2018. Used with permission.

[5] Based on Bruce Sanguin’s “Light Transfusion”, If Darwin Prayed.

Sunday school activities - February 14, 2021

Transfiguration Sunday

This Sunday is the last one in the season of Epiphany. When we are gathering in the church, this is usually an All-Ages Service and so we have tried to make our video service as close to that as possible. We hope you have enjoyed it with your family today.

Lorrie read the book “The Big Orange Splot” in the Time for the Young at Heart today. She chose it because she thinks it ties in with all the themes for this Sunday – Transfiguration, Black History Month, and Valentine’s Day. Can you see how they are all related? (Watch the story again if that will help you.)

It is tricky to think about loving someone if you don’t know them, isn’t it? That’s why it is so important to learn about others, especially those who are different from you in some way or those who live in a culture very different from your own. The more we learn about someone, the more we can see the ways they are like us, with the same worries, hopes and dreams. We put aside our preconceived ideas and see them for who they truly are. We might say that “we see them in a new light”. We look at them in a different way – and sometimes that even makes them look completely different in our eyes. It causes a transfiguration! It might not be as spectacular as what the disciples described in today’s scripture story but it is just as important a change.

Can you think of some ways that seeing someone in a new light might make a difference

• in your school?

• in your neighbourhood?

• in the world?

In the story we heard today, Mr. Plumbean and his neighbour say, “My house is me and I am it. My house is where I like to be and it looks like all my dreams.” Later, all the people on the street say the same thing about the whole street.

• What do you think that tells us about how the people on that street changed the way they felt about each other? They certainly stopped saying negative things about those who were different, didn’t they?

• How do you think our world would change if we said, “This world is us and we are in it. This world is where we like to be and it looks like all our dreams.”?

At the beginning of the story, the houses all looked exactly the same – green roofs, orange walls, and green window frames. At the end of the story, each house was unique. No one felt they had to be just like someone else to fit in.

• What do you think are the advantages of being just like everyone else? What are the disadvantages?

• What do you think made it possible for the people to change their minds about needing to be all the same?

Response Activity Ideas

Click to print PDF

My House

Using the template, or designing your own shape, fill the house with your colourful ideas and dreams for yourself, for your family, and for your community and the planet. 

Encourage others in your family (siblings, parents, grandparents, etc.) to make their own house, too!  Notice the similarities, differences, and talk about what makes each one special.  Maybe you could share them on the BCUC Facebook page for everyone to enjoy!

Click to print PDF

Same, Same, But Different

Visit https://kidsinothercountries.org/ and watch videos of children from other parts of the world.  Think about how your life is the same and different from the children in the video(s). 

Fill in the Venn diagram or tell someone about what you learned!

Younger children may enjoy listening to the story Same, Same, But Different by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze11Q-S8-LA  and talking about the differences between the 2 children in the book and their own experience.

Transfiguration Colour-by-Number

Transform the mix of shapes into a picture by colouring by number!

Click to print PDF

Sunday Worship Service - February 7, 2021

BELLS CORNERS UNITED CHURCH

5th SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY / STEWARDSHIP SUNDAY 3

Theme: “Expressing our Love – Living Generously”

FAMILY MINISTRY              February 7, 2021

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

Gathering Music

Acknowledgement of Territory         Rev. Lorrie Lowes

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         Rev. Kim Vidal

Good day everyone! On behalf of BCUC, I welcome and greet you in the name of Jesus Christ on this 5th Sunday after Epiphany and the third and final Sunday of our Stewardship Campaign. Today, our Stewardship Focus is on Family Ministry and how we express our love and live generously. Your continued contributions and participation in the life and ministry of our faith community is very much appreciated. We will listen more about the wrapping up of our stewardship campaign and family ministry later in the service.

Due to the provincial lockdown, we will not be offering in-person worship service until further notice but we will continue to offer 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.

Join us for 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.

And for those of you who are able to join us via Zoom, there will be zoom fellowship every Sunday at 11: 00 am. Link has been emailed to you or call the office for more information.

For all other announcements, please visit the website.

Let’s now hear from Bill McGee for a stewardship moment, followed by Erin Berard who will give us a highlight on Family Ministry.

Stewardship Moment              Bill McGee

Good morning! My name is Bill McGee from the Stewardship Committee. I speak to you on behalf of the committee of Bob Boynton, Bob and Barb Noyes, and Ron Prince, assisted by Bill Johnson and our minister and the Office staff. If you have returned your Stewardship forms already, we thank you. If not, we encourage you to return the forms so that planning for the year's activities may be more complete. And it's never too late. If you have not yet received your Stewardship 2021 material, there are copies in the Office, 820-8103. Thank you!

Family Ministry Moment            Erin Berard         

The Family Ministry initiative was introduced 5 years ago to guide our vision and decision-making at BCUC as we strive to make our church a welcome and loving 'family'.  Goals of this initiative include facilitating family-oriented worship, fostering intergenerational relationships, encouraging a family mindset within all the church committees, and experimenting with ways to connect and welcome others from the community into our BCUC family.

There is a lot to celebrate...

During the pandemic, the worship team has provided a weekly online video and audio service with wide-ranging appeal - hymns new and old, a Children's Time, thought-provoking sermons, and participation from congregants of all ages and stages.  Along with these weekly family-oriented services, Sunday School materials that are directly aligned with the worship themes have been made available on our website.  Similarly, family Advent resources were purchased from Illustrated Ministry and delivered to families at the end of November, an initiative that we plan to repeat for the Lenten season.

Not being able to gather freely over the past year due to the pandemic has put a hold on many of the usual activities that we enjoy together, and has delayed some of the plans we were making for family-oriented events.  However many groups in the church have shifted their groups online and found other ways to connect with all our different families!   Weekly 'Coffee time' after church, Men's Club gatherings, CGS and Bell Canto rehearsals are all continuing, albeit virtually.

Likewise, some of the intergenerational partners that were created during the Secret Pal project that started in the Fall of 2019 continue to keep in touch through cards, artwork, and e-mails!

As the pandemic continues, we encourage you to seek out new ways to connect with your church family.  It is important that we recognize and celebrate the many ways that we support, work, and worship together, and to continue to ensure that Family Ministry is embedded in all we do at BCUC.

Centering in Worship

Friends, as we gather today wherever we are, remember these words from A Song of Faith as we reflect on our call to stewardship: “We sing of God’s good news lived out, a church with purpose: faith nurtured and hearts comforted, gifts shared for the good of all…” Let us gather in worship.

Lighting of the Christ Candle            Acolytes: Berard Family

As a family of faith, we light this Christ Candle to remind us
that we are held together in God’s love.
And this love makes us courageous, resilient and hopeful
like a soaring eagle.
The prophet Isaiah wrote:
“those who wait for the Lord 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.” (Isaiah 40:31, NRSV) 

Call to Gather     Rev. Lorrie Lowes

When his disciples found Jesus, they said to him,
“Everyone is searching for you.”
Where shall we search for Jesus?
Jesus is with the needy ones, blessing them with good news.
Where shall we find this wonderful healer?
Jesus is with the broken ones, touching them with wholeness.
Where shall we encounter his power to liberate and make new?
Jesus is speaking to those whose spirits are fettered
Where can we find him?
Wherever there is prayer.
We come then, seeking him in worship,
as we turn again to God.[1]

Prayer of Approach

Here we are Jesus, eagerly seeking your healing touch.
We come with bruises and cuts, with weariness and fatigue,
with wounds hidden and aches concealed.
We come as broken people hoping for new life.
Reach out your hand, we pray, to fill us with wonder
that we may be renewed, recharged, re-formed.
We yearn for God’s presence to guide us and heal us.
In your name, we pray. Amen![2]  

Hymn: Come In, Come In and Sit Down - Voices United #395   Kim-guitar, Erin-flute

Refrain:

Come in come in and sit down,
you are a part of the family.
We are lost and we are found,
and we are a part of the family.

1 You know the reason why you came,
yet no reason can explain,
so share in the laughter and cry in the pain,
for we are a part of the family. R

2 God is with us in this place,
like a mother's warm embrace.
We're all forgiven by God's grace,
for we are a part of the family. R

3 There's life to be shared in the bread and the wine, we are the branches Christ is the vine. This is God's temple, it's not yours or mine, but we are a part of the family. R

4 There's rest for the weary and health for us all, there's a yoke that is easy, and a burden that's small. So come in and worship and answer the call, for we are a part of the family. R

Words & Music © 1984 James K. Manley; harm © 1987 Daryl Nixon
Song # 44817 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Storytime               Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Last Tuesday was Groundhog Day! Now, I know that a groundhog can’t really predict the coming of spring but you have to admit, it’s kind of fun to take part in this funny celebration. I think we all need something silly at this point in the winter, especially this year when it’s not just the winter that seems long but this pandemic and all of the necessary restrictions too. It just seems good to have something silly and fun like this right now.

One of the best things about it, I think is that it takes our mind of our worry, frustration, and sadness for a little bit. It turns our minds to hope – for warmer, sunny days, and for times when we can get out of the house - and our bubble - and just have fun with the people we love. It lifts our spirits, and that’s a good thing!

This week our scripture reading talks about Jesus healing several people – people who are sick, people who have mental health issues, people who seem to be possessed by unclean spirits, a whole variety of things. Wouldn’t it be amazing to have Jesus here now to heal all the things people are suffering from these days? The Bible stories make it seem that he could do it just by being present or by touching someone in a loving way.

We don’t have any magical powers to heal someone like that these days, but I think we do have some special healing power too. After all, if a groundhog can bring hope to people just by coming out of its winter bed, surely there are things we can do to lift spirits and bring hope too. And I think that is definitely a kind of healing!

I often talk to you about the things you can do to help others, and I think most of you are really good at doing those things, especially for the people you love; but this week our Lectionary Study group talked a lot about prayer as a way to help people heal. It made me think about how prayer was a part of my daily routine when I was a child. We even said the Lord’s Prayer every morning in school. It was part of the morning routine in schools all over Canada – O’ Canada, Lord’s Prayer, and announcements. I also had teachers who would have us say a prayer together at the end of the day before we left for home. We don’t do that anymore because we acknowledge that Canada is a diverse country that includes people of many faiths and cultures. What I have found, is that now that there is no formal time for prayer in our days, many Christian children are not encouraged to pray at all. Families have also let go of mealtime grace and bedtime prayers too. Is that a bad thing? Is it an old-fashioned idea? What is the point of prayer? Does it really help anybody?

Here’s what I think… and I’d be interested in your thoughts too.

I do believe that God hears us – even when we aren’t praying with our eyes shut and our hands folded. I believe that God hears us when we think about other people or wish for better times or are grateful for things that bless us. But I also believe that making a special time in the day to say a prayer reminds us to do all those things. It reminds us of people we love and what we hope for them. It reminds us that there are others around us who are struggling in some way, it reminds us that there, even when days seem difficult, there are so many wonderful things to be thankful for and that better times are coming. I think that when we make time to remember all those things, it reminds us to do the kinds of things that help others and make them feel good. And I think that’s a special healing power for the world, for our neighbours, and for ourselves.

If you aren’t used to praying every day, it might be a bit hard to start. If you aren’t used to taking a special time to talk to God, you might wonder how to even begin or what to talk about. I have a book in my office by Anne Lamott called “Help, Thanks, Wow!”. The author says these are the three essential prayers, the most important ones, and I think they give us a nice way of beginning that conversation between ourselves and God. “Here are the things that could use your help, God” … “Thanks for all the great things that happened today, and the blessings big and small in my life” … and, “Wow! This creation of yours is a pretty spectacular place!” It sounds to me like a great way to get ready to start a new day and a nice way to settle for a good night’s rest.

The great thing about prayer is that you can do it anywhere and anytime, you don’t need any special training or equipment, and it doesn’t matter how young or old you are when you start. I encourage you to give it a try. I think you will be amazed at the healing power it can give you!

So, let’s start right now with a little prayer together before we move into the rest of our day. I will leave some little spaces for you to add your own special thoughts… Let us pray:

Good morning, God!

There are some things that we’re worried about today and things that make us sad. We could really use your help. Each of us have our own list of people and things to tell you about…

We’d also like to say thank you for the many blessings in our lives – family, friends, this church family, all those who love us and take care of us, and the many advantages we have in our lives. We especially thank you for…

You, God, are amazing! You have created a beautiful world. Help us do our best to keep it beautiful, and to help others see that beauty too. Thanks for listening, God! We’ll talk to you again soon! Amen

Hymn: Jesus’ Hands Were Kind Hands – Voices United #570   - Kim-guitar, Erin

1 Jesus’ hands were kind hands, doing good to all,
healing pain and sickness, blessing children small, 
washing tired feet, and saving those who fall;
Jesus’ hands were kind hands, doing good to all. 

2 Take my hands, O Jesus, let them work for you,
make them strong and gentle, kind in all I do;
let me watch you, Jesus, till I’m gentle too,
till my hands are kind hands, quick to work for you. 

Words © 1979 Margaret Cropper, Hope Pub; Old French melody (au clair de la lune),
harm © 1988 Carlton Young     Song # 13235 & 34023
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Prayer for Illumination           Reader: David Stafford

Light of the world,
may your Word shine out from the deepest corners,
casting light upon our path, guiding our way,
that no matter the journey, we may abide in you. Amen.[3] 

The Reading:  Mark 1: 29-39 (NRSV)

Jesus Heals Many at Simon’s House and in Galilee

29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 31 He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

32 That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered around the door. 34 And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and his companions hunted for him. 37 When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” 38 He answered, “Let us go on to the neighbouring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” 39 And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

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

Sermon:   “Whose Healing Power?”        Rev. Kim Vidal

One of my passions in ministry is to offer pastoral and spiritual care or what I call the ministry of presence. Being present with those who need care in times of illness, loneliness or grief is a gift that I have developed over the course of my ministry. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I have had numerous opportunities visiting the residents in retirement and long-term care places, those in the hospitals and those who needed care in their homes. My office too was always opened to those who dropped-in for a chat or for a prayer. My heart gladly listened as we exchange a comfort hug or a hand shake, as we shared life stories together, as we lifted each other up in prayer, as words of inspiration from the Bible or other inspirational books were offered. During this pandemic time, when I cannot visit in person or offer a touch or a hug, I , together with our Pastoral & Spiritual Care Team, continue to offer care through phone calls, emails, greeting cards, or through prayers.  I have gleaned from all of these experiences that offering care is incarnational. It is about being present even when we are socially distanced. Someone says to offer care is, “becoming Jesus” to others. It is also about interconnectedness-about fostering a connection that focuses on restorative, wholistic healing.  Such healing transforms our relationships, so that we, in turn, become caregivers and healers for the other.

Jesus, too, was a caregiver and a healer. The unnamed woman Jesus healed in today’s gospel story was the mother-in-law of Simon. Mark tells us that she was suffering from high fever. But as soon as Jesus touched her, the fever left her. Mark did not elaborate how Jesus healed her. All we know for sure is that Jesus held out his hand to her and helped her get up. Jesus’ healing energy was offered to her, touched her and she was healed. In her healing, Jesus awakened the spirit that lay deep within her, waiting to be touched, waiting to be made whole. Jesus displayed what I call a hands-on ministry; it was incarnational and it comes with it, genuine human care. It was a moment of being present with the other. Jesus modeled for us a way how we can show care and healing to those in need. Even in this pandemic time, I know that we can still be agents of healing in so many ways. It could be in the form of words of comfort via telephone, or by email or through prayers. For some of us, it could be in the form of donations or financial help for those whose lives were affected by inhumane conditions or through letters and greetings that say “we care.” In this era of cyber space, if we are able to do so, if we have the means to reach out, let’s do it.

After she was healed, Mark says, Simon’s mother-in-law immediately went off to the kitchen and prepared food for the hungry Jesus and his disciples. Now stop there for a moment. I was shaking my head in disbelief when I read this part of the text. From bed to the kitchen. Simon’s mother-in-law got up from being sick and immediately went to prepare a meal. Modern understanding of this portion of the text might be seen in light of male chauvinism.  We who are sensitive to how women were treated in both ancient and contemporary society might react negatively at her being restored to health only to serve the men. How could Jesus and the disciples allow this to happen? Didn’t they know Simon’s mother-in-law had just fully recovered from illness? Couldn’t they prepare a meal for themselves or even serve her food? In our lectionary group discussion this past Tuesday, we offered some possible interpretations of this particular episode. We could take this story as a metaphor to denote how Jesus himself will live and what following him may be called to do – to serve others. Or we could see Simon’s mother-in-law as another model of discipleship – that women in Jesus’ time were very much part of Jesus’ ministry. That women can be both leaders and servers at the same time against what we understood regarding the traditional way of discipleship – with men as leaders and women as servers. This unnamed woman could have been the first deaconess or diaconal minister who went to serve after she was healed, caring for all the people that were coming to the door of her house. Rev. Lorrie reminded the group that offering service is one of the main ministries of a diaconal minister – to serve others beyond the doors of the church; to offer healing and care to the community and the world. Another possible explanation according to Rev. Matt Skinner is that the woman’s service was a way of showing respect and gratitude to her healer. Maybe she was also serving God by doing what she does best – cooking! In that culture it would have been shameful for a woman in a household to neglect a guest. To feed Jesus would have honoured him, but it would also have restored the woman’s own honour and dignity. Healed, she could do what her society expected her to do and what her fever had prevented her from doing. She was set free! Another possible explanation was perhaps the healing of Simon’s mother-in-law showed a restoration to order. When she was ill, everything fell apart because she the main provider of hospitality in that household. Now that she had been healed, everything was back to its normal state and her house was bustling with good news and joy!

There is a big difference between being healed and being cured. In her book, Absolute Truths, author Susan Howitch clarifies the difference between a cure and a healing. She said: “A cure signified the banishment of physical illness, but a healing could mean not just a physical cure, but a repairing and strengthening of the mind and spirit to improve the quality of life even when no physical cure was possible.” Jesus was a healer. He went to many places to offer his power of healing not just physical healing but also spiritual, emotional, mental, social. The story of Henri Nouwen was a good example of healing. Henri Nouwen, renowned Dutch Catholic priest, writer and theologian, worked as a spiritual director at L’Arche Daybreak in the Greater Toronto Area from 1986 until his sudden death in 1996.  L’Arche is a community of people with mental and physical challenges and their caregivers that create a home for one another. Nouwen’s life and ministry revolved around healing and recognized the Christ in suffering individuals and communities. He was fully convinced that everyone has wounds that needed healing, and that one’s woundedness can become instruments of healing for others. His deep-seated faith in Jesus Christ allowed him to care for those who were sometimes ignored by society – people with mental illnesses and challenges. It was his care and love for these people that Nouwen experienced his own woundedness claiming himself to be a “wounded healer”. He proclaimed that our “wounds allow us to enter into a deep and intimate solidarity with our wounded brothers and sisters. The main question, he said, is not “how can we hide our wounds? but “how can we put our woundedness to touch others?”[4]

All of us have wounds. We are wounded in so many ways beyond our imagination. Whether we come open or not, we need healing in many forms. We, too, are called to be healers. God touches us through people who perhaps have been wounded and become healers. A small act of kindness or love may spread like a wildfire making a big difference in people’s lives. The challenge now is for us to be cognizant of the woundedness of people and places and to offer healing through our acts of love, kindness and compassion.

There’s another way of touching lives – and that of being a healing community. Gerald May, a psychotherapist in Washington, DC writes of the importance of community in the healing process: “God’s grace through community involves something far greater than other people’s support and perspective. The power of grace is nowhere as brilliant nor as mystical as in communities of faith. Its power includes not just love that comes from people and through people but love that pours forth among people, as if through the very spaces between one person and next. Just to be in such atmosphere is to be bathed in healing power.”

At the end of the day, after healing so many people, Jesus was physically and mentally tired. Mark says, he went to a secluded place, away from the hustle and bustle of human activity and prayed for discernment. Prayer was one of Jesus’ spiritual practices. Jesus needed to be recharged, re-energized, rejuvenated for his next step of the journey. He did not stay in one place forever. Jesus moved on to offer his gift of healing reaching many people from different places. Here is also a call for each one of us as stewards of healing. We need to rejuvenate and recharge our spirits through spiritual practices like prayer and contemplation. And we need to move out from our comfort zones to heal others.

Friends, how are you being called to help restore wholeness where there is so much brokenness and affliction? How is the practice of praying giving you the strength that you need to be healers? We are called - not to be callous and indifferent, but to reach out, to touch the other by word or by action and to be touched by God’s grace. Each act of care is an attempt to heal woundedness in many forms. Each hand and heart that we offer on every pain or suffering- fearlessly, hopefully, sometimes unconsciously, is an attempt to heal the brokenness of the world. Like Simon’s mother-in-law, we were once ill, broken and wounded. Now we've been healed and we rise up – ready to go and serve the world.  Thanks be to God. Amen.

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

Let us gather our hearts in prayer.

God-with-us, you are the One who called this world into being and we acknowledge your creative power.  You want to share your power—your strength—with those who are powerless; you ache to heal the broken hearted and to bind up the wounds of the lost and rejected folks of this world. Such radical love leaves us speechless, but you gave it human form and shape in the person of Jesus, in whom your promises of healing and empowerment were fulfilled. We give you thanks and praise for blessing our lives in this way, and we pray that in Jesus and through the power of the Holy Spirit, we too can become radical lovers of the powerless, and passionate bearers of hope and healing to those whose lives are filled with despair and hopelessness. 

And so our prayer today is that our family, our neighborhood, our city, our province our country and our world will know your healing touch and your forgiving heart. That those who have been hurt by insincere actions and damning words will hear your healing voice. That those whose lives are filled with dark thoughts, or unimaginable fears, will know your peace. Walk beside those who are close to giving up hope and where life seems to have no point;

We give thanks for all who have cared for us in times of weakness; for those who have uplifted our spirits and given us new hope.  We pray for our friends and families, especially any who are finding life difficult at the moment.  We pray for any in our community that may feel neglected or rejected. We pray for all who are in weakness of body, mind or spirit, all who have come to the end of life. We think of all who are losing their mobility or agility, those who are losing their memories, and all who have lost their grip on reality; of those who no longer trust in anyone, and those who doubt the love of God; we think of all who are caring for loved ones in illness. We pray for Vernon & Desna Sulway, for Rev. Camille Lipsett, for Cathy Dowsett, for Gord Ritcey, for Ruth Howes and for those who are recovering from treatment.

We now turn to the world in need of healing. We pray for the people in Myanmar who are again in the pangs of violence and political upheaval due to a military coup. We pray that peace will prevail in the land and that the government under elected president Aung san Suu Kyi be restored to power so that democracy will once again reign in Myanmar. We pray for those awaiting vaccinations in many parts of the world including Canada. We ask for your blessings upon those who hold the power to control the production of vaccines that they may be guided by universal love not greed.

O God, we ask that you heal us. Give us the strength, health, wisdom and knowledge that we need to become your healers. Send your life-giving Spirit so that we may live our lives with courage in the profound peace of your love. Come to us now with your healing presence as we recite together this ancient prayer that Jesus taught us…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kin-dom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kin-dom, the power and the glory, Forever and ever, Amen. 

Invitation to Offer        Rev. Lorrie Lowes

Jesus draws us from the margins into a great feast; he draws us out of a crowd, to healing;

he draws us from hopelessness to new life. Each day, God finds the way that we need to be loved and challenged, and then calls us be stewards of warm hospitality, healing mercies, and the promise of abundant life. We respond to this marvelous call through our giving this day.

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. Let us now gather our gifts together and offer them to God in gratitude and praise.

Offertory Prayer

Here is the work of our hands,
the love of our hearts,
our desire to make a better world.
Bless our gifts, our giving and our hopes
for a world in which your will is done. Amen.[5] 

Sending Forth     Rev. Kim Vidal

Faithful stewards of God, let us go into the world,
called to be healers knowing that we are healed.
Let us love one another as members of God’s family,
living our gratitude in the world,
called to radical hospitality,
and ever thankful that we have been blessed.
Go and be a blessing to all people and places.
Go and live your lives as God’s light and love. Amen! 

Hymn:   Who is My Mother?  - More Voices #178    -  Kim - guitar, Erin - flute

1 Who is my mother, who is my brother?
All those who gather round Jesus Christ:
Spirit blown people born from the Gospel
sit at the table, round Jesus Christ. 

2 Differently abled, differently labelled,
widen the circle round Jesus Christ:
crutches and stigmas, culture’s enigmas,
all come together round Jesus Christ. 

3 Love will relate us, colour or status
can’t segregate us round Jesus Christ:
family failings, human derailings
all are accepted round Jesus Christ. 

4 Bound by one vision, met for one mission
we claim each other, round Jesus Christ:
here is my mother, here is my brother,
kindred in Spirit, through Jesus Christ.

Words © 1992 Shirley Erena Murray, Hope Pub; Music © 2002 Ron Klusmeier, musiklus       
Song # 49045 Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-733214. All rights reserved

Departing Music

Join us for Zoom Fellowship at 11:00 am

[1] Rod Sykes, Gathering, ACE 2005-2006. Used with permission.

[2] Gord Dunbar, Gathering,  ACE 2017-2018. Used with permission.

[3] Sheryl Spencer, Gathering,  ACE 2017-2018

[4] Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey, 1985.

[5] Kate Crawford. Gathering, ACE 2017-2018. Used with permission.

Sunday school activities - February 7, 2021

Mark 1: 29-39 - The Story

Jesus was always kind and helpful to the people he met. One day he was in the home of Simon Peter. Peter's mother-in-law was sick in bed with a fever. Jesus went into the room where she was and took her by the hand and helped her out of bed. When Jesus touched her, the fever left her immediately. Later that evening people brought everyone who was sick and those who were demon-possessed so that Jesus could heal them. The Bible says that the whole town was gathered around outside the door. Jesus healed the sick and drove out evil spirits. Jesus showed his love by caring for those who needed his healing touch.

Before the sun was up the next morning, Jesus left the house and went off by himself to pray. The disciples found him and said, “We been searching for you everywhere! More people have gathered wanting your healing touch.” But Jesus said, “Let’s go on to the neighbouring towns, so that I can proclaim God’s message there too. This is what I came out to do.”

Theme Discussion

There are lots of stories in the gospels about Jesus healing people. Most of the miracles we read about have to do with healing – from illnesses, from blindness, from paralysis, from unclean spirits, and so many more. There are even a few stories of Jesus bringing back people from death! These miracles would certainly have impressed the people of his time.

It’s not much wonder that so many gathered at Peter’s house that night and into the next day. The people in those days were suffering from many things and everyone hoped for a miracle cure from Jesus. And yet, when the disciples found him and told him that another crowd was waiting for him, Jesus chose instead to go on to another place. That can seem a bit surprising to us. We think of Jesus as someone who would do anything to help people in need!

1.     Why do you think Jesus made that choice?

He might have been tired. He might have been feeling overwhelmed by the pushy crowd or saddened by the number of people who were in need of healing… Can you think of some other reasons?

2.     There is an expression that says that if you only focus on one trait of a person, you “put them in a box”. It means that you are so focussed on this one thing about that person that you don’t even notice anything else about them. The “box” that the people of Capernaum were putting Jesus in was that of “Miracle Worker/Healer”.

Why do you think Jesus might not have wanted to be known only for this?

What other things about Jesus do you think he wanted them to see and hear?

Some Extra Challenge questions for older kids and kids who want to keep on thinking:

1.     The stories in the gospels tell us that Jesus “healed”. Is healing the same thing as curing?

2.     Try to think of some examples of when a person might not be “cured” of a physical disease or disability but might still be “healed”.

3.     Can you think of some ways that we can all be “healers”?

Response Activity Ideas

Healing Hands/Heart

Materials: Construction paper, colouring tools, scissors, pencil, (bandaids optional)

Fold the paper in half and trace hand on one half with thumb and index finger touching the fold.  With the page still folded, cut out the hand, leaving thumb and index fingers connecting front and back halves. It should make a heart-shape between the index finger and thumb! 

Inside the hands, younger children could write “Jesus Heals” (or similar) and stick on bandaids to form a cross if they wish, and decorate.  Older children could write the many things Jesus came to do, including healing, and things he wanted to teach the people about God on the inside around the heart.

Prayer Bracelet/Keychain/Zipper pull

Materials: beads, string/yarn

Make a bracelet or chain that can be attached to a bag or key ring that will act as a reminder to stop and consider our blessings, share our concerns, and pray for others.

Select colours of beads that represent people, situations, types of prayer (giving thanks, confession, etc.), or topics that are important to you.  Using a braiding or knotting method of your choice attach the beads and make a bracelet or chain. 

Check out these websites for ideas:

• https://happyhourprojects.com/wish-bracelets/

• https://mycakies.com/2014/07/camp-home-bead-braided-friendship-bracelets/

Hang or wear it where it will be noticed throughout the day as a reminder to pause and pray.

Writing to God

Materials: paper (lined, plain), pens/pencils, markers, etc. or write on a device.

If God had a mailbox (or an email address), what would you write?

Take a few minutes and write a letter to God. No one else needs to read it unless you want to share. You might want to use the categories from the book - “Help, Thanks, Wow!” that Lorrie mentioned in today’s Children’s message. What would you ask for help with? What are you grateful for? What in the world is awesome to you? Anything else you’d want to say to God?

You could use words … or illustrations… or?