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May 8, 2022 - Sunday Service
Ingrid  Remkins
Ingrid Remkins
Sunday, May 8, 2022
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May 8th 2022

Mothering Sunday

4th Sunday of Easter

Find this service at www.graceunitedthornbury.ca/live

Leading us today in Worship:
Worship Leader: Ingrid Remkins
Music Director: Dr. Christopher Burton
Lay Leader: Margaret Tirpkoff  

~ Leader: regular font ~ All: bold font ~ Sung words: bold italics  

PRELUDE: 
Consolation ~ F. Liszt  

GREETING: (2 Cor 13:13)                             
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you. 

Acknowledgement of the Traditional Territory:
“In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge, with respect, that we – wherever we worship in this country – do so on the traditional territory of the First Nations, the Metis and the Inuit Peoples, who were the stewards of this land long before colonization.” We commit ourselves to the ongoing work of building right relations with indigenous peoples of this land.  (Rev. Leslie Searles)   

WELCOME:                                                                 

INTRODUCTION:                                         

CALL TO WORSHIP:
Today we celebrate the gifts and the challenges of mothering that all people have to share.
Cradling and encouraging,
Nurturing and nourishing,
Fussing and fretting,
Empowering and inspiring,
Sustaining and strengthening,
Holding on and letting go.
Loving and living.
We come.
And we lift our voices together in worship,
Remembering the mothering Christ
Who bore us into ever-widening, eternal love.  

OPENING PRAYER:
Nurturing God,
As the light of the morning awakens all of earth’s creatures,
And the songs of the birds stir us into the dawning of this day,
So may we be brought into the life of this day.
To watch the creatures as they make their rounds,
Preparing their nests,
Providing a safe place for the life yet to be and life that is.
Welcoming that life into this world.
Finding their food.
Feeding their young,
Keeping them warm.
Encouraging their growth.
May we rise to these nurturing ways,
Participate in the rounds of our days,
Where mothering belongs not just to the few,
but to us all.
Caring. Encouraging. Life. And love.
That your shalom may flourish.
We pray in the name of the One who shows us the Way of Love. Amen.

HYMN:  VU 325 Christ is Made the Sure Foundation   

1. Christ is made the sure foundation, Christ the head and cornerstone,
chosen of the Lord, and precious, binding all the church in one,
holy Zion’s help forever, and its confidence alone. 

2. To this temple where we call you, come, O Lord of hosts today;
with your faithful loving kindness hear your servants as they pray,
and your fullest benediction shed within its walls alway. 

3. Here bestow on all your servants what they ask of you to gain,
what they gain from you forever with the blessed to retain,
and hereafter in your glory evermore with you to reign. 

4. Laud and honour to the Father, laud and honour to the Son,
laud and honour to the Spirit, ever three and ever one,
one in might and one in glory, while unending ages run. 

PRAYER OF APPROACH:
God of Compassion, who loves us more intimately than any other, love us into wholeness.
When the choices we make in life harm ourselves or others,
Hold up a mirror of truth that we may reflect.
When circumstances in life drag us down and turn us bitter,
Surround us with your supportive arms,
With your beating heart of loving presence,
With your whispers of encouragement and of hope.
Trusting in your tender, sustaining love, we pray in silence… (Silent prayer) 

WORDS of ASSURANCE:
God’s grace is a beloved parent’s welcome home hug.
It is our favourite meal lovingly prepared that we might be fed with love.
It is being tucked into bed at night, securely enveloped in safety and solace.
It is our place of belonging and becoming.
Thanks be to God.  

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION:                            
Let grace, let love, let hope flow through your word to us, O God. Let new life and possibility jump from the page. Let the word we need to hear leap into our hearts. Let your word transform us today and always. Amen. 

SCRIPTURE:      NRSV      
Psalm 139 : 1-10                                         
O Lord, you have searched me and known me. 
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;    
you discern my thoughts from far away. 
You search out my path and my lying down,    
and are acquainted with all my ways. 
Even before a word is on my tongue,    
O Lord, you know it completely. 
You hem me in, behind and before,    
and lay your hand upon me. 
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;    
it is so high that I cannot attain it. 
Where can I go from your spirit?    
Or where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;    
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. 
If I take the wings of the morning    
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, 
even there your hand shall lead me,    
and your right hand shall hold me fast.

Gospel Readings…. 
Luke 2: 22-24: Jesus is Presented at the Temple     
When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord  (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”),  and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

Matthew 2: 13-15: The Escape to Egypt                 
Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”  Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt,  and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”

Luke 2:41-52: The Boy Jesus in the Temple            
Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover.  And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival.  When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it.  Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends.  When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him.  After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.  And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.  When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.”  He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”  But they did not understand what he said to them.  Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.                                                                                                                                               

John 19: 25b-27: Mary at the Cross of Jesus         
Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.  When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.”  Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.

RESPONSE:
The word of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God. 

ANTHEM: 
Laughter Lit the Stars of Morning        

PRAYER OF PREPARATION:
Holy One, Holy Love, in humility and in faith, I offer these words now. As they are heard, may they be received with open hearts. May they reflect the promise of your shalom in our – your world. In the name of the One who comes to show us the Way. Amen.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

SERMON :  “This Matter of Mothering” 

HYMN:  VU 269 The Care the Eagle Gives Her Young 
1. The care the eagle gives her young,
safe in her lofty net,
is like the tender love of God
for us made manifest. 

2. As when the time to venture comes,
she stirs them out to flight,
so we are pressed to boldly try
to strive for daring height. 

3. And if we flutter helplessly,
as fledgling eagles fall,
beneath us lift Gods mighty wings,
to bear us, one and all.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE: 
Nurturing God,                                                                        
We all come from mothers.
Some of us know her intimately. Some not.                                                                           
Some of us have experienced her love and care.
The warm hugs, the worry and the wonder of watching us grow, the slow but passionate work of constant, unconditional love.
Others have felt other things: judgment and cruelty, uncertainty, neglect, and even abandonment.
And then there are those
torn from their mother’s embrace far too soon,
when war, sickness or death,
has shattered the succour and promise of relationship.

Whatever our experience may be, we come to you now for blessing…
Bless the loved and the unloved,
the cherished and the orphaned.
Surround us with your tender care,                                        
help us to know that each and every one of us is indeed loved... and capable of love.

We pray this day for all those who nurture…
mothers, fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers,
aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters and cousins,
neighbours and family friends.

May we count ourselves among those who nurture.
May our hearts and hands be open.
May we express endurance, and patience and hope,
and above all compassion.

We know though, as you know, God…
that there are times when we have fallen short as nurturers;
where we need your help to mend broken relationships.
We need forgiveness. We need closure.
Grant us peace in our relationships.
Direct us. Encourage us. Sustain us…in making this so.

We pray for the People of Ukraine as they face war and loss. We pray for all those who find themselves part of this war.
We pray that peace might be nurtured, understood, and established.  
We pray for those indigenous people who have suffered the loss of nurturing. With compassion and commitment may true healing and reconciliation be gained. 

And now, in the silence of our hearts, we name those close to our hearts who are in special need our prayers…
Silence…
In the name of the One who walks beside us. Who loves us ever and always.  Amen. 

THE LORD’S PRAYER
As a child turns to a loving caregiver who watches over them, we turn in prayer to you O God, who are our heavenly parent, our mother,
Our Father, who art in Heaven… 

PASSING THE PEACE OF CHRIST
The Peace of Christ be with you.         
And also with you.

We share the peace of Christ by typing in the chat box.
You may also think of one person with whom you would like to share the peace of Christ.  

MUSIC for PASSING the PEACE: 
Make Me a Channel of Your Peace ~ C. Burton 

INVITATION to the OFFERING :

PRAYER OF DEDICATION OF GIFTS AND SELF:
Nurturing God,
we are gathered as your family of faith,
diverse and difficult,
wondering and wonderful,
challenged and challenging.
Bless the gifts we offer this morning that they may do the work of your shalom. That our beating hearts may join with our human and creature family everywhere.
In the name of the One who continues to show us the Way of Love, Amen.  

Donate online:   www.graceunitedthornbury.ca,  select “Give”
     or contact the office by email: accounting@graceunitedthornbury.ca
     or  phone: 519-599-2438 to arrange a cheque pick-up, or an e-transfer
     Mail: Grace UC, 140 Bruce St. S. PO Box 219, Thornbury, ON N0H 2P0

Care, Prayer, Share 

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Join us by Zoom following this service for:
Coffee Hour
The link was sent out by e-blast.

HYMN:   MV 216 Wherever You May Go  
Refrain:
Wherever you may go, I will follow,
and your people shall be my people too.
Wherever you may go, I will follow,
for I would be faithful, loyal and true. 

1. Say the word and I will stay,
I will never go away,
we will travel side by side
and God’s love will be our guide.
Refrain:
Wherever you may go, I will follow,
and your people shall be my people too.
Wherever you may go, I will follow,
for I would be faithful, loyal and true. 

2. From beginning to the end
I will always be your friend,
when you need me, I’ll be there,
you can trust my faithful care.
Refrain:
Wherever you may go, I will follow,
and your people shall be my people too.
Wherever you may go, I will follow,
for I would be faithful, loyal and true. 

COMMISSIONING and BENEDICTION:
We are sent out this day, as all days, as children beloved by God. Let us go then…
Ready for the sunshine and the rain.
Prepared to splash in the puddles.
Finding joy in the sharing of God’s love.
We are sent out as children beloved by God.  Let us go…
Warmed by welcoming embraces, and reassuring smiles.
Eager to invite others into that embrace.
We are sent out with promises that God is with us always.
Let us go then…
Trusting in unconditional love
Over-flowing with the joy of the gift of life and love.
May it be both irresistible and infectious.   

SUNG BLESSING: 
Go Now in Peace 

Go now in peace. Never be afraid.
God will go with you each hour of every day.
Go now in faith, steadfast, strong and true,
Know God will guide you in all you do.
Go now in love, and show you believe.
Reach out to others so all the world can see.
God will be there, * within, around, above.
Go now in peace, in faith and in love.
Amen, amen, amen. 

* alternate words: watching from above   

POSTLUDE: 
Plauderei ~ A. Dvorak     

*****

RESOURCES USED

LITURGY SOURCES: The following are used with permission:
PRAYER OF APPROACH and WORDS of ASSURANCE by Gord Dunbar Kincardine P.C. Kincardine, Ont. Gathering Lent/Easter 2019 Year C)
Prayer for Illumination by Susan Lukey, High River U.C., High River, Alta. Gathering Lent/Easter 2014 

HYMNS and SUNG VERSES:
-“Christ is Made the Sure Foundation:” Words: Latin 7th century; trans. John Mason Neale 1851. Music: Henry Purcell ca. 1682; adapt. Ernest Hawkins 1842; desc. W. Herbert Belyea 1974. Descant © 1974 W. Herbert Belyea. Used by permission.. One License #608577
-“The Care the Eagle Gives Her Young:” Words: R. Deane Postlethwaite 1980.  Music: American camp meeting melody; Robert G. McCutchan 1935. Words copyright © Marjean Postlethwaite. One License #608577
-“Wherever You May Go:” Words and music: David Kai, 1996. Words and music copyright © 1996 by David Kai. One License #608577
-“Go Now in Peace:” Words by Don Besig and Nancy Price.Copyright © 1988 Harold     Flammere. Music: Inc. Alternate words used with permission. One License #608577.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

SCRIPTURE PASSAGES:
Scripture Passage from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. 

Prelude: “Consolation” ~ F. Liszt
Anthem:: “Laughter Lit the Stars of Morning.” Words:  Lydia Pedersen, Music: Ruth Watson Henderson
Music for Passing the Peace:.Make Me a Channel of Your Peace”. Music: Sebastian Temple 1967; arr. Betty Pulkingham 1976. Music copyright © 1968 Franciscan Communications Centre
Postlude:Plauderei “  A. Dvorak