May 15th 2022
5th 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:
Song Without Words ~ F. Mendelssohn
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.
MEMORIAL CANDLE:
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: (Lay Leader)
INTRODUCTION:
CALL TO WORSHIP:
Renewing Spirit, we come to this place to restore and regain our energies and enthusiasms.
As the waters which colour dry lands into greening,
So may we be renewed by your touch.
Gentling Spirit, as dilemmas and demands confound us,
We long for unexpected tenderness.
As the breeze caresses fields of grain into ripples,
So may we be gentled by your touch.
Quieting Spirit, in our crowded hours and paths,
We yearn for interior peace.
As the soil embraces each seed seeking growth,
So may we be quieted by your touch.
OPENING PRAYER:
Holy One, Holy Love,
In the light and quiet of this sanctuary, we are held in this moment together.
With eyes to see beauty,
Ears to hear distant sounds and whispers,
Hearts to hold our dearest prayers, and our dearest ones.
We offer ourselves into the splendour of this day.
We offer ourselves into the challenge of this day.
And so, we must ask…
Do we pause to perceive your garden filled with wonder?
Before the business of the day sets in,
Do we make time to listen to your voice? In the voices so often unheard?
Do we look below and notice the tiny shoot bursting forth in hope?
Do we look above, scan the sky, and say, Awe?
Have we acknowledged the gift of your creation and said, Thank you?
All this, so that we might wholly love?
In the name of the One who walks beside us, urging us to see. Amen.
Opening Hymn: VU 226 For the Beauty of the Earth
1. For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies,
Refrain
God of all, to you we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.
2. For the beauty of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and tree and flower,
sun and moon, and stars of light,
Refrain
God of all, to you we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.
3. For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth, and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild,
Refrain
God of all, to you we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.
4. For each perfect gift sublime
to our race so freely given,
graces human and divine,
flowers of earth and buds of heaven,
Refrain
God of all, to you we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.
PRAYER OF APPROACH:
Creating God, In the beauty of the trees,
In the softness of the air,
The fragrance of the grass,
May we see your hand.
In the river that flows through the valley,
In the thunder of the sky,
The rhythm of the sea,
May we see your hand.
In the faintness of the stars,
The freshness of the morning,
The dewdrop of the flower,
May we see your hand.
In the bursting forth of the blossoms,
In the butterflies and bees that come to visit,
In the trail of the sun,
And in the life that never goes away,
May we see your hand. And may our hearts soar.
WORDS of ASSURANCE:
Ever before us the wonder of God’s garden is laid. We have only to pause, listen, and look. Thanks be to God.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION:
Living God, help us to hear your Word, that we may truly understand…
That, in understanding, we may believe…And in believing, we may follow. Amen.
SCRIPTURE: NRSV
First Reading:
Genesis 2: 4b-9; 15
In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground—
then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.
Responsive Psalm:
Psalm 104: 10-26
You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
they flow between the hills,
giving drink to every wild animal;
the wild asses quench their thirst.
By the streams the birds of the air have their habitation;
they sing among the branches.
From your lofty abode you water the mountains;
the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.
You cause the grass to grow for the cattle,
and plants for people to use,
to bring forth food from the earth,
and wine to gladden the human heart,
oil to make the face shine,
and bread to strengthen the human heart.
The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
In them the birds build their nests;
the stork has its home in the fir trees.
The high mountains are for the wild goats;
the rocks are a refuge for the coneys.
You have made the moon to mark the seasons;
the sun knows its time for setting.
You make darkness, and it is night,
when all the animals of the forest come creeping out.
The young lions roar for their prey,
seeking their food from God.
When the sun rises, they withdraw
and lie down in their dens.
People go out to their work
and to their labour until the evening.
O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom you have made them all!
Gospel Reading:
Mark 4: 26-32 The Parable of the Growing Seed
He also said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.’
RESPONSE:
The word of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God.
Anthem:
“Let There Be Peace On Earth” ~ Miller/Jackson, arr. C. Burton
PRAYER OF PREPARATION:
Holy One, Holy Love, in humility and in faith, these words are now offered. 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 :
Down the Garden Path: Conspiracy of Hope…Revisited
HYMN: VU 703 In the Bulb There is a Flower
1. In the bulb there is a flower;
in the seed an apple tree;
in cocoons, a hidden promise:
butterflies will soon be free!
In the cold and snow of winter
there’s a spring that waits to be,
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.
2. There’s a song in every silence,
seeking word and melody;
there’s a dawn in every darkness,
bringing hope to you and me.
From the past will come the future;
what it holds, a mystery,
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.
3. In our end is our beginning;
in our time, infinity;
in our doubt there is believing;
in our life, eternity.
In our death, a resurrection;
at the last, a victory,
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE:
Living and Loving God,
you gave of yourself so that life might prevail.
And we give you thanks.
For the creative force that flows throughout the heavens,
to us and to all creation. Your garden.
And we give you thanks.
Still, it is beyond our understanding and beyond our wildest imagination.
You are generosity and welcome, wisdom and curiosity, energy and rest.
You know Earth to be holy, and all creatures to be kin.
We live and die inside that miracle.
And we give you thanks.
Help us to be ever mindful of the beauties around us.
Awaken us to the wonder.
May we grow with our flowers in gentleness, patience, courage, laughter.
May we be grateful for the privilege of being coworkers with you in the creation of even one tiny bud.
Come among us and provoke in us a blessed restlessness
until Earth resurrects and we glimpse the fullness of our being and yours.
Help us come to our senses.
We pray for all who work to heal your garden:
scientists, politicians, and government leaders;
nature lovers and our youngest children.
Bless them with endless visions of the world made new.
Strengthen them until their visions come true.
We pray for all who are harming your garden:
for poachers who take too many,
and for all of us who have abundance and yet want more.
We pray for those who are being harmed in your garden.
Bless us so that our sense of community
becomes more noble and important than our sense of entitlement and self.
Bless us to regard our life and all forms of life with awe and respect.
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, urges us to come to our senses….
And 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:
Improvisation on a Hymn ~ C. Burton
INVITATION to the OFFERING:
PRAYER OF DEDICATION OF GIFTS AND SELF:
Hidden Christ, Mystery of Renewal beyond our understanding,
you hear our sighs and our songs,
Receive our gifts and promises, and bless them.
Bless us all that we in turn may be a blessing to your creation:
our cradle, our home, and our very being. Amen.
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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.
CLOSING 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:
May we hear today the song of God’s grace unfolding
The music of the world becoming
The beating of Christ’s own heart
In, with, and through all of creation…
May we go out in Hope.
May we find joy.
May we broadcast Love.
And may Love grow…
Within us and around us.
SUNG BLESSING : MV 95 How Deep the Peace
How deep the peace, the confidence, of those whose wrongs are forgiven.
How deep the peace, the confidence, of those whose hearts are healed.
POSTLUDE:
Clair de lune ~ C. Debussy
*****
RESOURCES USED
LITURGY SOURCES: The following are used with permission:
Call to Worship: Ken K. Wehlander Circles of Grace
Prayer of Approach: Inspired by the writing of Chief Dan George.
HYMNS and SUNG VERSES:
- “For the Beauty of the Earth:” Words: Folliott Sandford Pierpoint 1864. Music: Conrad Kocher 1838; adapt. William H. Monk 1861. Reprinted with permission under One License #608577. All rights reserved.
- “In the Bulb There is a Flower:” Words: Natalie Sleeth 1986. Music: Natali e Sleeth.1986 Words and music copyright © 1986 Hope Publishing Company. One License #608577
- ”Wherever You May Go:” Words and music: David Kai, 1996. Words and music copyright © 1996 by David Kai. One License #608577
- “How Deep the Peace:” Words: Lynn Bauman, 2000. Music: Linnea Good, 2004Words copyright © 2000, from Ancient Songs Sung Anew: the Psalms as Poetry.Used by permission. Music copyright © 2004 Borealis Music, Used by 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: “Song Without Words” F. Mendelssohn.
Anthem:: “Let There Be Peace on Earth:” Miller/Jackson, arr. C. Burton
Music for Passing the Peace: “Improvisation on a Hymn” C. Burton
Postlude: “Clair de Lune “ C. Debussy
