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August 28, 2022 - Sunday Service
Phyllis Fleming
Phyllis Fleming
Sunday, August 28, 2022
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August 28th, 2022           

12th Sunday after Pentecost

Find this service at www.graceunitedthornbury.ca/live

Leading us today in Worship:
Worship Leader: Phyllis Fleming
Music Leader: Saundra Lake
Lay Leader: Mary Lou Gignac

Leader: regular font ~ All: bold font ~ Sung words: bold italics
Asterisk * Indicates when the congregation may stand if able. ___________________________________________________________

PRELUDE: 
In a Monastery Garden ~ Albert W Ketelbey  

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. 

WELCOME: 

INTRODUCTION:       

Acknowledgement of the Traditional Territory:
We acknowledge with gratitude that we gather on the traditional territory of the Anishinabek Nation: The People of the Three Fires known as Ojibway, Odawa, and Pottawatomie Nations. This territory is covered by Treaty 18 of 1818, and we are all treaty people.
We give thanks to the Chippewas of Saugeen, and the Chippewas of Nawash, now known as the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, as the traditional keepers of this land.
We honour them for having lived here and cared for this land from time immemorial, and that they continue this caring in our time.
We appreciate the opportunity to live, work and play in this beautiful place.  

CALL TO WORSHIP:
In the midst of the needs that we identify in this world and out of the abundance that God provides for us,
we are thankful to be a people encouraged and blessed.
In this moment of quiet reflection and prayerand within a world of challenge and confusion,
we seek to be a people nurtured and restored.
In this day of renewal and re-creation and within this age of new vision and remembered dreams,
we look forward to being a people of the Spirit, now and always.
Come, let us worship with the encouragement of the Spirit.
 

OPENING PRAYER:
Perhaps it’s been a tough week, with frustrating hurdles or maddening disappointments.
Comfort us, Loving God, with your peace, to recharge and recover.
Maybe it’s been an uplifting week, with bubbling joy or heartfelt triumphs.
Settle us, Loving God, with faith in your presence, to reflect and give thanks.
Almost certainly, we face an unpredictable tomorrow, because that is just how it is.
Strengthen us, Loving God, with hope in your love, to meet the unknown with courage and compassion. In faith, hope, and peace, we pray as followers of Jesus. Amen. 

*HYMN: MV # 28 God of the Bible (Fresh as the Morning)
1. God of the Bible, God in the Gospel,
hope seen in Jesus, hope yet to come,
you are our centre, daylight or darkness,
freedom or prison, you are our home.
      Fresh as the morning, sure as the sunrise,
      God always faithful, you do not change.
      Fresh as the morning, sure as the sunrise,
      God always faithful, you do not change. 

2. God in our struggles, God in our hunger,
suffering with us, taking our part,
still you empow’r us, mothering Spirit,
feeding, sustaining, from your own heart.
     Fresh as the morning, sure as the sunrise,
     God always faithful, you do not change.
     Fresh as the morning, sure as the sunrise,
     God always faithful, you do not change. 

3. Those without status, those who are nothing,
you have made royal, gifted with rights,
chosen as partners, midwives of justice,
birthing new systems, lighting new lights.
     Fresh as the morning, sure as the sunrise,
     God always faithful, you do not change.
     Fresh as the morning, sure as the sunrise,
     God always faithful, you do not change. 

4. Not by your finger, not by your anger
will our world order change in a day,
but by your people, fearless and faithful,
small paper lanterns, lighting the way.
     Fresh as the morning, sure as the sunrise,
     God always faithful, you do not change.
     Fresh as the morning, sure as the sunrise,
     God always faithful, you do not change. 

5. Hope we must carry, shining and certain
through all our turmoil, terror and loss,
bonding us gladly one to the other,
till our world changes facing the Cross.
     Fresh as the morning, sure as the sunrise,
     God always faithful, you do not change.
     Fresh as the morning, sure as the sunrise,
     God always faithful, you do not change. 

PRAYER OF CONFESSION:
God of love, we confess our lack of trust in you and in your grace.
We confess that we would rather busy ourselves with things of little worth than spend time with you and others who seek to be your disciples.
Forgive us when we resent the grace that has been received by others.
Forgive us when we give up too easily and miss the opportunity to embrace your grace.
Restore us to right relationships with you and with one another.
Strengthen us so that we can be bearers of grace in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
           

WORDS of ASSURANCE:
Know this: our God is faithful in all things.
God’s faithfulness guides us through our doubts.
God’s trustworthiness holds us in our fears.
Let us trust the love of our God to be with us now and always.
Thanks be to God.      

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION:
Gracious God, Pilgrim Spirit,
journey with us today in fellowship.
Help us to receive your word,
not only through this scripture,
but also in hymn and in prayer,
and even in the silence.
Rekindle in us the flame of your love,
reawaken the passion of faith, and uplift us
so that we seek always the Way of Jesus,
our loving and redeeming Christ.
Amen.
 

SCRIPTURE:        

Psalm: 81: 10-16 VU # 796-797, Refrain 2, Part Two
Refrain: Sing with joy to God! Sing to God our help!

It is I who am God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
            Open wide your mouth, and I will fill it.
But my people would not hear my voice,
Israel would not obey me. 
            So I left them in their stubbornness of heart
            to follow their own devices.
O that my people would listen to me,
that Israel would follow my paths.
            I would soon put down their enemies, 
            and turn a hand against their foes.
Those who hate me would cringe before me,
their fate would be sealed forever.
            But you I would feed with the finest of wheat,
            you I would satisfy with honey from the rock.”
Refrain:
Sing with joy to God! Sing to God our help!
 

Readings:    
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
A list of instructions on living mutual love. (NRSV)
Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured.
Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers.
Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you."
So we can say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?"
Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. 

Luke 14:1, 7-14
Those who exalt themselves will be humbled. (NRSV)
On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely.
When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable.
"When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, 'Give this person your place,' and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place.
But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher'; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you.
For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."
He said also to the one who had invited him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid.
But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.
And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."  

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

MUSICAL INTERLUDE:
Moment of Worship by Ellen Jane Lorenz 

SERMON:

*HYMN: VU # 567 Will You Come and Follow Me
1. Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown, will you let my name be known,
Will you let my life be grown in you and you in me? 

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

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

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

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

PROFESSION OF FAITH A New Creed
We are not alone,
we live in God’s world. 

We believe in God:
who has created
     and is creating,
who has come in Jesus,
     the Word made flesh,
     to reconcile and make new,
     who works in us and others
           by the Spirit.
 

We trust in God.

We are called to be the Church:
      to celebrate God’s presence,
      to live with respect in Creation,
      to love and serve others,
      to seek justice and resist evil,
      to proclaim Jesus,
           crucified and risen,  
           our judge and our hope.
In life, in death,
     in life beyond death,
     God is with us.
We are not alone.
Thanks be to God. 

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE:
We call to mind our concerns and commitments,
and join our prayers for peace and well-being
to the prayers of the whole church
as they are offered this day for the whole world.
Let us pray:
We remember the people we know who are in trouble,
and pray for healing and happiness for all.    
(silence)
We seek God’s encouragement:
for honest trade and just commerce;
for medicine and education;
for the gifts and aptitudes in every person
which serve justice in community living.    
(silence)
We pray for peace on earth:
for the generous sharing of the earth’s resources
and the responsible sharing of the earth’s problems;
for understanding of others
and willingness to regard the diversity of human culture
as more stimulating than threatening;
for the turning of swords into ploughshares
and spears into pruning hooks.     
(silence)
We pray for the church,
by all its names and in all its places:
for its continuing usefulness as a channel of grace and hope;
for its rescue from bureaucracy and stagnation;
for its witness to unity and justice;
for its commitment to hospitality and compassion.     
(silence)
We commend to the Lord our families and friends;
and let us ask God to help us in the days of this coming week.    
(silence)
Amen.  

THE LORD’S PRAYER (Spoken, traditional words, VU 921)
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, … 

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:
A Peaceful Thought ~ William Reske 

INVITATION to the OFFERING and PRAYER OF DEDICATION OF GIFTS AND SELF: 
Jesus calls us to be humble, so we are humbled by the divine presence in our lives. As we consider our humility we realize that it is intertwined with gratitude. I invite you to give because you are grateful and humbled by God’s blessings. I invite you to give because your blessings can bless others. I invite you to give to support the work of this community of faith and work around the world through Mission & Service.
And so we pray:
Spirit of Life, giver of every perfect gift, we offer our thanks for this life and its gifts. Bless these offerings and those given outside this time of worship. May our contributions here and in every part of our lives―our time, our skills, and our money―work toward a world of justice and peace. We pray that it be so through the ministries of this congregation and through the work we do together through Mission & Service. In Jesus’ name. 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 – are there any today other than…
Coffee Hour

*HYMN: VU # 654 All My Hope Is Firmly Grounded
1. All my hope is firmly grounded
In our great and living Lord;
who, whenever I most need him,
never fails to keep his word.
God I must wholly trust,
God the ever good and just. 

2. Tell me, who can trust our nature,
human, weak, and insecure?
Which of all the airy castles
can the hurricane endure?
Built on sand, naught can stand
by our earthly wisdom planned. 

3. But in every time and season,
out of love's abundant store,
God sustains the whole creation,
fount of life for evermore.
We who share earth and air
count on God’s unfailing care. 

4. Thank, O thank, our great Creator,
through God’s only Son this day;
God alone, the heavenly potter,
made us out of earth and clay.
Quick to heed, strong in deed,
God shall all the people feed. 

*COMMISSIONING:
And now with Christ as our foundation and his words of assurance echoing in our lives, let us leave this time and place of worship to be God’s faithful people in all the places life calls us to be.
As God has blessed us, so may we be a blessing to each other and to God’s world all the days of our lives.

*BENEDICTION:
May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who showed us how to be humble, be with you;
may the everlasting love of God, who is our constant helper, be with you;
and may the comfort of the Holy Spiritbe with you as you leave this time of worship.
May it be so! Amen. 

*SUNG BLESSING: MV #214 May God’s Sheltering Wings
May God’s sheltering wings,
her gathering wings protect you.
May God’s nurturing arms,
her cradling arms sustain you,
and hold you in her love,
and hold you in her love. 

POSTLUDE:
Introduction and Fugato ~ Cuthbert Harris        

*****

RESOURCES USED
Liturgy Sources: The following are used with permission:
- Call to Worship: written by Bill Steadman, Gathering, Pentecost-1 2022, page 35
- Opening Prayer: written by Gill Le Fevre, Gathering, Pentecost-1 2022, page 41
- Prayer of Confession; written by Beth W Johnston, Gathering, Pentecost-1 2022, page 43
- Words of Assurance: written by Frances Flook, Gathering, Pentecost-1 2022, page 45.
- Prayer for Illumination: written by George Allan, Gathering, Pentecost-1 2022, page 47
- Affirmation of Faith: “A New Creed,” The United Church of Canada, General Council 1968, alt. 1998
- Prayers of the People: Celebrate God’s Presence, page 64- Invitation to Offering: Invitation for August 28 from stewardship@united-church.ca- Prayer of Dedication: from stewardship@united-church.ca
- Commissioning: written by Bob Root, Gathering, Pentecost-1 2022, page 50
- Benediction: written by Phyllis Fleming 2022 

HYMNS and SUNG VERSES
- “God of the Bible (Fresh as the Morning)” MV 28. Words by Shirley Erena Murray 1995, copyright © 1996 Hope Publishing Company. Music by Tony E. Alonso2001, copyright © 2001 by GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission, One License #608577  
- Psalm response “Sing with Joy to God.” Michel Guimont; © 1990  G.I.A. Publications Inc.. Used by permission, One License #608577  
- “Will You Come and Follow Me”, VU 567, Words, Arrangement: © 1987WGRG, The Iona Community, G.I.A. Publications, Inc. Used by permission, One License #608577.  Music: Public Domain.
- “All My Hope Is Firmly Grounded”, VU 654, Words by Joachim Neander 1680, trans. Fred Pratt Green 1986, © 1989 Hope Publishing Company. Music by Herbert Howells 1930, 1977, © 1968 Shawnee Press, Inc. Used by permission, One License #608577
- “May God’s Sheltering Wings:” MV 214.Words and music: Judith Snowdon, 2004Words and music copyright © 2004 by Judith Snowdon. 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: In a Monastery Garden “~ Albert W. Ketelbey
Musical Interlude: “Moment of Worship” ~ Ellen  Jane Lorenz
Music for Passing the Peace: “A Peaceful Thought” ~ William Reske
Postlude: “Introduction and Fugato”~ Cuthbert Harris