January21st, 2024

3nd Sunday After Epiphany

Find this service at www.graceunitedthornbury.ca/live

Leading us today in Worship:
            Minister: Rev. Dr. John Greg. Smith
            Music Director: Dr. Christopher Burton
            Scripture Reader: Debbie Potts

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

We Gather 

PRELUDE
”Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring” -  J.S. Bach

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

LIGHTING the CHRIST CANDLE:
The light of Christ is with us always!
The light of Christ is in this place!
The light of Christ fills us with hope and courage
and gives us strength for the journey ahead!

Thanks be to God for the light of Christ!

WELCOME

OUR COMMITMENT to SAFE SPACE & ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of the LAND
We believe all people are made in the image of God andare entitled to dignity and respect. At Grace United Church we try to offer a safe, inclusive and generous space for all who are seeking a faith community – people of all gender identities, sexual orientations, races, ages and abilities. We are committed to continuing to learn and grow as we prepare to become an Affirming congregation.

Grace United Church is situated on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabek, Petun, Huron-Wendat, and Mississauga peoples, located within the boundary of Treaty 18 region of 1818. We humbly acknowledge the First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples of Canada as traditional stewards of the land on which we work and worship and are committed to working actively toward genuine restitution and reconciliation.

CALL to WORSHIP
The call is to follow, to surrender your life to Life Eternal.
The call is to let go of things, to let go of control,
To let go of our ego-driven ways!

The call seems to come in whispers rather than shouts.
The voice of God seems to call from afar, beckoning us to get in the boat,
Beckoning us to get on the train,
Beckoning us to get back on the path.

But the call is not to journey alone, or to suffer the absence of the pleasures of life.
The call does not require us to deny all the many meaning-making activities we have.
Rather the call is to turn our hearts to the voice of the Beloved.
The call is to turn our hearts to the one who speaks our name in our souls.
The call is to listen to the urgings of the Spirit deep down in the interior castle of our being.

Let us be a community that answers this call.
Let each of us be a part of something larger, a wide circle of care,
An expansive expanding embracing life-enhancing body,
With room enough to include each other, with all our warts and wants,
And with room enough to hear always
The call of the Spirit, to the greatest task ever given to humanity……

*OPENING HYMN
“When Your Heart is in a Holy Place”   
Refrain:
When our heart is in a holy place,
When our heart is in a holy place,
We are bless’d with love and amazing grace,
When our heart is in a holy place.

1. When we trust the wisdom in each of us,
Ev’ry color ev’ry creed and kind,
And we see our faces in each other’s eyes,
Then our heart is in a holy place.
Refrain:
When our heart is in a holy place,
When our heart is in a holy place,
We are bless’d with love and amazing grace,
When our heart is in a holy place.

2. When we tell our story from deep inside,
And we listen with a loving mind,
And we hear our voices in each other’s words,
Then our heart is in a holy place.
Refrain:
When our heart is in a holy place,
When our heart is in a holy place,
We are bless’d with love and amazing grace,
When our heart is in a holy place.

3. When we share the silence of sacred space,
And the God of our Heart stirs within,
And we feel the power of each other’s faith,
Then our heart is in a holy place.
Refrain:
When our heart is in a holy place,
When our heart is in a holy place,
We are bless’d with love and amazing grace,
When our heart is in a holy place.

OPENING PRAYER
As we come together in worship today,
God fill us with purpose and meaning.
Fill us with courage and strength for the work of this day;
Fill us with joy and love for the worship we share.

In our worship, let us allow our hearts to rest.
Let us allow our bodies to rest.
Let us allow our spirits to rest, 
So that they may be touched by your Love, O God.

In the quiet of our prayer in this moment,
Let us know we are loved, we are blessed, we are here.
Let us know we are the recipients of God’s grace and love;
Let us know we are called to be a BLESSING to those around us
And to the whole world outside this place.

We bring to mind the concerns of our hearts.
We hold our loved ones with tenderness and peace.
We hold our children and our neighbours with tenderness and peace.
We hold those carrying heavy burdens with tenderness and peace.
God fill our hearts now with the same tenderness and peace,
That we might be a blessing to others in need.

In our prayers, we remember that the world is changed through the many small actions of love and tenderness of each person.
“We cannot always do great things, but we can do small things, with great love.” [1]
God in our worship today, help us to claim this promise.

Now let us sing our response:

“Christ be our Light!
Shine in our hearts!
Shine through the darkness.
Christ be our light;
Shine in your church, gathered today!”

OUR PRAYER CANDLES

*HYMN:  VU 595   
“Sister Let Me Be Your Servant”

1. We are pilgrims on a journey,
fellow travellers on the road;
we are here to help each other
walk the mile and bear the load.

2. Sister, let me be your servant,
let me be as Christ to you;
pray that I may have the grace to
let you be my servant too.

3. I will hold the Christ-light for you
in the night-time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
speak the peace you long to hear.

4. I will weep when you are weeping,
when you laugh I’ll laugh with you;
I will share your joy and sorrow,
till we’ve seen this journey through.

5. When we sing to God in heaven,
we shall find such harmony,
born of all we’ve known together
of Christ’s love and agony.

We Listen

SCRIPTURE READINGS

Jonah 1:  1 – 17   (The Message version)
One day long ago, God’s Word came to Jonah, Amittai’s son: “Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They’re in a bad way and I can’t ignore it any longer.”
But Jonah got up and went the other direction to Tarshish, running away from God. He went down to the port of Joppa and found a ship headed for Tarshish. He paid the fare and went on board, joining those going to Tarshish—as far away from God as he could get.
But God sent a huge storm at sea, the waves towering. The sailors were terrified. They called out in desperation to their gods. They threw everything they were carrying overboard to lighten the ship. Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down into the hold of the ship to take a nap. He was sound asleep. The captain came to him and said, “What’s this? Sleeping! Get up! Pray to your god! Maybe your god will see we’re in trouble and rescue us.”
Then the sailors said to one another, “Let’s get to the bottom of this. Let’s draw straws to identify the culprit on this ship who’s responsible for this disaster.”
So they drew straws. Jonah got the short straw.
Then they grilled him: “Confess. Why this disaster? What is your work? Where do you come from? What country? What family?
He told them, “I’m a Hebrew. I worship God, the God of heaven who made sea and land.”
At that, the men were frightened, really frightened, and said, “What on earth have you done!” As Jonah talked, the sailors realized that he was running away from God
They said to him, “What are we going to do with you—to get rid of this storm?” By this time the sea was wild, totally out of control.
Jonah said, “Throw me overboard, into the sea. Then the storm will stop. It’s all my fault. I’m the cause of the storm. Get rid of me and you’ll get rid of the storm.”
But no. The men tried rowing back to shore. They made no headway. The storm only got worse and worse, wild and raging.
Then they prayed to God, “O God! Don’t let us drown because of this man’s life, and don’t blame us for his death. You are God. Do what you think is best.”
They took Jonah and threw him overboard. Immediately the sea was quieted down.
The sailors were impressed, no longer terrified by the sea, but in awe of God. They worshiped God, offered a sacrifice, and made vows.
Then God assigned a huge fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah was in the fish’s belly three days and nights.

Mark 1:  14 - 20     (Common English Bible)
After John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee announcing God’s good news, saying, “Now is the time! Here comes God’s kingdom! Change your hearts and lives, and trust this good news!” As Jesus passed alongside the Galilee Sea, he saw two brothers, Simon and Andrew, throwing fishing nets into the sea, for they were fishermen.  
“Come, follow me,” he said, “and I’ll show you how to fish for people.”  Right away, they left their nets and followed him. 
After going a little farther, he saw James and John, Zebedee’s sons, in their boat repairing the fishing nets.  At that very moment he called them.   They followed him, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired workers.

RESPONSE
May these words of scripture inspire us in heart, mind and soul.  AMEN

ANTHEM
“True Faith Needs No Defence” - D.C. Damon

SERMON:  “There’s No Comfort at the Comfort Inn”

We Respond 

*HYMN:   VU 575 
“I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me”

1) I’m gonna live so God can use me
anywhere, Lord, anytime!
I’m gonna live so God can use me
anywhere, Lord, anytime!

2) I’m gonna work so God can use me
anywhere, Lord, anytime!
I’m gonna work so God can use me
anywhere, Lord, anytime!

3) I’m gonna pray so God can use me
anywhere, Lord, anytime!
I’m gonna pray so God can use me
anywhere, Lord, anytime!

4) I’m gonna sing so God can use me
anywhere, Lord, anytime!
I’m gonna sing so God can use me
anywhere, Lord, anytime!

PRAYER of DEDICATION for OUR OFFERINGS
The work of creating a world that works for all, 
Requires many gifts, many talents, many resources.
We bring all that we have, our courage, our strength,
Our prayers and our dreams,
Our gifts of time and treasure,
And all the love and acceptance we embody,
To create God’s world of justice and joy.
Thanks be to God. 
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

PRAYERS of the PEOPLE & the LORD’S PRAYER  (VU 910)

What’s Up at Grace?

We Go Forth           

*HYMN: VU 509   
“I The Lord of Sea and Sky”

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 borne my people’s pain,
I have wept for love of them; 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?
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.

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?
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.

*COMMISSIONING

*SUNG BLESSING:  VU 964 
“Go Now in Peace”

“Go now in peace, go now in peace,
May the Love of God surround you,
Everywhere, everywhere you may go.”  (2x)

POSTLUDE
“Sonata in A Major” -  F. Kuhlau

*****

LITURGY SOURCES: The following are used with permission:
Call to Worship is adapted from a poem The Call,  by Oriah Mountain Dreamer. Baldwin, Emma. "Oriah Mountain Dreamer: The Canadian Author with a PoeticJourney". Poem Analysis, https://poemanalysis.com/oriah-mountaidreamer/biography/ Accessed 3 January 2024

Prayers are written by Rev. John G Smith
Opening Prayer: [1] This is a famous quote by Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

HYMNS and SUNG VERSES

Prelude:” Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring”  J.S. Bach. Public Domain

Anthem: “True Faith Needs No Defense”    D.C. Damon.  Words and music copyright © 2006 Hope Publishing Company. One License #608577

Postlude: “Sonata in A Major” F. Kuhlau Public Domain