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June 29, 2025: 3rd Sunday after Pentecost

Rev Dr John Smith

Sunday, June 29, 2025

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Service and Hymns

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June 29th, 2025

3^rd Sunday after Pentecost

You can find this service at www.graceunitedthornbury.ca/live

Leading us today in Worship:
Minister: Rev. Dr. John G. Smith
Music Director: Dr. Christopher Burton
Lay Reader: Norine Baron

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

We Gather

PRELUDE: Selected Hymns - C. Burton

Stewardship Second
We are called to do our best to redistribute God’s abundance so that all who need help can not only survive but also thrive.

WELCOME

LIGHTING the CHRIST CANDLE
Light can be understood as more than just generic light:
Light can be opened up to display a full spectrum of colours.
Light can overcome fear and dispel shadows.
Light can guide us on our way.
Light opens our minds to understanding, to learning and growing,
to relationships, new and old.
This morning, as we light our Christ candle, let us consider how this light
shines deep within each one of us,
and deep within each person throughout the earth!
AMEN!

OUR COMMITMENT to SAFER SPACE & ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of the LAND
We believe all people are made in the image of God and are entitled to dignity and respect. At Grace United Church we try to offer a safer, inclusive and generous space for all who are seeking a faith community. We offer full participation of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, all races, ages and abilities in the life and work of the ministry.
Grace United Church is situated on the traditional territory of the Saugeen Ojibway First Nation. We acknowledge that they are the first stewards of this land and we respect their histories and past and present cultures. We will work to recognize and remove barriers to reconciliation.

CALL to WORSHIP
We come to worship in the fullness of gratitude,
thankful to be here,
And awed by all the blessings of life around us.
We open our hearts to the Giver of Life.
We open our minds to the concerns of our world.
We open our hands to serve those in need,
And in doing so, our hearts become full with gratitude.
We come together on this Canada Day
aware of our many blessings and privileges.
Let us in our worship be mindful of our values
and pledge to live with determined integrity
in honour of the Giver.
Let the words in our mouths,
The caring actions of our hands,
And the meditations deep within our hearts,
Give us the courage and strength to transform the world around us.
And may the Spirit of Life
move in us and through us this day.
MAY IT BE SO! AMEN!

*HYMN: MV #1 “Let Us Build a House” vss. 1, 3 & 5
1. Let us build a house where love can dwell and all can safely live,
A place where saints and children tell how hearts learn to forgive.
Built of hopes and dreams and visions, rock of faith and vault of grace;
here the love of Christ shall end divisions:
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.

3. Let us build a house where love is found in water, wine and wheat;
a banquet hall on holy ground, where peace and justice meet.
Here the love of God, through Jesus, is revealed in time and space;
as we share in Christ the feast that frees us:
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.

5. Let us build a house where all are named, their songs and visions heard
and loved and treasured, taught and claimed as words within the Word.
Built of tears and cries and laughter, prayers of faith and songs of grace;
let this house proclaim from floor to rafter:
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.

OPENING PRAYER
In our singing,
Touch our hearts, O God
In our stillness and silence,
Touch our hearts, O God.
In our praying and our listening, our longing and dreaming,
Touch our hearts O God.
With the mystery of holy love within us and around us,
Touch our hearts O God.
Bless our time of worship here this morning;
Touch our hearts O God as we gather in Jesus’ name. Amen

A PSALM for SUMMER
Praise God from the heavens!
Praise God in the highest heavens!
Praise God all you angels,
All you souls who live in God’s presence!
Praise God, sun and moon
And all you glittering stars!
Praise God above the skies,
and in the realms beyond our knowledge!
Praise God for the earth, for all growing things,
For spiders and bees, even black flies !
Praise God for all that has been created!
For peaches and strawberries, bread and love!
Praise God for campfires,
For thunder, lightning, and rain!
For sunrises that lift our hearts,
And sunsets that gift our spirits!
Praise God for mountains and prairies,
Orchards, cities, lakes, and vast forests.
Praise God for fish and birds and chipmunks and bison.
For moose and deer, bears and Canada geese.
Praise God for the first caretakers of this land.
Praise God for all who have sought refuge in this land.
Praise God for open hearts and minds,
For all who seek to live in peace and harmony.
Praise be! Praise be! Praise be!

*HYMN: VU #217
“All Creatures of Our God and King” vss. 1, 3 & 5
1. All creatures of our God and King,
lift up your voice and with us sing:
hallelujah, hallelujah!
Bright burning sun with golden beam,
soft shining moon with silver gleam,
sing praises, sing praises,
hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah!

3. Earth, ever fertile, day by day
brings forth rich blessings on our way:
sing praises, hallelujah!
The flowers and fruits that verdant grow,
let them God’s glory also show:
sing praises, hallelujah!
hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah!

5. Let all things their Creator bless,
and worship God in humbleness:
sing praises, hallelujah!
Praise God eternal, praise the Son,
and praise the Spirit, three in one:
sing praises, hallelujah!
hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah!

We Listen

SCRIPTURE READING
1 Kings 19: 1 – 16 Contemporary English Version
Ahab told his wife Jezebel what Elijah had done and that he had killed the prophets. She sent a message to Elijah: “You killed my prophets. Now I'm going to kill you! I pray that the gods will punish me even more severely if I don't do it by this time tomorrow.”
Elijah was afraid when he got her message, and he ran to the town of Beersheba in Judah. He left his servant there, then walked another whole day into the desert. Finally, he came to a large bush and sat down in its shade. He begged the Lord “I've had enough. Just let me die! I'm no better off than my ancestors.” Then he lay down in the shade and fell asleep.
Suddenly an angel woke him up and said, “Get up and eat.” Elijah looked around, and by his head was a jar of water and some baked bread. He sat up, ate and drank, then lay down and went back to sleep.
Soon the Lord's angel woke him again and said, “Get up and eat, or else you'll get too tired to travel.” So Elijah sat up and ate and drank.
The food and water made him strong enough to walk 40 more days. At last, he reached Mount Sinai, the mountain of God, and he spent the night there in a cave.
While Elijah was on Mount Sinai, the Lord asked, “Elijah, why are you here?”
He answered, “Lord God All-Powerful, I've always done my best to obey you. But your people have broken their solemn promise to you. They have torn down your altars and killed all your prophets, except me. And now they are even trying to kill me!”
“Go out and stand on the mountain,” the Lord replied. “I want you to be there when I pass by.”
All at once, a strong wind shook the mountain and shattered the rocks. But the Lord was not in the wind. Next, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. Then there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.
Finally, there was a gentle breeze,and when Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his coat. He went out and stood at the entrance to the cave.
A voice asked, “Elijah, why are you here?”
Elijah answered, “Lord God All-Powerful, I've always done my best to obey you. But your people have broken their solemn promise to you. They have torn down your altars and killed all your prophets, except me. And now they are even trying to kill me!”
The Lord said:
Elijah, you can go back to the desert near Damascus. And when you get there, appoint Hazael to be king of Syria. Then appoint Jehu son of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and Elisha son of Shaphat to take your place as my prophet.

Micah 6: 6 – 8 New International Version
With what shall I come before the Lord
    and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
    with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.

RESPONSE
These words from scripture are meant to guide us, nurture us, and teach us.
Thanks be to God!

ANTHEM: “Come Sunday” - D. Ellington/C. Burton

SERMON: “What have the gods summoned you to do?”

We Respond

INVITATION to the OFFERING
We honour the time, talent, and labour represented in our gifts today. Together, our generosity makes it possible for many ministries to continue, both here in our community of faith and across the world, through Mission and Service. Let us now share our gifts.

PRAYER of DEDICATION of OUR OFFERINGS
We joyfully share our offerings in celebration and gratitude for all we have received, O God. May these gifts, and those given through PAR and online, be used to continue your work wherever they are needed. Amen.

Donate online: www.graceunitedthornbury.ca, select “Donate”
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
or Offering Plate at the back of the sanctuary.

Tap your debit card at the door of the church, or Donate to Grace United Church Thornbury through CanadaHelps.org. Our account is set up with them now and it is easy to register. Tax receipts are given automatically at the time of giving. Care, Prayer, Share

The Sacrament of Holy Communion

*HYMN: VU #477 “I Come with Joy”
1. I come with joy, a child of God,
forgiven, loved and free,
the life of Jesus to recall
in love laid down for me,
in love laid down for me.

2. I come with Christians far and near
to find, as all are fed,
the new community of love
in Christ’s communion bread,
in Christ’s communion bread.

3. As Christ breaks bread, and bids us share,
each proud division ends.
The love that made us, makes us one,
and strangers now are friends,
and strangers now are friends.

4. The Spirit of the risen Christ,
unseen, but ever near,
is in such friendship better known,
alive among us here,
alive among us here.

5. Together met, together bound
by all that God has done,
we’ll go with joy, to give the world
the love that makes us one,
the love that makes us one.

Prayer after Communion
For the bread we have eaten and the wine we have tasted,
We are grateful to you O God.
For the gifts of our life, for the loves in our life,
For the gift of your Spirit guiding our life,
We are grateful to you O God.
Now send us into the world you love
To seek justice, offer mercy, and walk with kindness
All the rest of our days.
AMEN

What’s Up at Grace?

GOING FORTH

*CLOSING HYMN: VU #625
“I Feel the Winds of God Today”
1. I feel the winds of God today;
today my sail I lift,
though heavy oft with drenching spray
and torn with many a rift;
if hope but light the water’s crest,
and Christ my bark will use,
I’ll seek the seas at his behest,
and brave another cruise.

2. It is the wind of God that dries
my vain regretful tears,
until with braver thoughts shall rise
the purer, brighter years;
if cast on shores of selfish ease
or pleasure I should be,
O let me feel your freshening breeze,
and I’ll put back to sea.

3. If ever I forget your love
and how that love was shown,
lift high the blood-red flag above;
it bears your name alone.
Great pilot of my onward way,
you will not let me drift.
I feel the winds of God today;
today my sail I lift.

COMMISSIONING
May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
And the rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.
AMEN

*SUNG BENEDICTION
“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.