Grace United Church | United Church in Thornbury, ON

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July 6, 2025: 4th Sunday after Pentecost

Rev Dr John Smith

Sunday, July 6, 2025

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July 6th, 2025

4^th Sunday after Pentecost

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: Sandy Eagles

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

We Gather

PRELUDE: Selected Hymns - Compiled by C. Burton

WELCOME

Stewardship Second
Hospitality is how we show guests that we mean it when we say, You are welcome and a beloved part of the body of Christ.

LIGHTING the CHRIST CANDLE
The Christ light beckons;
our hearts light up.
The light of Christ inspires us to worship;
We bring our hearts and souls and minds to this place.
The Christ light shines in our world, even when we cannot see it.
As we light it once again today, let our own lights shine bright!

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
Come, beloved of God, not just to remember Jesus,
but to actualize his way—here and now.
We come not only to believe in Jesus,
but to believe with him—
to walk in his Spirit and live with his love.
Jesus sent the 70 ahead of him,
with no bag, no sandals, no security—
only the power of peace and presence.
So we come, carrying nothing but open hearts,
trusting that love alone is enough.
In every act of compassion, every gesture of welcome,
every step toward justice—
Christ lives again.
We are hands and feet of Christ.
His spirit beats in our hearts!
This is the call:
To bring healing where there is pain,
to speak truth where there is silence,
to embody grace where there is need.
We answer:
Here we are.
Send us.
Let us walk the Way.

*HYMN: VU #333 “Love Divine”
1. Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation,
enter every trembling heart.

2. Come, almighty to deliver;
let us all thy grace receive;
suddenly return, and never,
nevermore thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee, without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.

3. Finish, then, thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee,
changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.

OPENING PRAYER
Thank you God for this day and this time we have together.
Bless these moments with your presence.
Bless these moments with your Spirit!
Bless the sharing of worship with the St. George’s congregation.
Open our hearts to the power and energy of life, alive in each one of us!
Open our ears to the calming presence of Christ’s voice, alive in each one of us!
In this time of worship,
Bless our loves, our devotion, and our hope.
Bless our attention and even our inattention.
Bless our open hearts and spirits.
Bless our difficulty in opening our hearts and spirits.
For we have arrived at this time and this place, with the fullness of our lives,
Trusting you will bless all of it. AMEN!

A Poem: My Work Is Loving the World by Mary Oliver
My work is loving the world.
Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird -
equal seekers of sweetness.
Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.
Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.
Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?
Am I no longer young and still not half-perfect? Let me
keep my mind on what matters,
which is my work,
which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished.
The phoebe, the delphinium.
The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture,
Which is mostly rejoicing, since all ingredients are here,
Which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart
and these body-clothes,
a mouth with which to give shouts of joy
to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,
telling them all, over and over, how it is
that we live forever.

*HYMN: VU #229 “God of the Sparrow”
1. God of the sparrow God of the whale
God of the swirling stars
How does the creature say Awe
How does the creature say Praise

2. God of the earthquake God of the storm
God of the trumpet blast
How does the creature cry Woe
How does the creature cry Save

3. God of the rainbow God of the cross
God of the empty grave
How does the creature say Grace
How does the creature say Thanks

4. God of the hungry God of the sick
God of the prodigal
How does the creature say Care
How does the creature say Life

5. God of the neighbour God of the foe
God of the pruning hook
How does the creature say Love
How does the creature say Peace

6. God of the ages God near at hand
God of the loving heart
How do your children say Joy
How do your children say Home

We Listen

SCRIPTURE READING

Luke 8: 4-15 New International Version
While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”
When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
His disciples asked him what this parable meant.He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, “‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’
“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.
Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.
The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.
But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

Luke 10:1-11 and 17–20 New International Version
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
“When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
“When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say,‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’
The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

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

MINISTRY of MUSIC: “Little Litanies of Jesus” - G. Grovlez

SERMON: “The Call, part 2: Actualizing Jesus”

We Respond

INVITATION to the OFFERING
We all come to worship with different needs and leave with different answers. Spending this time as community, sharing sacred story, singing holy song, and translating worship into our lives are core spiritual practices for many of us. Sharing financial gifts is also a spiritual practice. You are invited to support the work of this church and the work of St George’s, by giving what you can.

PRAYER of DEDICATION of OUR OFFERINGS
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 both here and in every part of our lives—our time, our skills and our money—work towards a world of justice and peace. We pray that it be so. 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

PRAYERS of OUR HEARTS
O Christ, you who give us hope and light to live by,
You who walked dusty roads and blessed broken bread,
You who knelt before the forgotten and spoke peace to the weary—
Be born again in us today.

(pause for reflection)

We pray that your spirit enliven us and fill us,
Not in theory, but in the flesh.
Not only in memory, but in the movement of our hands and feet as we seek to bless the world.
Not only in our worship, but in our living.

(pause for reflection)

You sent your followers out with nothing but faith—
no gold, no sword, no script—
just open hearts and willing hands.
Teach us to walk the same way.
Now in our prayer, let us lift up silently the places in our lives
where we long to bring your presence…

(Pause for reflection)

For the people we love and struggle to love,
For the work that exhausts or inspires,
For the hopes we carry and the doubts that shadow them—
We pray your presence.
Now in our prayer, let us lift up silently the places in the world that ache for healing…

(Pause for reflection)

For the hurting, the hungry, the hidden,
For those at war and those in exile,
For those whose names we do not know
but whose pain You surely bear—
we pray your presence.
Holy One,
You call us not to be perfect,
but to be open.
Not to save the world,
but to show up in it.
Not to be everything,
but to be love—wherever we are.
So make of us quiet revolutions of kindness,
carriers of peace,
living prayers
that move through the world.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

What’s Up at Grace?

GOING FORTH

*CLOSING 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 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.