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September 28, 2025: Affirming Family Sunday

Affirming Committee

Sunday, September 28, 2025

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September 28, 2025

16th Sunday after Pentecost

Affirming Family Sunday

Find this service at www.graceunitedthornbury.ca/live

Leading us today in Worship:
Worship Leaders: Affirming Leadership Team
Director of Music: Dr. Christopher Burton
Lay Readers: Caroline Abbotts, Mary Lou Gignac, Wendy Maloney, Mary Poulin, Heike Reck

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

We Gather

PRELUDE: Select Favourite Hymns

WELCOME

A Stewardship Second
We have all been blessed, so we all have a great opportunity to bless others through generosity.

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 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.

Lighting of the Red Candle
We light the red candle, symbolizing life in all its richness.
Come, let us worship, learn, and celebrate together.

*HYMN: MV #1 “Let Us Build a House”
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.

2. Let us build a house where prophets speak, and words are strong and true,
where all God’s children dare to seek to dream God’s reign anew.
Here the cross shall stand as witness and as symbol of God’s grace;
here as one we claim the faith of Jesus:
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.

4. Let us build a house where hands will reach beyond the wood and stone
to heal and strengthen, serve and teach, and live the Word they’ve known.
Here the outcast and the stranger bear the image of God’s face;
let us bring an end to fear and danger:
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.

CALL to WORSHIP

OPENING PRAYER
Creating God—God beyond Gender,
who makes no mistakes,
who surprises us always,
who molded the first person both male and female,
who molded the first non-gendered human
who loves all creation.
            Help us love the diversity of your creation.
Help us accept all varieties of gender in ourselves and in others.
            Help us celebrate those who are different from us
            That we may learn to love each other as you love us,
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, both human and divine.

Lighting of the Orange Candle
We light the orange candle, symbolizing healing.
As scripture assures, “If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast.” (Psalm 139: 9–10 NRSV)

*HYMN: VU #371 “Open My Eyes, That I May See”
1. Open my eyes, that I may see
glimpses of truth thou hast for me;
place in my hands the wonderful key
that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!

2. Open my ears, that I may hear
voices of truth thou sendest clear;
and while the wavenotes fall on my ear,
everything false will disappear.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my ears, illumine me, Spirit divine!

3. Open my mouth, and let me bear
gladly the warm truth everywhere;
open my heart and let me prepare
love with thy children thus to share.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my heart, illumine me, Spirit divine!

We Listen

SCRIPTURE READINGS
The scripture we have chosen for this morning is from Acts 15 in The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language. This reading is a call to “embrace those who are marginalized.” In other words, “to be radically inclusive.”

In the chapters just prior to the 15th chapter, Peter, a devout Jewish person, has a vision of a large sheet coming down from heaven containing all sorts of animals, many of them considered unclean and therefore not to be eaten according to Jewish law. But Peter hears God say very clearly, “Go to it, Peter; kill and eat.” When Peter objects that he cannot eat meat that is not kosher, God says, “If God says it is OK, it is OK!” This happens three times. With the help of others, Peter discerns that God was saying that the Jewish God was for everybody including the Gentiles—non-Jewish people who were, by law, considered unclean. With this background, we come to Acts 15 where, in a church in Antioch, Peter and Barnabas are reporting on their visits with the non-Jewish people.

Acts 15: 5-13
Listen for Peter’s words as we might imagine them in our theme today:
Some Pharisees stood up to say their piece. They had become believers, but continued to hold to the hard party line of the Pharisees. “You have to circumcise the pagan converts,” they said. “You must make them keep the Law of Moses.”
The apostles and leaders called a special meeting to consider the matter. The arguments went on and on, back and forth, getting more and more heated. Then Peter took the floor: “Friends, you well know that from early on God made it quite plain that he wanted the pagans to hear the Message of this good news and embrace it—and not in any secondhand or roundabout way, but firsthand, straight from my mouth. And God, who can’t be fooled by any pretense on our part but always knows a person’s thoughts, gave them the Holy Spirit exactly as he gave him to us. He treated the outsiders exactly as he treated us, beginning at the very center of who they were and working from that center outward, cleaning up their lives as they trusted and believed him.
“So why are you now trying to out-god God, loading these new believers down with rules that crushed our ancestors and crushed us, too? Don’t we believe that we are saved because the Master Jesus amazingly and out of sheer generosity moved to save us just as he did those from beyond our nation? So what are we arguing about?”
There was dead silence. No one said a word. With the room quiet, Barnabas and Paul reported matter-of-factly on the miracles and wonders God had done among the other nations through their ministry. The silence deepened; you could hear a pin drop.
James broke the silence. “Friends, listen. Simeon has told us the story of how God at the very outset made sure that racial outsiders were included. This is in perfect agreement with the words of the prophets.

RESPONSE
We are grateful for the wisdom revealed in these words of scripture, in each other and in ourselves. Amen.

Lighting of the Yellow Candle
We light the yellow candle, symbolizing sunlight.

ANTHEM: “Love Grows Here” – Don Besig

We Reflect

As we reflect together, this part of the service will flow without announcements. We will rise in body or in spirit to sing the first verse of “Deep in Our Hearts”, after which we will hear two Pride stories. After each story, the storyteller will light a candle while we all remain seated and sing the verses of “Deep in Our Hearts” as indicated below.

Please rise now, in body or in spirit, and join in singing our next hymn.

HYMN: MV#154 “Deep in Our Hearts” vs. 1
Deep in our hearts there is a common vision
deep in our hearts there is a common song
deep in our hearts there is a common story
telling Creation that we are one.

Trans Stories: Two Stories from 2SLGBTQIA+ Families

Story 1: Jean Jacobs

Lighting of the Green Candle:
We light the green candle, symbolizing nature.

MV #154 “Deep in Our Hearts” vs. 2
Deep in our hearts there is a common purpose;
deep in our hearts there is a common goal;
deep in our hearts there is a sacred message,
justice and peace in harmony.

Story 2: Tracy Martin

Lighting of the Blue Candle
We light the blue candle, symbolizing harmony.

MV#154“Deep in Our Hearts” vs. 3
Deep in our hearts there is a common longing;
deep in our hearts there is a common theme;
deep in our hearts there is a common current,
flowing to freedom like a stream.

Lighting of the Purple Candle
We light the purple candle, symbolizing Spirit.

We Respond

INVITATION to the OFFERING
Whether this is easy for us or difficult, let us pause for a moment of silence as we consider before God how we have been blessed.

(silence)

And now we offer ourselves and our gifts, trusting in God’s mercy and love to do a new thing in the world.

PRAYER of DEDICATION of OUR OFFERINGS
Enduring God, we offer our gifts because we love you, and we are trying not to store up our treasure on earth. We offer these gifts in order to share, in the hope of bringing your Kin(g)dom closer to reality. May this be a blessing. 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 the PEOPLE & The LORD’S PRAYER: (VU 910)

What’s up at Grace?

We Go Out

*HYMN: MV#138 “My Love Colours Outside the Lines
1. My love colours outside the lines,
exploring paths that few could ever find;
and takes me into places
where I’ve never been before,
and opens doors to worlds outside the lines.

2. My Lord colours outside the lines,
turns wounds to blessings, water into wine;
and takes me into places
where I’ve never been before
and opens doors to worlds outside the lines.

We’ll never walk on water if we’re not prepared to drown,
body and soul need a soaking from time to time.
And we’ll never move the gravestones if we’re not prepared to
die, and realize there are worlds outside the lines.

3. My soul longs to colour outside the lines,
tear back the curtains, sun come in and shine,
I want to walk beyond the boundaries,
where I’ve never been before,
throw open doors to worlds outside the lines.

4. My soul longs to colour outside the lines,
tear back the curtains, sun come in and shine,
I want to walk beyond the boundaries,
where I’ve never been before,
throw open doors to worlds outside the lines.

*COMMISSIONING
This morning we have lit candles:
Red for life in all its forms,
Orange for healing,
Yellow for sunlight and all kinds of light,
Green for nature in all her diversity,
Blue for harmony, and
Purple for the Spirit which guides us all.
We are called to practice this rainbow of colours in our lives—in the conversations and interactions in our lives at home, at work, and at play—as we go out into our community and the world to share the message that God’s love is for everyone!

*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.