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June 28, 2026 Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 8

Phyllis Fleming

Sunday, June 28, 2026

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June 28, 2026

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 8

Find this service at www.graceunitedthornbury.ca/live

Leading us today in Worship:
Worship Leader: Phyllis Fleming
Music Director: Dr. Christopher Burton
Lay Leader: Sandy Eagles

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

We Gather

PRELUDE: A Medley of Favourite Hymns – C. Burton

A Stewardship Second
The gift that seems insignificant to one person can mean the world to another.

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!

WELCOME & INTRODUCTION

LIGHTING the CHRIST CANDLE
When we turn on a lamp as evening falls, the light chases away the shadows.
When we turn to God in sad times or happy times, the light of love brightens us up, inside and out!
We light the Christ candle as a symbol of that love.
(the candle is lit)
Thanks be to God for this everlasting love.

SONG: “Jesus Bids Us Shine” - VU 585, v. 1
Jesus bids us shine with a pure, clear light,
like a little candle burning in the night.
In this world is darkness, so let us shine,
you in your small corner, and I in mine.

OUR COMMITMENT to SAFER SPACE & ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of the LAND
Grace United Church is inclusive and intentionally embraces people of all gender identities and sexual preferences. Everyone belongs here and is valued.
In gratitude and respect, The United Church of Canada gathers, worships, and works on Indigenous lands across Canada.

CALL to WORSHIP (RJM)
People of God! Pause. Take a moment and become aware of the people around you.
There are people we already know and love, neighbours and friends, siblings in Christ, all a community of kindred spirits.
People of God! Pause. Take a moment and become aware of the people around you.
There are people we may not yet know, regular attenders, visitors and seekers, forgotten friends, siblings in Christ, all a community of kindred spirits.
People of God! Pause. Take a moment and become aware of the people around you.
Witness all the images of God assembled here, in you, in me, in each of us, in the rainbow of diversity created by God and that reflects God. God’s spirit shines within us and within this gathered community of kindred spirits.
People of God, come! Let us worship together.

*OPENING HYMN: MV #79 - “Spirit, Open My Heart”
Chorus:
Spirit, open my heart to the joy and pain of living.
As you love may I love, in receiving and in giving,
Spirit, open my heart.

1. God, replace my stony heart with a heart that's kind and tender.
All my coldness and fear to your grace I now surrender.
Chorus:
Spirit, open my heart to the joy and pain of living.
As you love may I love, in receiving and in giving,
Spirit, open my heart.

2. Write your love upon my heart as my law, my goal, my story.
In each thought, word, and deed, may my living bring you glory.
Chorus:
Spirit, open my heart to the joy and pain of living.
As you love may I love, in receiving and in giving,
Spirit, open my heart.

3. May I weep with those who weep, share the joy of sister, brother.
In the welcome of Christ, may we welcome one another.
Chorus:
Spirit, open my heart to the joy and pain of living.
As you love may I love, in receiving and in giving,
Spirit, open my heart.

OPENING PRAYER (JC)
O God, you call us
out of our busy lives,
away from our never-ending thoughts,
into a place of welcome, inclusion, and acceptance,
into a space made sacred by our prayers and your presence,
into a community that is humbly trying to follow the Way of Christ.
May our words bring healing and wholeness.
May our songs bring joy and transformation.
May our time together this morning lead us to new ways of thinking, doing, and being:
May we live into the vision of becoming a people who live with Deep Spirituality, Bold Discipleship, and Daring Justice.
We come to worship you, our God!
Alleluia! Amen.

We Listen

ANTHEM: River in Judea

Theme Conversation and Lighting of the Children’s Lantern

PRAYER of CONFESSION (RW)
When we have not lived up to our prayers, and when we realize that we have ignored beauty, overlooked your image in others, and caused pain or division,
come to us again, O God.
Send prophets, send messengers, send awareness of our sin,
that we might repent of wrong and seek a new path.
When we have been wounded by the words and actions of others,
when the beauty and gifts within us have been ignored or rejected,
and when your image within us has been overlooked by others,
causing us pain and loneliness,
come to us again, O God.
Send prophets, send messengers, send healers
that we might remember our beauty and be restored in body, mind, and spirit.
This we pray in the name of Christ, who welcomed all into your reign of love.
Amen.

WORDS of ASSURANCE
Friends, God’s love and forgiveness are for everyone, and no-one is beyond the reach of God’s mercy. That includes us as well! God’s compassion for us never fails.
Thanks be to God!

PRAYER for ILLUMINATION
O God, may these words from Scripture enter our minds and affect our hearts. Amen.

SCRIPTURE READINGS
Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18 Responsive (New Revised Standard Version)
I will sing of your steadfast love, O LORD, forever;
with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.
I declare that your steadfast love is established forever;
your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.
You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn to my servant David:
'I will establish your descendants forever
and build your throne for all generations.'"
Happy are the people who know the festal shout,
who walk, O LORD, in the light of your countenance;
they exult in your name all day long
and extol your righteousness.
For you are the glory of their strength;
by your favor our horn is exalted.
For our shield belongs to the LORD,
our king to the Holy One of Israel.

Romans 6:12-23- reading from the Common English Bible
So then, don’t let sin rule your body, so that you do what it wants. Don’t offer parts of your body to sin, to be used as weapons to do wrong. Instead, present yourselves to God as people who have been brought back to life from the dead, and offer all the parts of your body to God to be used as weapons to do right. Sin will have no power over you, because you aren’t under Law but under grace.
So what? Should we sin because we aren’t under Law but under grace? Absolutely not! Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, that you are slaves of the one whom you obey? That’s true whether you serve as slaves of sin, which leads to death, or as slaves of the kind of obedience that leads to righteousness. But thank God that although you used to be slaves of sin, you gave wholehearted obedience to the teaching that was handed down to you, which provides a pattern. Now that you have been set free from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness. (I’m speaking with ordinary metaphors because of your limitations.) Once, you offered the parts of your body to be used as slaves to impurity and to lawless behavior that leads to still more lawless behavior. Now, you should present the parts of your body as slaves to righteousness, which makes your lives holy. When you were slaves of sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What consequences did you get from doing things that you are now ashamed of? The outcome of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and become slaves to God, you have the consequence of a holy life, and the outcome is eternal life. The wages that sin pays are death, but God’s gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Matthew 10:40-42- reading from Common English Bible
“Those who receive you are also receiving me, and those who receive me are receiving the one who sent me. Those who receive a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. Those who receive a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. I assure you that everybody who gives even a cup of cold water to these little ones because they are my disciples will certainly be rewarded.”

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

MESSAGE

We Respond

*HYMN: TLUS #30 – “We Are a Rainbow”
1. We’re the light of all the world, we are a city on a hill,
we’re a candle on a stand proclaiming light,
we will not hide our lamp beneath a bushel anymore,
we will shine a ray of hope that’s burning bright.
Chorus:
We are a rainbow, sign of covenant and peace
for the flood of tears will fin’lly cease to be,
come shine your rainbow, splash your hues across the sky,
paint the world in colours proud and bold and free.

2. We’re a coat of many colours, sewn from many diff’rent threads,
cov’ring all in warmth, in welcome and in grace,
God said “Let there be light”, created every varied shade,
in the rainbow each of us can find a place.
Chorus:
We are a rainbow, sign of covenant and peace
for the flood of tears will fin’lly cease to be,
come shine your rainbow, splash your hues across the sky,
paint the world in colours proud and bold and free.

3. We are hope to still believe in tomorrow’s better day,
we are peace in a world that’s torn apart,
we are joy that will last in all the struggles that we face
we are love that blooms and grows in every heart.
Chorus:
We are a rainbow, sign of covenant and peace
for the flood of tears will fin’lly cease to be,
come shine your rainbow, splash your hues across the sky,
paint the world in colours proud and bold and free.

4. When we face the storms of life, we will never be alone,
for our God will be with us on the way,
here we are, side by side, we won’t be frightened anymore,
as the mourning night of tears breaks into day.
Chorus:
We are a rainbow, sign of covenant and peace
for the flood of tears will fin’lly cease to be,
come shine your rainbow, splash your hues across the sky,
paint the world in colours proud and bold and free.
Paint the world in colours proud and bold and free.

PRAYERS of the PEOPLE

THE LORD’S PRAYER (Spoken, traditional words, VU 910)
And 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, who art in heaven..

INVITATION to the OFFERING
In God’s Kin(g)dom there is peace. You help God’s peace to emerge in the world when you share your gifts in this church and with the Mission and Service of the United Church of Canada. Please share generously.

PRAYER of DEDICATION for OUR OFFERINGS
O God, may gifts given here today, and those we have given by PAR [or on-line, or by e-transfer] help to build peace: peace across the world, peace within our homes, and peace within ourselves. 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, and Donate to Grace United Church 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

WHAT’S UP AT GRACE?

We Go Out

*HYMN: VU #681 – “Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life”
1. Where cross the crowded ways of life,
where sound the cries of race and clan,
above the noise of selfish strife,
we hear your voice of life again.

2. In haunts of wretchedness and need,
on shadowed thresholds, dark with fears,
from paths where hide the lures of greed,
we catch the vision of your tears.

3. The cup of water given for you
still holds the freshness of your grace;
yet long these multitudes to view
the strong compassion of your face.

4. O Jesus, from the mountain side,
make haste to heal these hearts of pain;
among these restless throngs abide,
and tread the city's streets again,

5. till all the world shall learn your love
and follow where your feet have trod,
till glorious from your heaven above
shall come the city of our God.

*COMMISSIONING (SW)
We have journeyed inward to encounter God’s presence in our lives.
Now let us journey outward to encounter God’s presence in all of Creation, in all persons with whom we come in contact, in the full rainbow of race, colour, creed, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
Let us be willing to journey onward beyond what we have known and grown up with.
By faith, we will discover who we are and who we want to be.
Go in peace to learn, serve, and share in the abundance for which you were created.

*BENEDICTION

*SUNG BLESSING: “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.
*alternate words: watching from above