Grace United Church | United Church in Thornbury, ON

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September 13, 2026 - Creation Time 1

Guest Speaker - Jeremy Wentworth-Stanley

Sunday, September 13, 2026

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September 13^th, 2026

Creation Time 1

Find this service at www.graceunitedthornbury.ca/live

Leading us today in Worship:
Worship Leader: Jeremy Wentworth-Stanley
Director of Music: Dr. Christopher Burton
Lay Reader: Jim Oliver

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

We Gather

PRELUDE: A Selection of Favourite Hymns – C. Burton

A Stewardship Second:
Faithful in small things, faithful in all things.

WELCOME & INTRODUCTION

LIGHTING the CHRIST CANDLE: “Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying” VU #400 v.1
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Lord, send your Spirit in this place;
Lord, listen to your children praying,
send us love, send us power, send us grace!

OUR COMMITMENT to SAFER SPACE & ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of the LAND
Grace United Church follows in Jesus’ way of love and compassion. We are committed to being a safer spiritual home for people of all gender identities and sexual preferences. We do this by opening our hearts and listening to people’s experiences.
In gratitude and respect, The United Church of Canada gathers, worships, and works on Indigenous lands across Canada.

CALL to WORSHIP

*HYMN: VU 260 “God Who Gives to Life Its Goodness”
1. God who gives to life its goodness,
God creator of all joy,
God who gives to us our freedom,
God who blesses tool and toy:
teach us now to laugh and praise you,
deep within your praises sing,
till the whole creation dances
for the goodness of its King.

2. God who fills the earth with beauty,
God who binds each friend to friend,
God who names us co-creators
God who wills that chaos end:
grant us now creative spirits,
minds responsive to your mind,
hearts and wills your rule extending
all our acts by Love refined.

PRAYER of CONFESSION

PRAYER of ASSURANCE

*HYMN: VU#211 “Crown Him with Many Crowns”
1. Crown him with many crowns,
the Lamb upon his throne:
hark, how the heavenly anthem drowns
all music but its own!
Awake, my soul, and sing
of him who died for thee,
and hail him as thy matchless King
through all eternity.

2. Crown him the Lord of life,
who triumphed o’er the grave,
and rose victorious in the strife
for those he came to save.
His glories now we sing
who died and rose on high,
who died eternal life to bring,
and lives that death may die.

3. Crown him the Lord of peace,
whose power a sceptre sways
from pole to pole, that wars may cease,
absorbed in prayer and praise.
His reign shall know no end;
and round his pierced feet
fair flowers of Paradise extend
their fragrance ever sweet.

4. Crown him the Lord of love;
behold his hands and side,
rich wounds yet visible above,
in beauty glorified.
All hail, Redeemer, hail!
for thou hast died for me;
thy praise shall never, never fail
throughout eternity.

Theme Conversation &Lighting the Children’s Lantern: “The Compass Needle”

ANTHEM: “God Be in My Head” - Music: H. Walford Davies

We Listen

SCRIPTURE READINGS: (New Revised Standard Version)

Exodus 15: 1b-11, 20-21
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:
“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
    horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.
The Lord is my strength and my might,
    and he has become my salvation;
this is my God, and I will praise him;
    my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The Lord is a warrior;
    the Lord is his name.
Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he cast into the sea;
    his elite officers were sunk in the Red Sea.
The floods covered them;
    they went down into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power—
    your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy.In the greatness of your majesty you overthrew your adversaries;
    you sent out your fury; it consumed them like stubble.
At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up;
    the floods stood up in a heap;
    the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.
The enemy said, ‘I will pursue; I will overtake;
    I will divide the spoil; my desire shall have its fill of them.
    I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’
You blew with your wind; the sea covered them;
    they sank like lead in the mighty waters.
Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?
    Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
    awesome in splendor, doing wonders?
Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing. ²¹And Miriam sang to them:
“Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.”

Responsive Psalm103: 1-13 VU #825
Refrain:
Come, Bless God, O my soul,
and never forget all God’s blessings.

Bless God, my soul,
and all my being, bless God’s holy name.
Bless God, my soul,
and forget not all God has done for you.
Bless God, who forgives all your sin,
who heals you in all your infirmities,
who redeems your life from the grave
and crowns you with mercy and love,
who fills your life with good things,
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s,
who works righteousness
and justice for all who are wronged.
Refrain:
Come, Bless God, O my soul,
and never forget all God’s blessings.

O God, you showed your ways to Moses,
your deeds to the children of Israel.
You are compassionate and merciful,
slow to anger and extravagant in love.
You will not always accuse
nor do you keep your anger for ever.
You have not dealt with us according to our sins
nor punished us according to our wickedness.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is your steadfast love toward those who fear you.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far have you put away our sins from us.
As a father has compassion for his children,
so you have compassion for those who fear you.
*As a mother comforts her child,
so you comfort us, O God.
For you know how we were made.
You remember that we are dust. Bless God, O my soul.
Refrain:
Come, Bless God, O my soul,
and never forget all God’s blessings.

* from Isaiah 66:13

Romans14: 1-12
Welcome those who are weak in faith but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat, for God has welcomed them. Who are you to pass judgment on slaves of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observe the day, observe it for the Lord. Also those who eat, eat for the Lord, since they give thanks to God, while those who abstain, abstain for the Lord and give thanks to God.

For we do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall give praise to God.”

So then, each one of us will be held accountable.

MESSAGE: “Excess Baggage”

*HYMN: VU #606“In Christ There is No East or West”
1. In Christ there is no east or west,
in him no south or north,
but one great family of love
throughout the whole wide earth.

2. In him shall true hearts everywhere
their high communion find;
his service is the golden cord
close binding humankind.

3. Join hands, then, people of the faith,
whate’er your race may be;
all children of the living God
are surely kin to me.

4. In Christ now meet both east and west,
in him meet south and north;
all Christ-like souls are one in him
throughout the whole wide earth.

We Respond

INVITATION to the OFFERING
When you donate, do you think about how much everyone else is giving? Do you wonder if you’re giving more than everyone else, or do you wish you could give more? Maybe there’s another way to think about this, and it has nothing to do with comparing ourselves to our neighbours. Each of us is called to be as generous as we can. I invite you to give in thanksgiving for God’s generosity.

PRAYER of DEDICATION of OUR OFFERINGS
Generous God, give us the wisdom not to compare our gifts with those of others, but to give because of what you have given to each of us. Bless these gifts, and those given online and through PAR, and let them be shared where they will do the most good.

DEDICATION HYMN: MV #191”What Can I Do?” (2x)
What can I do? What can I bring?
What can I say? What can I sing?
I’ll sing with joy. I’ll say a prayer
I’ll bring my love. I’ll do my share.

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: VU #330 “Jesus Shall Reign”
1. Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
does its successive journeys run;
his kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
till moons shall wax and wane no more.

2. People and realms of every tongue
dwell on his love with sweetest song,
and infant voices shall proclaim
their early blessings on his name.

3. Blessings abound where’er he reigns;
and prisoners leap to lose their chains;
the weary find eternal rest,
and all who suffer want are blest.

4. Let every creature rise and bring
peculiar honours to our King,
angels descend with songs again,
and earth repeat the loud Amen!

*COMMISSIONING

*SUNG BENEDICTION: “May the Blessing of God be Upon You” VU #429
May the blessing of God be upon you.
May God’s love light all your way.
May the grace of Christ enfold you
and peace around you stay.
May the Spirit of God dwell within you.
May you live in joy each day

POSTLUDE: “Theme and Variations” Handel/Brahms adapted by C. Burton

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