June 13, 2021 – Third Sunday after Pentecost
Find this service at www.graceunitedthornbury.ca/live
Leading us today in Worship
Minister: Rev. Christine Smaller
Music Director: Dr. Christopher Burton
Scripture Reader: Marg Tirpkoff
~ Leader: regular font ~ All: bold font ~ Sung words: bold italics
PRELUDE:
Little Prelude in D Major ~ J.S. Bach
GREETING: (2 Cor 13:13)
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
WELCOME:
CALL TO WORSHIP:
Called to be branches in Christ’s body,
we yearn to be connected to the vine.
Called to be mustard bushes offering shade to God’s creatures,
we search for places to plant the seeds of faith.
Called to be growing with God in the midst of this world’s painful questions,
we seek God’s nurturing presence.
OPENING PRAYER:
God of small seeds and mighty plants, you take our meager lives and with your love cause them to produce acts of loving kindness for you in this world. You hear our cries and find us when we are lost and wandering in fear. You bring us home with you so that we may be made whole, rejoicing in your goodness. Help us to joyfully serve you all our days, knowing that you are always watching over us. Prepare our hearts to receive your word and our spirits to respond in eagerness to serve you. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
HYMN: VU 642 Be Thou my Vision
1. Be thou my vision, O joy of my heart;
naught be all else to me save that thou art,
thou my best thought, by day or by night,
waking or sleeping thy presence my light.
2. Be thou my wisdom my calm in all strife;
I ever with thee, and thou in my life;
thou loving parent, thy child may I be,
thou in me dwelling, and I one with thee.
3. Be thou my battle shield, sword for the fight
be thou my dignity, thou my delight
thou my soul's shelter, thou my high tower;
raise thou me heavenward, O power of my power.
4. Riches I heed not, nor vain empty praise,
thou mine inheritance, now and always;
thou and thou only, the first in my heart,
great God of heaven my treasure thou art.
5. Great God of heaven, after victory won,
may I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be my vision, O ruler of all.
PRAYER OF APPROACH:
Gracious God:
We remember with gratitude those people who generously sowed the seeds of faith in our lives.
(Pause)
Above all, we recognize how you have blessed our lives with the gift of the Holy Spirit so that our faith has miraculously and mysteriously grown.
We confess the times we fail to involve ourselves
in planting any seeds of faith in the lives of others;
the times when our personal agendas become more important than yours;
the times when we have denied others the opportunity to expand their faith through our lack of interest or involvement;
the times when our lives become so entangled with the values of the world that we forget what you have said and done and promised.
We know that when we become disconnected from you,
our lives become parched and unfruitful and our faith becomes stunted and dry.
Bless and renew our lives, we pray,
so that we remain connected to you at all times and in all places,
strengthening our faith to expand and,
growing strongly and vigorously,
to bear the fruit of your mercy, your love, your undying life.
WORDS OF ASSURANCE:
Fear not, for our Creator, the loving maker of all reality, forgives us, and redeems us from violence and oppression. God sows the good news in tiny seeds, inviting us to tend the soil of community, and marvel as they grow.
In the name of Jesus, who is the Christ, we are forgiven. Amen.
All: Thanks be to God! Amen.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION: (Scripture Reader)
Holy One, we know that you constantly breathe new life into every word of scripture. Help us hear the Living Word you share with us today.
SCRIPTURE: (Scripture Reader)
Ezekiel 17:22-24 (NRSV)
Thus says the Lord God:
I myself will take a sprig
from the lofty top of a cedar;
I will set it out.
I will break off a tender one
from the topmost of its young twigs;
I myself will plant it
on a high and lofty mountain.
On the mountain height of Israel
I will plant it,
in order that it may produce boughs and bear fruit,
and become a noble cedar.
Under it every kind of bird will live;
in the shade of its branches will nest
winged creatures of every kind.
All the trees of the field shall know
that I am the Lord.
I bring low the high tree,
I make high the low tree;
I dry up the green tree
and make the dry tree flourish.
I the Lord have spoken;
I will accomplish it.
Psalm 20 (VU 742)
Refrain
Not a word shall fail of the promise God has made.
May God answer you in the day of trouble,
and the name of God defend you.
May God send you help from the sanctuary,
and give you support from the holy mountain.
May God remember all your offerings,
and accept your burnt sacrifices.
May God grant you your heart's desire,
and give success to all your plans.
May we rejoice in your victory
and triumph in the name of our God.
May God fulfil your every wish.
Refrain
Not a word shall fail of the promise God has made.
Now I know, O God, that you help your anointed,
and will answer from your holy heaven
with the victorious might of your right hand.
Some put their trust in chariots,
and some in horses;
but we will trust in the name of our God.
They will totter and fall;
but we shall rise and stand upright.
God, save those who rule,
and answer us when we call.
Refrain
Not a word shall fail of the promise God has made.
Mark 4:26-34 (NRSV)
He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”
He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples
RESPONSE:
The word of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God.
MUSICAL INTERLUDE:
Intermezzo in A Major ~ J. Brahms
PRAYER OF PREPARATION:
May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable to you Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
SERMON:
HYMN: MV 27 Creator God You Gave Us Life
1. Creator God you gave us life,
your image formed within our souls,
yet through the mist of time and space,
we search for that which makes us whole.
Refrain
Through hands that paint majestic skies,
and voices chanting melody,
with words that reach beyond the page,
we comprehend your mystery.
2. In ev'ry flow'r and ev'ry tree,
we see your great diversity,
yet greater still we see your love,
expressed in our humanity.
3. When with our hearts, our hands our minds,
we share our gifts with all the world,
our spirits soar beyond the veil,
to touch the very face of God.
Refrain
Through hands that paint majestic skies,
and voices chanting melody,
with words that reach beyond the page,
we comprehend your mystery.
PROFESSION OF FAITH A New Creed
We are not alone,
we live in God’s world.
We believe in God:
who has created
and is creating,
who has come in Jesus,
the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and others
by the Spirit.
We trust in God.
We are called to be the Church:
to celebrate God’s presence,
to live with respect in Creation,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus,
crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us.
We are not alone.
Thanks be to God.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE:
THE LORD’S PRAYER (Spoken, traditional words, VU 921)
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…
PASSING THE PEACE OF CHRIST
The Peace of Christ be with you.
And also with you.
Think of one person with whom you would like to share the peace of Christ.
You can also share the peace by typing in the chat box.
MUSIC for PASSING the PEACE:
"Menuet" from Le Tombeau de Couperin ~ M. Ravel
OFFERING
We honour all the ways we give as we dedicate our offering.
INVITATION TO OFFERING
With an offering stone to honour all the ways we give as we dedicate our offering let us pray:
PRAYER OF DEDICATION OF GIFTS AND SELF
We bring our gifts to you, God.
Here is the work of our hands,
and here is the love of our hearts.
Accept them and use them,
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
A single stone placed in the offering plate honours all our gifts.
Donate online: www.graceunitedthornbury.ca, select “Give” or contact the office by email: accounting@graceunitedthornbury.ca
Ways to give:
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More ways to give: Care, Prayer, Share
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Join us by Zoom following this service for coffee and fellowship
HYMN: VU 713 I See a New Heaven
Refrain
I see a new heaven.
I see a new earth
as the old one will pass away,
where the fountain of life flows
and without price goes
to all people who abide in the land.
1. There, there on the banks of a river bright and free,
yielding her fruit, firm in her root,
the Tree of Life will be.
Refrain
I see a new heaven.
I see a new earth
as the old one will pass away,
where the fountain of life flows
and without price goes
to all people who abide in the land.
2. There, there where death dies and our lives are born again,
body and soul, struggling but whole
like flowers after the rain.
Refrain
I see a new heaven.
I see a new earth
as the old one will pass away,
where the fountain of life flows
and without price goes
to all people who abide in the land.
3. There, there where the darkness brings visions from above.
There where the night, bearing new light,
reveals the promise of love.
Refrain
I see a new heaven.
I see a new earth
as the old one will pass away,
where the fountain of life flows
and without price goes
to all people who abide in the land.
4. There, there where we work with the love of healing hands.
Labour we must, true to our trust
to build a promised new land.
Refrain
I see a new heaven.
I see a new earth
as the old one will pass away,
where the fountain of life flows
and without price goes
to all people who abide in the land.
SENDING:
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
POSTLUDE:
Waltz in A flat Major ~ F. Chopin
*****
RESOURCES USED:
LITURGY SOURCES: The following are used with permission:
- Call to Worship: written by Katherine Hawker for the Union Church UCC of Tekonsha. Posted on Liturgy Outside. http://liturgyoutside.net/
- Opening Prayer: written by Nancy C. Townley, on the Worship Connection page of the Ministry Matters website. http://www.ministrymatters.com/
- Prayer of Approach/Words of Assurance: written by Moira Laidlaw, and posted on Liturgies Online.
If no attribution, prayers have been written by C. Smaller
HYMNS and SUNG VERSES
- “Be Thou My Vision”; Words: Irish ca. 8th century; trans. Mary Elizabeth Byrne 1905, verse Eleanor H. Hull 1912, alt, Music: Irish traditional melody, Public Domain
- “Creator God You Gave Us Life”, Words and music: Judith Snowdon, 2004 Words and music copyright 2004 by Judith Snowdon. Used by permission. One License #608577
- Psalm 20, VU 742, Norman L. Warren 1972, alt. Music copyright 1973 Hope Publishing Company, One License
- “I See a New Heaven”, Words: Carolyn McDade 1979, Music: Carolyn McDade 1979, harm. Janet McGaughey ca. 1981, alt., Words and music copyright 1979 and harmony copyright 1991 Carolyn McDade. One License
- “Go Now in Peace.” Words by Don Besig and Nancy Price. © 1988 Harold Flammer Music, Inc. Alternate words used with permission. Used by permission, One License, #608577.
Scripture Passages from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission.
Prelude: Little Prelude in D Major J.S. Bach
Interlude: Intermezzo in A Major J. Brahms
Music for the Passing of the Peace "Menuet" from Le Tombeau de Couperin M. Ravel
Postlude Waltz in A flat Major F. Chopin
