June 27th, 2021 5th Sunday after Pentecost
Watch this Service at: www.graceunitedthornbury.ca/live
Leading us today in worship:
Minister: Rev. Christine Smaller
Music Director: Dr. Christopher Burton
Scripture Reader: Heather Dickson
Leader: regular font ~ All: bold font ~ Sung Words: bold italic font
Prelude:
Little Prelude in F Major J.S. Bach
Greeting:
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
Memorial Candle:
Today we light a candle in thanksgiving for and in memory of Jesse Elwood James.
Call to Worship:
God is not interrupted when we ask for healing, our transformation is God’s bread and honey.
God is not burdened when we say: help us! Showing up with fierce tenderness is God’s pleasure.
Hallelujah! God is neither lip service nor jargon -- God meets us in our bodies, in our gathering, in the concrete care we offer each other.
Let us welcome our God who welcomes us.
Opening Prayer:
God, you are the One who birthed all life into being created us for relationship:
With each other. With the land and all its creatures.
With Spirit, present all around us.
The One who rights all wrongs and lifts up the suffering:
Reveals the evils that threaten our connections.
Ushers us all toward redemption.
The One who makes healing possible:
Calls us home to our purpose and potential.
Amen.
Opening Hymn: O Canada
O Canada! Our home and native land.
True patriot love in all of us command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The true north, strong and free.
From far and wide, O Canada,
We stand on guard for thee!
God keep our land glorious and free.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
Prayer for Illumination:
Gracious God, as we turn to your Word for us, may the Spirit of God rest upon us. Help us to be steadfast in our hearing, in our speaking, in our believing, and in our living. Amen
Scripture:
2 Corinthians 4:13—18 (NRSV) Heather Dickson
But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—“I believed, and so I spoke”—we also believe, and so we speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.
Mark 5:21–43 (NRSV) Heather Dickson
When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet and begged him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.” So he went with him.
And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’” He looked all around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Response:
The Word of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God.
Musical Interlude:
Kinderstück F. Mendelssohn
Sermon
Hymn: VU 598 When Pain of the World
1. When pain of the world surrounds us
with darkness and despair,
when searching just confounds us
with false hopes everywhere,
when lives are starved for meaning
and destiny is bare,
we are called to follow Jesus
and let God's healing flow through us.
2. We see with fear and trembling
our aching world in need,
confessing to each other
our wastefulness and greed.
May we with steadfast caring
the hungry children feed.
We are called to follow Jesus
and let God's justice flow through us.
3. The church is a holy vessel
the living waters fill
to nourish all its people,
God's purpose to fulfill.
May we with humble courage
be open to God's will.
We are called to follow Jesus
and let God's spirit flow through us.
4. We praise you for our journey
and your abundant grace,
your saving word that guided
a struggling human race.
O God, with all creation,
your future we embrace.
We are called to follow Jesus
and let God's changes flow through us.
Prayers of the People
The Lord’s Prayer:
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:
The Peace of Christ be with you all.
And also with you.
Everyone is invited to share the peace of Christ by offering a message in the chat box.
You may also wish to think of someone you would like to pass the peace to this week.
Music:
Bagatelle L. van Beethoven
Invitation to the Offering:
Let us follow in the path of Jesus who attended to the community with creativity and dignity. Let us bring forth our offerings with gratitude for the lineage of wise people who have gone before us, who called us family, and taught us what it feels like to be seen and heard.
Prayer of Dedication
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 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
Care, Prayer, Share
Announcements: Heather Dickson
Closing Hymn: VU 326 O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing
1. O for a thousand tongues to sing
my great Redeemer's praise,
the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of God's grace.
2. Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
that bids our sorrows cease;
'tis music in the sinner's ears,
'tis life and health and peace.
3. He speaks, and listening to his voice,
new life the dead receive,
the mournful broken hearts rejoice,
the humble poor believe.
4. Hear him, you deaf; you voiceless ones,
your tongues again employ;
you blind, behold your Saviour comes,
and leap, you lame, for joy!
5. My gracious Parent and my God,
assist me to proclaim,
to spread through all the earth abroad,
the honours of your name.
Commissioning and 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
Postlude:
Variations on a Theme by Handel Handel/Brahms
*****
RESOURCES USED (all with permission):
Prayers and Liturgies:
- Adapted from enfleshed liturgy collection, by C. Smaller. Used and adapted with permission.
Hymns and Sung Responses:
- O Canada: Words: Robert Stanley Weir 1908, Music: melody Calixa Lavallée ca. 1880 harm. Christopher Burton. Public Domain
- VU 598 When Pain of the World Words: Jim Strathdee 1976, Music: Jim Strathdee 1976, Words and music copyright 1976 Desert Flower Music, One License
- VU 326 O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing: Words: Charles Wesley 1739, alt., Music: Carl Gotthelf Gläser ca. 1828; adapt. and harm. Lowell Mason 1839, Public Domain
Prelude, interlude, music for passing the peace and postlude – all in the Public Domain
